Wallace Stevens would be proud of the concupiscent curds of Santa Monica and the Westside. The poet of the “Emperor of Ice-Cream” might even have relocated from Pennsylvania to be close to our pleasure paradise. Fortunately for us, we don’t need his posthumous approval to delight in the Land Flowing with Milk and Honey. Here’s 12 of our flavorites:
Ginger’s Divine Ice Cream Culver City – Sweet Scale 2+. Sensational original flavors, perfect balance of sweet and creaminess. The huge variety will keep you coming back for more. The owner is a ginger. They have a large selection of vegan. Here’s the scoop: Don’t be put off by the name of the universally heralded “Pickled Strawberry Blueberry Pie.” Be adventurous: try Oaxaca Habanero Chocolate. V, ND $15.95 per pint
McConnel’s Fine Ice Creams Pacific Palisades and 3rd St. Promenade – Sweet Scale: 3. McConnell’s is the king of cream. The Santa Barbara based artisan ice cream boasts all natural ingredients, and they have creative flavors to tantalize. Here’s the scoop: To make it cheaper for a couple, get two scoops in one waffle cone to share; same amount of ice cream as two cones but at a lower price. ND $12.00 per pint
Mashti Malone’s Westwood – Sweet Scale: 1. Their Persian sweets are unrecognizable in America. With a refreshingly low sweetness, Mashti’s reminds us that dumping extra sugar will never compensate for quality. The opening of the Westwood branch is decades-awaited of the landmark Hollywood store. Here’s the scoop: Choose the Persian varieties: Rosewater and Saffron Rosewater, for example. V, ND
$8.95 per pint (Ready To-Go), $9.85 per pint (Hand Packed)
Rori’s Artisanal Creamery Santa Monica – Sweet Scale: 3. Amazing ice cream with a variety of creative but confident, successful, and high-value flavors, even with vegan options. The ambiance is relaxed and the store is boutique. The service is very good as the servers are exceptionally nice. Here’s the scoop: Peanut Butter Chocolate Candy Swirl on a waffle cone. V $13.75 per pint.
Salt & Straw Los Angeles Sweet Scale: 3. With a lively atmosphere and ambience, Salt & Straw draws a young adult crowd. The ice cream is made in small batches and has a hint of salt in its flavors. There is a good variety of flavors, mostly of which are offshoots of generic flavors. For example, Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons has a very pleasant taste while Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is a must-have. With large servings, the expensive price is worth the delightful ice cream. Here’s the scoop: Sea Salt w/ Caramel Ribbons is a favorite, but don’t hesitate to sample a couple extra flavors. V, ND $12.50 per pint.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Venice Beach – Sweet Scale: 3. Jeni’s is very closely ranked with Salt & Straw. The name is spot on: Splendid. From the variety of distinctive flavors to the texture and taste of the rich ice cream, it is simply delightful. The flavors are superior to Salt & Straw, but the ambience and atmosphere is not as exceptional. But, with its nice shop and location, it is only a matter of time before the crowds fall in love with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. Here’s the scoop: Get either the half scoops or get a double scoop and to share. ND $12.00 per pint
Read the rest: Best Ice Cream Shop West Side Los Angeles.
Ice cream specialty shops abound. So when you find something special, it’s a rare gem.
This is POPS Artisanal Creamery in the City of San Fernando. They offer a sundae in a half coconut. They make their own ice cream with some rocking originals.
The exotic flavors are Latin variations. You don’t have as many options as competitors La Michoacana, but the ice creams are made to the American taste, not according to the Mexican formula. Which means, I like them better.
I learned a thing about exotic ice creams when I went to BAE, which offers unthinkable flavors like Coco Puffs Chocolate and Charcoal Cleanse. Only problem with BAE is that they don’t taste good.
To be fair, I didn’t try the spicy cucumber, so it would be wrong for me to endorse it here. But I did the sweet cream corn ice cream, which Martin said was his grandfather’s recipe, and it was delicious.
The proprietor, Martin Ken, is a handsome guy with light eyes from Belize. He’s slightly chubby, proof that he is a connoisseur of creams. He gives an individual attention and care to every customers, talking freely, answering questions, giving samples.
As a matter of fact, it was me who called it quits on the sample porque me apené. (Sorry for the Spanish, but I thought it might be apropos given the Latin neighborhood and the Latin flavors.) I think I sampled four separate creams before deciding, with my wife, for the super nutty walnut and the sharp coffee. (I say “sharp” because the coffee flavor is quite strong and tastes like a legit cup of joe — way better than your average coffee ice cream.)
Martin shaved the inside of half coconut and left the shavings in the bottom. Then he scooped in our two flavors, sprayed on whipped cream, gingerly applied chocolate syrup and topped it off with a mascherino cherry and a little parasol normal for cocktails. That parasol was a little bit of fun, an attractive, playful touch that shows signature caring.
He talks knowledgeably of creams from around the Caribbean. He talks about his family history with creams-making. He talks about his plans to open a second store in New Hall, to the North. He talks…. He talks friendly.
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