Ice Cream Hunt
I have been thoroughly disappointed with Ice Cream in Los Angeles. I am new here and have tried a few places. I recently drove to Pasadena to try Fosselman's and took 2 licks and split.
Does anyone know of any good Ice Cream shops? Am I condemned to a life of 31 flavors and cold stone cones?
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For Gelato I would vote for Mondo Gelato on Pico close to Westwood-- many interesting homemade flavors. Great sorbettos and gelatos, and as mentioned before, an interesting tart Pinkberry's-ish yogurt that I like better than the others I've tried-- a bit fluffy, less dense- but also somehow smoother-- very nice taste, and not icy at all. The only better "tart" yogurt I have had is at an obscure place called "Boba Time" on Vermont a little south of Wilshire (it's a hair icier but denser/creamier).
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I don't think anyone's mentioned that Frank's Famous up on Verdugo in Glendale/Montrose (next to Guido's Pizza) scoops Dr. Bobs Ice Cream and has about 12 flavors.
I was at Dr. Bob's in Upland a few weeks back and there was something wrong with the ice cream, it had a texture like it had been melted and re-frozen, just nasty.
Yesterday I had some Dr. Bobs Mississippi Mud at Frank's Famous and while much better, the texture was still not what it used to be. Maybe Bob is using a new base mix or something but it was definitely not "too rich" or "too heavy". The Mud flavor is recommended for dark chocolate lovers, it had huge chunks of chocolate in it, plus a caramel ribbon in vanilla ice cream. Some crushed cookies or brownies were in there, too. It's $2.49 a scoop at Frank's, but you get more if you order the $2.49 "half pint to go". Closed Sundays, sorry!›2 Replies-
re: jackattack
Some suggested Dr. Bob's about a year ago to me and I saw on their website that Surfas was a dealer. When I went to pick some up I saw Delicieuse ice cream and decided to try some of that. I thought it was noticeably better. I also like Lickety Split in El Segundo which is pretty good. The gelato with the Surfas brand in the styrofoam boxes is not too bad either. One of my friends refers to the styrofoam boxes as "coffins." Link for Delicieuse ice cream.
http://www.icedreamonline.com
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Will Owen
Sep 16, 2006 04:46 AM
Dude, if you don't like Fosselman's, I have no hope for you...although your choice of flavors gives me a clue as to the nature of your problem: you aren't looking for ICE CREAM, you're looking for a FROZEN NOVELTY. Cookie dough? I'm aghast that Fosselman's would even offer such a thing. Chocolate and vanilla, fruits and berries and caramel and the like, with maybe some herbs and spices added where appropriate - THAT'S what proper ice cream is made of. Peach, taro, lemon custard, butter pecan are the things to have at Fosselman's. And I will admit that though I have never before thought it was possible, it may be that Fosselman's ice cream is perhaps TOO RICH for some flavors, with the luxurious fat content masking the tang of fresh peach or the dusky depths of dark chocolate...
Anyway, Mrs. O and I cannot go anywhere near Alhambra without stopping in there. Law of nature.
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I second the Boule recommendation!
If you're looking for gelato, I'm totally addicted to Scoops on heliotrope, for the amazing variety, and to the Bulgarini cart at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena - if you're looking for real dark bitter chocolate, the Bulgarini chocolate gelato (not the chocolate/hazelnut, which is also very good) was amazing. did i say amazing? 2 strangers in line with me blurted out "oh my god" after sampling a taste. open fri-sun only, and the courtyard is so lovely.
however, i have to disagree about the gelato place in pasadena near il fornaio - i wasn't very impressed, in fact, let the gelato melt into soup before throwing it away. maybe i chose the wrong flavors.
buster's in pasadena serves up fosselman's - i can't vouch for any other flavors, but i can't get past a scoop of the cappucino (dark dark espresso w/ tiny bits of coffee candy embedded in every little bite!) on a sugar cone.
i also think ben & jerry's is great, the pistachio-pistachio is nice and is only the slightest wisp of green - no neon colored chemicals there! but then, can you really not like thrifty's-rite-aid if you had it as kid? ciao-bella makes a good pint of gelato to take home, and you can get a scoop of it at whole foods.
actually, i know this takes us to san francisco, but the most butterfat intensive ice cream i've ever had (and which still haunts my dreams) is Mitchell's ice cream in the mission. they have 5 different kinds of coconut, and the pear sorbet is ...*mwah kissy kissy! oh, and gelato milano in berkeley has 'oh my god' gelato also...
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re: yoyomama
junglekitte
Sep 16, 2006 05:21 AM
maybe we had different flavors...AND i've only been there three times. i always get hazelnut if i go there. its good, but its no italy!
i'm a huge fan of middle eastern flavors but i don't love the hype with mashti malones. maybe if they had saffron ice cream without the rose water i would prefer it. i'm just not a fan of rose water in my food.
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junglekitte
Sep 15, 2006 04:49 AM
gelato paradiso in newport beach is very, very good.
there's a very good italian gelato place near il fornaio in old town pasadena.
i also second double rainbow from trader joes. excellent!
on melrose dr. in la there's a really good gelato shop (in the area of melrose near all those funky shops) can't think of the name...
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re: RoxyGrl
Have been to Nanas ice creamery in Azusa Ca. It's delicious!! They only serve authentic gelato made on the premises so everything is fresh. They even have a soy gelato for all the lactose free folks. Home made waffle cones as well. apparently they have won some awards at the county fair.
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I saw someone already mentioned that Robin Rose has been gone for a while. There is also no longer a Double Rainbow at that location (it's been gone about five years) and I'm not sure what happened to the Ben & Jerry's in the Century City Mall aka Westfield Shopping Center. It's certainly not a part of the new food court.
I love Thrifty's ice cream. It's only 99 cents per generous scoop and the ingredients are quite good (no high fructose corn syrup). And I'm willing to admit that I worked at Thrifty's in high school but at a location with no ice cream counter. Can't remember if the label still says Thrifty's ice cream despite the name change of the store.
Mashti's is great. I took out-of-towners there and they flipped for the ice creams.
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If you don't think Mashti Malone's rosewater, saffron, and other Iranian flavors are great ice cream, then I will personally refund you the money for whatever you bought. I don't go out for ice cream very often, but Mashti's is the only place I go when I do.
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re: glutton
I've only been to the Mashti's in Glendale, and those ice creams always look either half-melted or melted-then-refrozen. Ugh. I guess this shop isn't busy enough to stock fresh ice creams or something. I did like the blueberry cheesecake flavor which didn't look as stale as all the others.
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re: jackattack
I was at Mashti Malone's last week and I wondered if anybody actually ordered the classic american flavors. Apparently people do. But most people seem to buy the saffron, rosewater, lavender, and iranian flavors. I highly recommend going back, ordering the rosewater cream (or another flavor in that same neck of the woods). I am willing to bet big money that you like it. Creamy, not overly sweet, unique.
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re: glutton
I used to live a block away from Mashti Malone's in Hollywood and used to go all the time, but only for the more traditional flavors. I never liked their lavendar, rosewater, etc. flavors. LOVE the cookies n cream, vanilla, their sorbets... and my boyfriend at the time was a big fan of the blueberry cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake flavors.
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I've been to Scoops (Heliotrope, just north of Melrose and a couple blocks west of Vermont) a couple of times, for their Wednesday specials.
I like it -- the guy is so nice, he virtually forces samples on you -- but be prepared for two things, which the OP and others may actually prefer:
(1) his ice cream has a relatively low butterfat content. No mistaking it for Dr. Bob's, then.
(2) Don't go looking for chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. He delights in strange (or at least strange-sounding) flavors, which he changes with some frequency, and pretty much eschews conventional flavors. All I can say about that is that I've meant to get a brown bread shake both times (the sample was delicious), but have been persuaded to go for other flavors, both of which I enjoyed quite a bit.
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LT from LF
Sep 14, 2006 07:09 PM
I don't think anyone mentioned Scoops...on the east side of Heliotrope, just north of Melrose.
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Dommy
Sep 14, 2006 06:48 PM
Don't forget Scoops near Silver Lake! :)
http://www.laalternative.com/index.ph...
--Dommy!
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Well thank you ALL for your recommendations! I am originally from the Midwest and just moved to LA from New York city.
I am very excited to try some of these places and will keep you posted on my quest. I really am not partial to any one "type" of ice cream. I can go for a go for a super hight butter fat premium or a lighter, airy gelato.
And I don't mean to dis the 31 flavors or Coldstones. I happen to think the peanut butter and chocolate from Baskin Robbin's is great and the cake batter from Coldstone sans added mix ins is really decadant as well.
On another note, my love for coffee is almost equal to that of cold, frozen deserts. Here is my recommendation: CAFE LUXXE in Santa Monica (925 Montana) is EXCELLENT. Nice, upscale environment and really attentive baristas.
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re: deadorinjail
I'm with you. I like Dr Bob's. It's precisely because it's rich and satisfying, I can quash my chocolate craving with just half a scoop of The Works. Some other ice creams (I'm looking at you Coldstone!) just tastes mostly of sugar, not enough flavor. I don't want to eat a huge (that's what they call "small") bowl of sugary ice cream with even more sugary fixin's when I want a satisfyingly deep, rich flavor.
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McConnell's In Santa Barbara
Bert n' Rocky's in Upland
Dr. Bob's a mile away in UplandBennett's in the Farmer's Market
I don't like Fosselman's Cookie Dough either, but the Dark Chocolate is definitely dark, it tastes like Hershey's Cocoa straight from the can!!! i like their Pistachio too, and Cherry Vanilla.
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elmomonster
Sep 14, 2006 01:36 PM
You have to drive to Irvine to try this, but I think it's well worth it. Stricklands.
Here's a review I wrote previously about it:
Nothing in life is as sweet as ice cream in summertime. To indulge in it during these hot months is always a forgivable sin. That diet can wait. It's summer after all.
In Irvine, the best place to treat oneself is Stricklands on Campus Drive.
Hailing originally from Ohio, this solitary California outpost of the franchise sells soft serve, freshly made out of gleaming churning machines that look like they belong in the engine room of a steamer ship. The ice cream produced by these metal contraptions is silken, devoid of ice crystals, and thoroughly smooth. Before Haagen Dazs hardens, it would taste like this.
Two special Flavors-of-the-Day are offered, along with Chocolate and Vanilla, which are always available. You can order it straight up in a cone or have it dolled up in a myriad of ways, including drizzled with toppings for a sundae or whipped into a cold shake.
When you order it as is, a unique conical scoop sculpts each serving into a shape out of Van Gogh's The Starry Night, with stiff, undulating curves that end in pointed peaks. This is Stricklands' signature -- something they probably should patent.
We had our vanilla soft serve with half a banana, some chocolate syrup, whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a Maraschino cherry. They called it a Banana Boat ($3.95). We called it "summer".
Stricklands Ice Cream
(949) 387-9955
4523 Campus Dr
Irvine, CA 92612›2 Replies-
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re: jackattack
elmomonster
Sep 14, 2006 06:19 PM
It's soft serve ice cream. Definitely not non-fat, or even low-fat. They call it frozen custard, but it's technically not, because egg is no longer used in the modern recipe.
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Kitchen Queen
Sep 14, 2006 06:15 AM
Double Rainbow chocolate from Trader Joes (Don't have to go to D.R.) = Pretty Darn Yummy! :)KQ
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I'd have to agree about Fosselman's. I don't think it is that great (or as great as everyone says). I've been to Dr. Bob's. It is good but incredibly rich and kinda heavy for my taste.
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re: lalalady
westsidegal
Sep 14, 2006 06:45 AM
i completely agree with you about dr. bobs.
heavy, too rich, and too salty. -
re: lalalady
westsidegal
Mar 19, 2007 07:00 PM
gotta agree with you about dr. bob's.
heavy, sorta salty.
similar to eating a cube of frozen butter.
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re: George
Thrifty Ice Cream is kinda scary. It's $1.88 a half gallon this week.....what in the world is it made out of, anyway? Bottled water costs more than that!
I must admit that I can handle their Pistachio ice cream...but has anyone else ever noticed that it gets greener and greener the longer you leave it in the freezer? After two weeks it is positively flourescent. I don't know if I'd call it ice cream, it's more like Chemical Whip.
By the way, GILL'S ICE CREAM in the Farmer's Market sells ice cream from the same company that makes THRIFTY Ice Cream. Gill's is not made on the premises so please don't mistake Bennett's ice Cream for Gill's. Bennett's is the place right next door to Bob's Donuts.
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re: jackattack
George
Sep 15, 2006 04:31 PM
I know, a little scary. But they have black cherry. And it's good to buy ice cream where you get your toothpaste and dishwashing liquid.
I'm actually partial to Mashti Malone's. Especially their lavender ice cream.
And to gelato: check for a thread with my recent experience at a new place in North Hollywood, Gelato Bar. It's really good.
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hadashi
Sep 14, 2006 03:31 AM
NPR did some footwork for you... check out this story.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
handy guide w/ links included!
they mention Mashti Malone's, which is an absolute L.A. classic.
1525 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028i'd also suggest Al Gelato's -- it's gelato, not ice cream, but it's delicious. try a cup with half-cabernet, half-chocolate hazelnut.
806 S Robertson Blvd (Cross Street: Gregory Way) -
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monku
Sep 14, 2006 03:16 AM
Where are you from? What do you look for in ice cream?
Maybe I'm nuts but Cold Stone ice cream without all those mixin's is pretty primo stuff.How about:
Robin Rose Ice Cream
215 Rose Ave, Venice (310) 399-1774Lappert's Ice Cream
29 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach (310) 318-3953Bennett's Ice Cream
3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, (323) 936-7986McConnell's
100 Fishermans Wharf # B, Redondo Beach, (310) 376-2544Double Rainbow Gourmet Ice Crm
1898 Westwood Blvd - Los Angeles, CABen & Jerry's Homemade
10250 Santa Monica Blvd - Los AngelesLickity Split Frozen Custard
http://www.lickity-split.com/›4 Replies-
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re: monku
Das Ubergeek
Sep 14, 2006 01:37 PM
It is sad -- she used to hold traffic schools and you could eat as much ice cream and chocolate as you wanted -- but the shop's been closed for almost 8 years.
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oops! You are right it is in Alhambra. Well I sampled a few flavors and there was absolutely nothing special about it. The cookie dough ice cream was most definitely the grocery tube of raw dough mixed into their vanilla. The "dark" chocolate was anything but. And the peppermint stick didn't have any crushed peppermint stick in it!
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