Salt & Straw plays with several savory ice creams

Menus that list “Black Olive Brittle and Goat Cheese” or “Tomato Water and Ojai Olive Oil Sherbert,” are usually hanging in cool tapas restaurants, not the neighborhood ice cream parlor. In Southern California, however, artisan desserts have expanded to include atypical flavors that are more often associated with savory foods.

Perhaps it came as no surprise, then, that hip, Portland, Oregon-based creamery Salt & Straw, announced that it would be opening up a shop in Hancock Park last month.

Originating from an ice cream cart with an iconic red and white awning, Salt & Straw is yet another trendy joint to stop and soothe the dry heat of Santa Ana winds. Boasting imaginative flavors and locally sourced ingredients, this new addition to Hancock Park’s hip Larchmont Avenue hits the creativity mark while abandoning tradition at the door.

Americans can’t get enough of plain old vanilla ice cream — it constitutes nearly 17 percent of all ice cream orders, according to a poll done by GrubHub analytics. Salt & Straw’s founders, cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, took the idea of classic ice cream flavors and turned them on their heads, using unconventional ingredients in addition to giving their take on some classic ice cream shop stalwarts. For an example of the latter, Salt & Straw’s unique vanilla flavor comes from a single source of vanilla beans in Uganda.

A handwritten menu hangs on three different chalkboards above the hardwood ice cream bar. On the farthest left hang “Classics,” in the middle, seasonal flavors or, “Early Autumn Harvest flavors,” and on the right, “Sundaes, Milkshakes, Floats, and Drinks.”

Despite the variety of flavors and unique ingredients, Salt & Straw’s menu is pretty straightforward. The ice cream shop serves classic and seasonal flavors by the single or double scoop, or, for the more indecisive, in four-flavor “flights.”

The Maleks emphasize how they have tried to create a menu that reflects the culinary topography of Los Angeles as well as use all of the local farms and distilleries, creameries and confectionaries that the region has to offer. For example, the GRAND POPPY Sorbet is made from a locally-distilled poppy liqueur. It’s evident Salt & Straw aims to distinguish itself from the average milkshake and sundae shops with its unique flavors and local ingredients.

All hardwood and vintage lettering, the Larchmont location is reminiscent of a soda shop from the 1950s or 1960s, and patrons can expect lines out the door on a weekend afternoon. The staff at Salt & Straw, however, is efficient at helping patrons navigate through some of the wordier menu options. It’s hard to say whether or not it would be wise to pair the “Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons,” with the “Cinnamon Apple Doughnuts” or the “Santa Ynez Valley Walnut Oil,” but Salt & Straw’s staff is more than up to the task.

After working their way through the line and approaching the spotless glass barrier in between themselves and the ice cream, customers will have the opportunity to choose crazy flavors and walk the line between ice cream as a sweet and savory snack with the incredibly cheesy “Black Olive Brittle and Goat Cheese.” For a more traditional afternoon dessert, try the kid-friendly “Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough,” which is rich and full of real homemade cookie dough bites.

The “Santa Ynez Valley Walnut Oil,” is a gem on the “Classics” section of the menu. In line, customers will hear the staff recommend it again and again to patrons wondering what to pair with the outlandish “GRAND POPPY Sorbet.”

The “Santa Ynez Valley Walnut Oil” has a subtle taste that doesn’t get overpowered by other flavors and pairs nicely with basically anything else. It’s even what the staff uses to make their root beer float, since it’s not quite as sweet as the “Single Origin Amadeus Vanilla.”

For those looking to try the seasonal menu, the “California Peaches with Lemon Crumble,” is a nice place to start. A smooth lemon ice cream interrupted only by chunks of sticky sweet peach jam, it’s great to pair with “Single Origin Amadeus Vanilla,” but anything else would be too sweet.

Anyone who needs to be eating something chocolate flavored to truly be eating ice cream can try the very rich — but very delicious — “Chocolate Almond and Caramel Cheesecake,” which is a little nutty, a little salty and not at all too sweet or overpowering. For the real chocolate lover, it goes really well with the smooth and rich “Chocolate Gooey Brownie.” For those not so inclined to chocolate everything, the “Santa Ynez Valley Walnut Oil” is a great pair as well.

With all the bells and whistles of a classic ice cream shop and creative flavors — some of which are exclusive to the Los Angeles location — Salt & Straw is a must-stop on any one of fall’s sunny afternoons.

 

Salt & Straw is located in Windsor Square at 240 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles. The ice cream shop is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.