LA offers variety of ice cream spots
Summer may be winding down with the beginning of classes, but with the temperatures remaining high for the next few months, ice cream should be on everyone’s priority list. Luckily, Los Angeles is one of the hottest spots for the coldest treat with the most unique flavors around.
Salt & Straw
Unique flavors · Salt & Straw offers new flavors such as “Black Olive Brittle and Goat Cheese” and “Tomato Water Ojai Olive Oil Sherbert.” – Rebecca Siegel | Daily Trojan
With three locations in Studio City, Larchmont Village and Venice Beach (and a fourth to be added soon in the Arts District), Salt & Straw has clearly dominated the L.A. ice cream scene. Iconic flavors like honey lavender and sea salt with caramel ribbons keep customers coming back for more despite the price tag.
Gelateria Uli
Located in Downtown Los Angeles, Gelateria Uli has 16 flavors on rotation from their 60-plus flavor repertoire. If customers successfully suggest a flavor of ice cream, Gelateria will give you a free pint. Be sure to be creative, as they are known for their bizarre flavors, such as bee pollen, pear sorbet and yellow corn.
McConnell’s
Photo courtesy of @mcconnellsicecreams
Though McConnell’s opened in Santa Barbara in 1949, they have become a DTLA staple in Grand Central Market. McConnell’s prides itself on using organic and local ingredients, while staying true to the old-fashioned method of ice cream making. Their flavors are nostalgic reminders of being with grandma — cardamon & gingersnaps, chocolate covered Strawberries and sweet cream.
Scoops (East Hollywood)
The enigmatic Scoops ice cream keeps its customers in the dark with regard to ice cream flavors. Every day, they tweet out what flavors will be available that day, and if chocolate or vanilla isn’t one of them, they don’t care! They serve strange combinations of flavors such as non-dairy maple Oreo and banana toffee.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Located in Los Feliz by Griffith Park, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams gives Los Angeles-only ice cream shops competition. There are eight Jeni’s in the U.S. — seven of which are in different states (the founding state, Ohio, is graced with two). Jeni’s offers ice creams, buttermilk sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches in traditional and ultra-hip flavors.
Coolhaus
Sea salt caramel ice cream sandwich from Coolhaus. – Photo courtesy of Flickr
Hailing themselves as architects of ice cream in Culver City, Coolhaus specializes in ice cream and cookies, with the two often mixed together. Coolhaus makes odd combinations like french fries and vanilla ice cream in the “Fast Food” ice cream or Doritos-infused “Netflix” ice cream.
Milk
Photo courtesy of @themilkshop_la
With locations in Silver Lake and Fairfax, this place is famous for their macaron ice cream. The Grasshopper Macaron Sandwich is a popular choice. It contains mint chocolate chip ice cream between two macaron cookie shells dipped in dark chocolate. The macaron cookie shell is perfectly crispy on the outside yet decadently chewy on the inside and perfectly complimented by their ice cream on the thick inner layer. They also coat the sandwiches with mouthwatering toppings.
Creamistry
By using liquid nitrogen, the ice cream from Creamistry has a more airy melt in your mouth texture. The strawberry ice cream is a crowd favorite. Visitors can request for the ice cream to be made with premium milk, almond milk, coconut milk or low-fat milk.
CREAM
Hard to choose one · CREAM (Cookies Rule Everything Around Me) offers a wide selection of ice cream flavors including french vanilla, chocoholic, butter pecan and strawberry cheesecake. – Photo courtesy of CREAM
Located near campus on Figuerora Street, this place is similar to Diddy Riese for having ice cream sandwiches with cookies. The blueberry cheesecake with white macadamia cookie is a must-try and all the warm cookies paired with the cold melting ice cream makes for an amazing taste. The salted caramel ice cream is also a great choice for first-timers.