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“A day without ice cream is a day without sunshine.”
That’s a quote from me, and you’re welcome to borrow it. Yes, I’m an ice cream fan, dating to back to my childhood when I’d go to Thrifty’s Drugstore and order a double scoop of pistachio and strawberry whenever I could talk my dad out of a quarter.
Times have changed—ice cream costs as much as gasoline, and the ice cream being made at specialty stores is not just better, it’s exotic and creative.
Case in point: Salt & Straw Ice Cream, which opened last month at The Walk at Westcliff in Newport Beach.
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Salt & Straw was founded in 2011, originally serving ice cream from a push cart with eight flavors. Now, Salt & Straw has 17 scoop shops across California.
“We are thrilled to open our very first shop in Newport Beach,” said Tyler Malek, Co-Founder and Head Ice Cream Innovator at Salt & Straw. “We are hoping to be a part of creating lasting memories in this community for generations to come.”
Salt & Straw has sourced and collaborated with many California artisans and suppliers across the state, including Cowgirl Creamery, Dandelion Chocolate, Sightglass Coffee, TCHO, Heena Patel and others.
Salt & Straw has a basic menu of a dozen flavors, although there’s nothing basic about them. You can get simple flavors like double fold vanilla or chocolate gooey brownie, or something more exotic such as Cold Brew Coffee Cashew Praline, Pear & Blue Cheese, or Marionberry Coconut Sherbet.
They also have flavors of the month. For November, they have a Thanksgiving medley that includes Parker House Rolls w/ Salted Buttercream, Caramelized Turkey & Cranberry Sauce, Roasted Peach & Sage Cornbread Stuffing, Pumpkin & Gingersnap Pie, and Mom’s Mango Pie. So basically, you can enjoy a Thanksgiving feast in a cone or cup instead of on a plate.
After sampling several of the regular flavors, I took home two pints: Sea Salt w/ Caramel Ribbons (they spike their cream with just enough Guatemalan fleur de sel to bring out its nuances, then drizzle in ribbons of hand-burned caramel), and – because I have been on an olive oil kick – the Arbequina Olive Oil (a simple combination thanks to incredible Oregon olive oil with tropical, grassy flavors and rich, buttery texture).
The olive oil is a fun flavor with enough olive oil to please my palate without going over the top, while the sea salt and caramel ribbons is rich and creamy, with the sea salt perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the caramel.
Salt & Straw’s mission is to “make unbelievable ice cream.” I think they have succeeded.
Salt & Straw is at 2001 Westcliff Dr., Suite 102. Don’t be surprised if the line is out the door—it’s that popular and that good. There is also a Salt & Straw in Downtown Disney.
Visit www.SaltandStraw.com for more information.
