Screamin Mimi's - Ice cream, Sebastopol

6902 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol CA 95472
(707) 823-5902
Parking: street parking
Hours: Open daily from 11am to 10pm; open until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays
http://www.screaminmimisicecream.com/

Last Visited: December 30, 2016


Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

Voted #4 Best ice cream in the United States by USA Today and best ice cream in Sonoma County since 1995, this is a great place to stop in if you're in the area.

While it's not the very best ice cream I've ever had, I love the charm of Screamin' Mimi's and their variety of ice cream and sorbet, plus it's good to support local businesses.  When I'm up here, I always stop in no matter the weather or how close I am to my next meal.  The Christmas decorations are showing in this photo and you can see the colorful decor inside the shop. The ice cream cones, tables, and chairs are painted by a local artist.

Unlike other ice cream shops which offer ice cream by the scoop, at Screamin' Mimi's you pay by weight.

Shown in the photo here are:
- Peach coconut sorbet - The peach flavor came out more than the coconut, but it was still refreshing.

- Orange cardamom cream sorbet - This was wonderful!  The cardamom came across so well and the orange was light - I might try to make this one at home the next time I get out my ice cream maker.

Items like fudge, caramel, whipped cream, and waffle cones are made in house.  Other menu items include floats, shakes, and options from the espresso bar.

Service is friendly too, so stop in and try their multitude of flavors.

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous - Ice Cream, San Francisco

Last Visited: July 29, 2016

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

Located in the Dogpatch, Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous has developed a reputation for high quality ice cream that rivals that of Bi-Rite and Humphry Slocombe.

I came in on a weekday afternoon and found that it wasn't too busy, although there was still a large table of folks and lots of moms with kiddos.  Offerings included standards like vanilla bean, chocolate, strawberry, and chocolate chips, but for something different, they also offered honey roasted peanut, kahlua and cream, and milk & cookies.  Toppings are also available as well as cookies in case you want a supplement to your ice cream.

- Buttermilk and Lemon - This was oh so creamy with distinct flavors of buttermilk with the additional tang of the lemon.  It was an unexpected pairing.  You can see that a single is quite sizable, but the triple is the best deal if you can stomach the serving size.

Prices: Kids $4, Single (1 flavor) $5, Double (1-2 flavors) $7, Triple (1-3 flavors) $8

I will definitely be back to try more!

Sweet Scoops Homemade Ice Cream - Sonoma

408 1st St East, Sonoma CA 95476
Parking: street parking
Hours: Sun-Thurs Noon-9pm, Fri-Sat Noon-10pm
http://www.sweetscoopsicecream.com/

Last Visited: December 17, 2016

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $


This is my second visit to Sweet Scoops.  Known for their homemade ice cream (most of Sonoma's ice cream shops are chains or their ice cream isn't made in house), this shop has lasted longer than some of the other places on the Sonoma Plaza.  Prices have gone up 10 to 20% since my last visit a year ago.

- Butter brickle - One of their best known flavors is the butter brickle.  It's reminiscent of butter pecan, but with more crunch.  Nice and creamy.

- Coconut chip - Shredded coconut is mixed with chocolate chips.  I wouldn't have minded the coconut flavor to be even stronger because I love coconut.

Prices: Tiny $3, Single $3.95, Double $4.95, Triple $5.75, Flight (4 tiny) $6.75, Split scoop $0.30

They also offer sundaes, shakes, sodas, and floats. You'll also find a few extra flavors listed on the freezer door, but you need to peek around the side to see the list though.

Compared to other sweet shops, this one is a good find in Sonoma, but it doesn't reach the standards of the best ice cream shops in San Francisco.  Still worth a stop though.

Salt & Straw - Ice Cream, Portland OR

838 NW 23rd Ave (Alphabet District), Portland OR 97210
(971) 271-8168
http://saltandstraw.com
Hours: Daily 10a to 11p

Last Visited: October 13, 2016

Food: 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service; 5 stars
Price: $ to $$


If you like the wine tasting experience and you love ice cream, this combines the best of both worlds.  When Lucy heard I was heading to Portland, she said I had to stop here, and I'm so glad I listened.

It's awesome how Salt & Straw takes the time to let you sample different flavors.  Since it was October, they had a special menu of limited edition Halloween flavors like Dracula's Blood Pudding and Essence of Ghost.  The best part is how they take the time to tell you the story behind the flavor - like how the essence of ghost is intended to taste like you had eaten a ghost.   November offers limited edition Thanksgiving flavors that remind you of a Thanksgiving meal.

I went with the classics this time.

- Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper - While BiRite in San Francisco is well known for its balsamic strawberry, they have nothing on Salt & Straw.  The strawberry is super flavorful and has jammy streaks running through the creamy ice cream, and you also detect the hint of spice from the black pepper and the depth of the balsamic vinegar.  It's a delicious combination which greatly exceeds what BiRite is offering.

- Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache - Another great choice for your palate to delight upon as you experience have opposing flavors - the sweet crunchy almond brittle with the salt from the ganache. Rich and creamy.

Pricing:
Single $3.95, Double $5.95, Kids $2.95, Split Scoop +0.50, Tasting Flight $9

I loved both of the ice cream flavors I selected, and on this rainy night, the place was quite empty.  The servers took their time and they were super friendly - whether it was offering another tasting or an indecisive customer wanting to change their minds - they were extremely patient and kept their smiles. I heartily recommend trying Salt & Straw in the Alphabet District!  Don't miss it.

CREAM - Dessert/Ice Cream, San Mateo

134 S B St, San Mateo CA 94401
(650) 344-2736
Parking: street parking
http://www.creamnation.com/

Last Visited: July 24, 2014

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

CREAM stands for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me.  I was eating at a nearby restaurant for dinner and wanted to get some dessert.  CREAM was just around the corner.  The thought of a warm house made cookie with ice cream - how can you go wrong with that?

When I arrived at CREAM, the menu was pretty simple - choose your choice of cookie, pick your ice cream, and if you want toppings, you can add them.

On this evening, I ordered a White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookie and it came warm with my Coconut ice cream in between.  The only disappointment of the night was that they were out of the Matcha Green Tea ice cream - sadness.  In case you prefer a malt, milkshake, or float, those are available too.

My favorite thing besides the freshness of the dessert was their pricing model. Paying by cash means that the sandwich sells for $2.50.  Paying with credit means it costs $2.99.  What better way to change behavior than by pricing differently based upon the business' preference to receive cash?

CREAM -

 I will be back!

Tropical Dreams - ice cream, Hawi, Hawaii

174 Kamehameha Ave
Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 935-9109

Parking: street parking

 

Last Visited: October 2012

 

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

 

All of my tour books for the Big Island kept talking about Tropical Dreams.  The sense that it was available on a limited basis (only at their stores and certain stores or restaurants throughout the Big Island) somehow added to the exclusivity of the product.  How could you go wrong with locally made ice cream?  I was determined to get it at their shop rather than at another carrier. 

 

I thought it sounded familiar, and when I saw the flavors being offered, I realized that I get this stuff at home in the SF Bay Area fairly easily - just go to an Asian market.  Unfortunately, when I saw what was in the case, I didn't find the super exotic flavors that I was hoping for - there was green tea, strawberry, and tahitian vanilla, but I didn't see any macadamia nut or ginger flavors. 

Tropical Dreams is known for super premium ice cream.  I ended up trying the coconut cream and it was ok, but not as creamy or rich as I was hoping for.  If you happen to be driving through Hawi, it's worth a stop, but if you make it your destination, and you have access to tropical flavors elsewhere, you might not be as enamored by it.  Sizes available include Keiki, Single, and Double.

Service was ok - nothing too special and salads are other options are available in case you are hungry.  For me, it was just alright.  Having a scoop of Mitchell's or Magnolia at home or even a quart of Tropical Dreams from my local Asian market is sometimes more satisfying.