Mashti Malone's

It began on an innocent lovely Los Angeles morning. We couldn't stay inside, and decided to drive over to Franklin Canyon and hike around. Things we did not consider: the time of day (arriving at noon) and the temperature in the mountains (90+ degrees). If you're questioning our judgment at this point, don't worry, we did too the moment we arrived on site. And yet, our naive selves were determined to climb and so climb we did; up the nearly vertical incline with no tree coverage. As you can assume, the trip back down the trail was hurried, uncoordinated and desperate. Reaching the car huffing and having lost about 10 collective pounds in sweat weight, we knew ice cream would be the only remedy. Mashti Malone's was waiting at the ready on our list, so we screeched over to N La Brea and beelined it for their shop.

Housed in a nondescript strip mall, Mashti Malone’s has been serving their Persian-style ice cream since 1980. The place is small with modest design, sporting two ice cream displays, a pint fridge and a couple dining tables. With two cases to run through - classic flavors on the left and Persian flavors on the right - we asked the server to take us along the Persian side. How often do you get to try Date, Ginger Rosewater, French Lavender or Herbal Snow (rosewater and lime sorbet with basil and poppy seeds)? With so many unique tastes, it was difficult to narrow it down but eventually we settled on sharing Turkish Coffee and Creamy Rosewater in a cup. No idea why we split the cup; honestly, we were delirious at this point.

Though the flavors were adventuresome, our need for cooling down from an afternoon in the sun might have curbed our confusion over the consistency of the ice cream. Translating to  bastani in Farsi, Ice cream is referred to by many Iranians as  akbar mashti, after one of the first makers of ice cream in Iran. It's made by heating the dairy before adding other ingredients, which makes for a distinctive flavor. Other than the flavor profiles, what felt most wild about the ice cream was its almost loose, elastic quality. Bizarre, but certainly fun to try.

Overall they offer a range of regular and exotic flavors at a fair price. Check out Mashti Malone's if you’re looking to try a different style of ice cream as well as knock off an LA standby along the way.

Establishment Aesthetic: 2.00
Flavor Variety: 4.00
Product Quality: 3.00

Skoops: 3.00

Ah Sawtelle, the Asian food mecca of the west side. Here you can find anything from ramen and sushi to curry and sweets. You can also find Honeymee, a popular soft-serve shop with sufficient online buzz and a consistent line to the door. Their Sawtelle location has been open since 2015 and is one of a whopping 16 shops in California. We ventured there last Friday night, hoping to kick off the weekend with a scoop of heaven.

The shop is bitty - essentially a stall - with the menu resting above their serving booth. There are 7 menu options, each with milk soft-serve + set toppings. Essentially they're just variations of the same thing. You'll find no wacky or even classic ice cream flavors here. The options are Darling (plain), Sweetie (drizzled honey), Dear Chocolate (Ghirardelli chocolate syrup + sea salt), Dear Caramel (Ghirardelli caramel syrup + sea salt), Honeymee (1 honeycomb chunk), Honey Affogato (drizzled honey + coffee) and Matcha Affogato (honey + matcha). They also offer milkshakes and a couple other drinks but come on, we're here for the ice cream. With such choices, samples aren't really an option here so we figured we'd go for their classic Sweetie with drizzled honey. 

We only ordered one, thinking we'd get another after tasting it, but immediately changed our minds. No need. We honestly couldn't understand the hype about this place. It was simply regular - not mind blowing - soft-serve, with some honey drizzled on it. Oh and the serving cups are so dang small for the high price. What are you paying for here? A transient atmosphere, mediocre soft-serve, a small array of dull flavors and cheap toppings? 

Needless to say, we won't be stopping in for another try. If you want honeycomb cuteness for your instagram story, stop in. Otherwise, go elsewhere for your next adventure in soft-serve.

Establishment Aesthetic: 2.50

Flavor Variety: 1.00

Product Quality: 3.00

Skoops: 2.00

Okay, so our last few stops have been “LA staples” and you’re probably thinking, ‘dear god, how many classics can there be?!’ Well, we’ve got one more. Saffron & Rose has been serving to their dedicated Los Angeles customers since the 1970s. With its proximity to UCLA and a long-standing presence in the west side community, the shop draws a diverse crowd of regulars; from first dates and college students to families and old timers.

To start, there is nothing special or even indicative of a brand about this place. The shop was very small and truly packed, with a line straight back from the display to the door and groups seated on either side. Walls, floors, chairs, everything is gray, apart from a couple jarring yet unexciting saffron(?) yellow accents. The space decidedly does not invite you to 'scream for ice cream.' Their display case shows a cramped set of trays, with both classic and Persian flavors. Our efficient server helped us to try a few flavors like Banana, Passion Fruit and Orange Blossom. Paige settled on Cookies & Cream and Banana and Katherine chose Orange Blossom and Saffron with Pistachio in a cup.

There’s no way to get around it, this ice cream was not good.  The flavors were all artificial and poorly crafted. The chunks of clotted cream in the Saffron with Pistachio flavor were an unfortunate surprise, especially given they tasted more like vaguely milky, chalky ice cubes. We couldn’t quite put our finger on what was off with the consistency, until Paige thought of it.  You know when you accidentally leave a pint out for too long and after being re-frozen it has a strange, lumpy frostbitten quality? Well, that's Saffron & Rose ice cream. We didn’t even finish our cups (and that never happens).

After being told about this place for years, nothing about it lived up to expectations. If you want to check off an LA staple, go by Saffron & Rose. But maybe stop yourself from eating any ice cream.

Establishment Aesthetic: 1.00

Flavor Variety: 2.50

Product Quality: 1.00

Skoops: 1.00

This weekend we set out to try Scoops as well as Bloomfield Creamery. An ambitious Saturday that quickly derailed as Scoops no longer exists and Bloomfield is closed for renovations. With a swift recovery we found Atticus Creamery & Pies, just across the street from the Westside Pavilion.

The inviting and unassuming shop opened in 2014, selling both ice cream and pies made daily in-house. Their server took us through their most popular flavors and before we knew it we'd tried Cereal and Milk, Lemon Lavender, York Peppermint, Honey Honeycomb and Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter. She even offered samples of their pies of the day! Though we didn't end up settling on one of their vegan options, we sampled Sweet Corn and Vanilla Chai, each just as smooth and lovely as the regular flavors.

After taking a few surprised glances at the menu board, we realized how expensive these scoops would be -  one single scoop is $5 and 2 junior scoops (the only way to get 2 flavors) are $4 each  - and decided to split a cup. Paige with her favorite, Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter and Katherine with York Peppermint.

Atticus should brag more about the consistency of their product. It is smooooth. What pleasant ice cream with great variety in flavors that could satisfy even the pickiest ice cream enthusiast. The catch here is their serving size and pricing, it's the only thing keeping us from returning so soon. However if you're looking to try some truly velvety ice cream, skip over to Atticus Creamery & Pies for a scoop.

Establishment Aesthetic: 3.50
Product Quality: 4.00
Flavor Variety: 4.00

Skoops: 3.75

You could say there was a bit of confusion when our friend and avid Thrifty Ice Cream fan tried to explain to us what exactly it was and why we must try it. Something about the fact that it's an independent brand within Rite-Aid and is served by Rite-Aid employees just boggled our minds. What kind of ice cream are we talking here?

Eventually we just picked a Rite-Aid nearby and showed up, hoping this mystical yarn wasn't a joke. But sure enough, there it was; the Thrifty sign gleaming above us as we trotted inside to see a full ice cream bar to the right of the registers!

The ice cream bar was deserted, but we stuck it out for a while with a couple 5 year olds girls also eager to get their hands on a cone. As we waited we spotted a row of pints in the freezer nearby and figured, why make them go to the trouble? So we snagged the popular Chocolate Malted Krunch, Mint N' Chip and a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and headed home.

We really made a feast of it - straight out of the carton, scooped onto cones, milkshakes galore. It was grand. They were tasty, not life changing, but lovely - Mint N' Chip being our favorite. They reminded us East Coasters of summer ice creams like Hoodsie Cups you scarfed down as kids. Classic, simple and of course, thrifty. [Sorry, we had to do it]

Thrifty's history is quite interesting. Two brothers who ran a series of "Thrifty Cut-Rate Drug Stores" in the 1930s decided to churn house-made ice cream for their soda fountains. And thus in 1940, Thrifty Ice Cream was born. Though Rite-Aid bought Thrifty in 1997, the brand lives on - still serving their 45+ flavors to life-long fans across the West Coast.

If you're looking for a nostalgic scoop in a quirky local, pop into your nearest Rite-Aid and try Thrifty Ice Cream.

Establishment Aesthetic: 1.00

Flavor Variety: 3.75

Product Quality: 3.00

Skoops: 3.00

If you've never seen Step Brothers, pause reading and watch it now. It has nothing to do with this review but it definitely played out in our minds as we sat on the Long Beach ferry to Catalina Island. OH yeah. Why go to Catalina on a brisk January morning, you say. Well...why not?

After a full day of unintentional strenuous exercise across the island, we were in desperate need of some sugar when we stumbled across Scoops Homemade Ice Cream. Tripping over ourselves to get inside, we beamed at the server after seeing their menu board. The shop, open since 2015, serves both ice cream and gelato. Pressed for time as we were, we neglected to carry out our regular sampling adventure and instead selected the best we could from their solid menu. Paige settled on Salted Pretzel Stracciatella and Coffee Chip on a cone and Katherine went with Cool Mint Chip and Coffee Chip in a cup.

Though it started to drizzle, it didn't bother our pleasant experience of walking along the pier. We devoured our scoops quickly - due to our time crunch, strong hunger or the satisfactory taste we'll never know - but the flavors proved to be true to form with a creamy consistency. It was the perfect way to round out an action packed day. Even if the Catalina Wine Mixer doesn't exist, as least we got ice cream.

If you're ever on Catalina Island, Scoops is the perfect last stop before catching the ferry home.

Establishment Aesthetic: 2.50

Product Quality: 3.75

Flavor Variety: 4.00

Skoops: 3.75

We'd seen the pictures of fish cones and colorful scoops but it was the flavor combinations that had us drop what we were doing. Somi Somi began in 2016 when dessert shop restauranteur Matt Kim opened his first location in Los Angeles. Serving up their Korean "Ah-Boong" dessert, the brand has since grown to many locations down the west coast."Ah-Boong" is a confection of soft-serve swirled into a fish shaped waffle bun called  "Taiyaki". Intriguing, right? 

When a west LA location opened up, it was finally time - apparently word got out because the line was out the door. This place seemed to be confirmed, popular. The shop is industrial and a bit messy, maybe from trying to keep up with such high fan fare. Their menu board is as follows: choose a flavor like Milk, Matcha, Ube, Black Sesame or Oreo (you can also make a swirl combo of two flavors); next pick a filling such as Nutella or Red Bean and finally select a topping. Sadly there aren't samples here, but servers are able to make suggestions of best flavor combinations, which is a massive help for newbies. Paige ordered Oreo and taiyaki with custard filling. Katherine has a bit of a custard phobia [weird] and went with a Milk & Ube swirl in a cup.

The soft serve was dense but smooth and made for an interesting combination with the taiyaki and filling. Though the flavors were bold on paper, they ended up tasting quite intuitive. Our minds weren't absolutely blown but our tastebuds were not disappointed.

If you're looking to try some new flavor combinations or just like the idea of a fish shaped waffle cone, head to Somi Somi for your next fix.

Establishment Aesthetic: 2.00

Product Quality: 3.75

Flavor Variety: 4.00

Skoops: 3.50

Our first review from Paige in North Carolina! Please note this visit was prior to the national pandemic and quarantine/stay at home orders. 

If you’ve visited or even just stopped through Chapel Hill, North Carolina, you have likely made your way to Franklin Street; the main street that runs through the University of North Carolina campus and is peppered with bars, restaurants, and shops. At the start of the popular road sits Blue Spoon Microcreamery. With a relatively low online presence, it’s hard to pinpoint much of the shop’s history, but what they do boast is their “LN2 method”. Their special liquid nitrogen recipe involves instantly freezing the ice cream at -321 degrees fahrenheit. 

I entered the shop on a quiet weekday evening, and were delighted by the large number and variety in flavors, presented in a gelato-style case. They have a solid few consistent flavors, but offer many on a constantly rotating, “Today’s Flavors” menu. I gave Cereal Milk, Brown Sugar Banana, and PB & Jelly a try before settling on Specculicious - their most popular flavor, according to the scooper - in a cone. 

After ordering, I noticed a special on their menu I’d definitely be tempted to stop back for: Ice Cream Nachos. The description is “crispy cone wedges topped with 3 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, salted caramel sauce, peanuts, and whipped cream.” Need I say more?!

I struggled with determining the Product Quality rating because, to be honest, each flavor was quite different. Specculicious was creamy and lovely, yet Brown Sugar Banana and PB & Jelly were crumbly and light. It might be the liquid nitrogen aspect, but I wasn’t overly impressed. Nevertheless, Blue Spoon Microcreamery does offer an easy sweet treat while strolling on Franklin.

Establishment Aesthetic: 2.50

Product Quality: 3.00

Flavor Variety: 4.00

Overall: 3.00