Are there stronger signs of gentrification than vegan ice-cream joints? Maybe the flotation spa nearby has Frankie & Jo’s beat. But if we’re going to have nouveau-riche luxury in 2019 Seattle, it might as well transpire without cruelty to animals.
Frankie & Jo’s bolsters your moral rectitude while hitting you with many flavors you can’t find elsewhere. Their niche is narrow, but they excel with dairy-free élan. (Note that Makini Howell’s Sugar Plum has been peddling vegan ice cream since 2015, so Frankie & Jo’s follows in sizable footsteps.)
Located within The Stranger‘s coveted two-block radius, Frankie & Jo’s offers 10 different variations of plant-based ice cream, plus one sorbet (Beet Strawberry Rose). When I visited, I had a serious ice-cream appreciator—my girlfriend—accompany me to offer seasoned observations. We hit the place at 6 p.m. on a weekday, before the post-dinner rush. Walking by Frankie & Jo’s at 7:30 p.m. two days later, I spotted a line out the door.
