Never in a million years would I think that a vegan ice cream store would have something for me. But the other day I stopped by Frankie & Jo’s, because it’s two blocks from the office and because I’d heard they sell “ice cream churned from plants,” and I had to know what that meant. I kept picturing Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors going into a blender. I kept picturing green ice cream.
It’s not green. It’s… just like regular ice cream. Not only is it vegan, it’s gluten-free. You could’ve fooled me. The Chocolate Date (the scoop on top, above) was amazing, tasty, perfectly textured, made with dates, cocoa power, sea salt, and coconut milk. I enjoyed it more than regular chocolate ice cream; granted, I love dates. The scoop below that was called California Cabin, made with “apple-wood smoked vanilla and pine ice cream, with black-pepper cardamom shortbread.” Its ingredient list also includes “roasted cashew nut milk” and “locally foraged fir needles and bark.” That sounds weird, but oh my god it was good—subtle, spiced, with bits of cookie crunch.
It came to $6.61 with tax, in the same ballpark as to Molly Moon’s and Hello Robin and Cupcake Royale‘s scoops, but a bit much to make a regular thing. Thank god. Still, if you haven’t tried it yet, there was no line when I stopped by, and they’re generous with samples…
