Molly Moon's Lavender Ice Cream
As the leaves start to turn and jack-o-lanterns appear on porch steps I long for my old favorite: pumpkin ice cream. I have a fall birthday and each year my family would walk down to Screamin' Mimi's in Sebastopol California to get large scoops of that spicy autumnal treat.
So here are my top five favorite places for gelato and ice cream.
Enjoy!
1. Pitango
Logan Circle Location:
1451 P St.
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 332-8877
This gelato place has a few locations in the D.C. area. My family first went a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Their ingredients are so fresh and the flavors are unbelievable. They use what they call "extreme ingredients" -- fresh, organic, grass fed etc. (perfect for the health-nut and consumer activist alike). But their gelato appeals to the gourmand as well. It is silky-smooth and peaks perfectly (almost like taffy). If you go you must order this divinely decadent duo: chocolate and amaretto, (it is beyond words). For those of you who are drawn to the fruity flavors you must try their strawberry -- it surpasses fresh berries in flavor.
2. Screamin' Mimi's
6902 Sebastopol Ave.
Sebastopol, Ca 95472
(707) 823-5902
As I said earlier this is one of my old-haunts. I can still remember the favorite flavors of my fourth grade class: one kid liked their strawberry, another liked Deep-Dark Secret and the rest of us liked the chocolate-chip cookie dough best. Last time I ordered the strawberry and cookie dough, still as delicious as I remembered. The interior is rather small, but beautifully decorated with vivid pinks and Michelangelo-style paintings. If you are someone who avoids artificial flavors and colors this is the place for you -- they have all-natural maraschino cherries! It is a wonderful place to go with friends and family, for there is something for everyone. My roommate came out for a visit last summer and I took her out to Armstrong Woods and we stopped at Screemin' Mimi's on the way back home. I was surprised to find a small ballot box still in the corner with the few silly pet photos posted above. My friend, Sierra, always used to post photos of her dog, Lucy, and cat, Daisy, and all of us kids would go in to vote about three or four times each so that she would win a free ice cream. If you happen to visit Sebastopol in the fall don't forget to order a scoop of Screamin' Mimi's pumpkin ice cream on a fresh waffle cone.
3. Molly Moon's
Capitol Hill Location:
917 E. Pine St.
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 708-7947
Last spring I went up to visit my best friend in Seattle and she took me to Molly Moon's. We walked into a warm and clean shop with large boards chalked with some of the most compelling flavors -- balsamic strawberry, rosemary meyer lemon, cardamom, raspberry mint, Thai tea, and salted caramel. I was a little dazed at first but settled on a scoop of the honey lavender. I was nervous that I would be biting into soapy ice-cream, but the lavender was very subtle and the honey added just enough sweetness. It was perfect and very beautiful with actual lavender buds in the ice cream. The scoops were generous and reasonably priced.
http://www.mollymoonicecream.com/
4. Fairfax Scoop
63 Broadway Boulevard
Fairfax, CA 94930
(415) 453-3130
This hole-in-the-wall shop in hippy-ville California is one of the hidden treasures of Marin County. There is often a line going out the door and the interior is not much larger than the line, but don't be turned off by appearances, it is worth the wait. Their strawberry ice cream is some of the creamiest you will ever eat and it goes beautifully with the vanilla honey-lavender (which some people swear by). It is easy to miss, but just look for the yellow exterior, but be warned, it is addictive.
5. Unknown.
This is the spot for the yet untasted ice cream just waiting for us to discover it.
(Incidentally there is a place in San Francisco called Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous which I have been meaning to try. It is located in Potrero Hill, San Francisco at 699 22nd St).
Enjoy!
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