SUGAR RUSH

Portland's Most Creative Ice Cream Dreams

Local spots, from restaurants to pop-ups, flaunt fresh churns on ice cream—and yes, fro-yo!

By Kelly Clarke February 11, 2015 Published in the February 2015 issue of Portland Monthly

Eb & Bean

Frozen yogurt has always been the mousy cousin to ice cream’s luxe scoops, but Elizabeth Nathan’s swirls of icy goodness put most creams to shame at her NE Broadway shop. Savor the bracing punch of her “Tart” flavor or a silky chocolate-covered cashew yogurt made with almond milk. Meyer lemon–crème fraîche, gingersnap bursting with pepper—the hits keep coming. Pile on organic gummy bears, Bakeshop’s sweet and salty cookies, and other artisan toppings, and you’ve got the best-dressed cup in town.  

Cool Customers: PDX's Most Creative Ice Cream Dreams

  • Pok Pok’s Coconut-Jackfruit Ice Cream Sandwich - Icy Vietnamese scoops, fruity bits, salty peanuts, and sticky rice squished inside a sweet bun—it’s a total trip.
  • Cool Moon Ice Cream’s Kulfi - Say namaste to this dense, pistachio-perfumed Indian riff on ice cream.
  • Trifecta’s Hot Fudge Sundae - Childhood revisited: luxurious house vanilla-bean ice cream, hot, bittersweet chocolate sauce, Spanish peanuts, and crispy peanut sable cookies included. 
  • Morgan St. Theater, A Dessert Pop-Up - This globe-trotting series pairs imaginative ice cream sundaes (think rich sesame ice cream with salted orange honey sauce and Moroccan ras el hanout spice cookies) with storytelling and themes ranging from Jewish holidays to Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?. 
  • Salt & Straw’s ... well, everything - This month, look for the “farm-to-cone” empire builders’ Artisan Chocolatier series, which includes love notes crafted with Xocolatl de David and Woodblock Chocolate goods. 
  • Bar Avignon’s Mud Pie Sundae - A Ball jar sweet-bomb, with layers of gooey brownie and ice cream topped with a drippy cloud of Frangelico sabayon, hazelnuts, and brûléed bananas. 
  • Lovely's Fifty Fifty's Malted Milk Ball Ice Cream - Cap off your pizza party with a toasty, creamy brain freeze.
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