The Latest Ice Cream Scoop From Scoops

The most interesting, unique and tasty ice cream in the world comes from Tai Kim's Scoops. We're lucky enough to live close to his Scoops on York location in Highland Park. Remember, the best part: Generous-sized scoops. Every "scoop" at Scoops is actually two scoops -- I've never quite understood the math, but I'll never complain.

Here's the selection from our most recent visit, starting with maple molasses Oreo and caramel Oreo (above).



Salty chocolate



Vanilla green tea and sour honey toffee

Rate-A-Restaurant #258: Scoops Westside

Restaurant: Scoops Westside

Location: 3400 Overland Ave. (Palms)

Type of restaurant: Ice Cream

We stipulated: We've been enjoying the wonders of Scoops' original location, in East Hollywood, for years. But a few weekends ago, we found ourselves on the Westside with my parents -- and I thought it might be a good time to check out Scoops' Westside digs.

They stipulated: Scoops, of course, is famous for their always-changing selection of unique and unusual flavor combinations. And the small still comes with two scoops, which means the ability to get more than one flavor in even the smallest size. And as always, samples are free.

Flavors available the day we visited: Pistachio Tangerine, Chocolate Almond Butter, Black Sesame, Cream Cheese Oreo, Strawberry Balsamic Honey, ND Coconut Jasmine, ND Chocolate Peanut butter



What we ordered: I tried the Cream Cheese Oreo and Black Sesame (always a fave), while Maria got the Strawberry Balsamic Honey and the Black Sesame. ($3.50 for a small, which comes with two flavors.)


(Pic via Scoops Westside's Twitter feed.)

High point: Scoops' Brown Bread flavor, its signature selection, was also on tap, and my mom got it. I took a taste and remembered how much I like it. Next time. Also, it was less crowded than East Hollywood.

Low point: Sadly, the flavor selection is smaller than the original East Hollywood location, which has two freezer displays.

Overall impression: Scoops has still got it.

Chance we'll go back:  We'll be returning to the East Hollywood location, which is much closer to Franklin Avenue HQ.

For a complete list of our more than 250 restaurant reviews, check out Franklin Avenue's companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Here's the Scoops

We headed back to Scoops this weekend for the first time since we tried the ice cream joint last year... and we're in love all over again.

Last year, we got milkshakes. (Remember our "Summer of Shakes"?) This year, we stuck with straight-up scooped ice cream. And ho boy, were we in for a surprise.

At Scoops, owner Tai Kim has come up with a confusing-at-first-but-ultimately-brilliant way of selling scoops of ice cream. In Tai's bizarro math, one scoop actually equals two. In other words, if you order one scoop (at $2.50), you actually can try two different flavors of his equally bizarro ice cream creations.

In Tai's world, "One scoop plus one" then means four scoops at $3. You with me? And "One scoop plus two"? Yep, six scoops ($3.50). You're catching on, wise one.

I went for three scoops -- er, I mean "one scoop plus 1/2" (which is not on the menu, but available for $2.75).

And Evan went for the kid cone -- $1.75 -- which means one scoop.

The scoops aren't huge, but that's the point. Tai wants you to sample many, many of his unique and fascinating flavors.

Maria, for example, tried Black Currant/Ricotta (yum) and Chocolate Hazelnut. Evan ate Marscapone (yes, we chose it for him, Evan's palate isn't that progressive on its own). And I tried Vanilla Bean/Jim Beam; Black Truffle/Maple; and Peppermint Tiramisu.

The winner? Probably the black truffle and maple. Yes -- truffle as in mushrooms. Amazing pairing with the subtle maple flavor.

Actually, subtlety is what Scoops ice cream is all about. And why the strange flavors work. Tai doesn't smack you in the face with some far-out flavor, he gently introduces it to the frozen confection world.

Check out our visit last year, when we ordered shakes.



Scoops, 712 N. Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles

Another Scoop of Scoops

East Hollywood's famed Scoops ice cream shop is probably the only eatery that deserves a blog post every time we visit. Owner Tai Kim's unique ice cream flavors are forever changing, forever ambitious and forever a reason to keep coming back.

For our first visit since last June, I got one scoop -- which, in Scoops speak, actually means two balls of ice cream. This time out, I got Scoops' signature Brown Bread flavor (vanilla with caramel swirls and Grape Nuts for a nice crunch) and Olive Oil & Vanilla Sea Salt -- one of my favorite Scoops flavors yet.

Maria got the Coconut Thai Ice Tea flavor. And Blogger Toddler enjoyed the Hazelnut & Peanut flavor. (Both of them got the kid's size -- one scoop for just $1.50.)



Scoops has also just launched a new art show: "One Scoop is Two Balls: A Works on Paper Show with Ice Cream." Art and ice cream? In your FACE, LACMA!

Scoops, 712 N. Heliotrope Dr., Los Angeles.

Summer of Shakes, Vol. 1: Scoops

And so it begins. Inspired by the L.A. Times' recent roundup of local milkshake emporiums, we decided to check out a few shops. In the name of research, of course. Oh -- and it's hot outside.

But damn it, we don't need an excuse, right? Milkshakes are tasty. That's reason enough.

First stop: Scoops (712 N. Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles; Shakes, $3.25). Contrary to the L.A. Times article (and as pointed out below by a reader), Scoops isn't in Silver Lake, but is located right next to the L.A. City College, one block west of Vermont. What is this area called? (I'm looking at you, LA City Nerd.)

Scoops is a rather simple establishment; not much inside, other than a row of very unusual ice cream flavors. At first glance, I'm in heaven. Even as a kid, I always had to order the bizarre flavor. While the rest of my family was content with vanilla, I had to go for pumpkin, or candy cane, or something else. Here, Scoops takes it to a whole different level.



I order "Brown Bread," which boasts a praline-and-cream flavor, with Grape Nuts cereal on top (the owner tells me it's an English recipe, although over there they use some sort of brown bread -- hence the name). Maria orders the Pear/Mint flavor (Scoops is big on flavor mash-ups.)


The owner also invites patrons to suggest new flavors...

Sadly, Scoops didn't live up to my high expectations. My brown bread shake was a little too thin -- and the Grape Nuts just didn't work in shake form. Maria's was better -- thicker and tastier (I'm a huge mint fan), although the mint pretty much drowned out the pear flavor.

I don't want to discourage you from trying it yourself, however: I may still return at some point, because Scoop's flavor combos still fascinate me. But on to our next stop on the Summer of Shakes!

Rate-A-Restaurant #330: Sweet Rose Creamery (Ice Cream)

Restaurant: Sweet Rose Creamery

Location: 7565 Beverly Boulevard (3rd/Beverly/Fairfax)

Type of restaurant: Ice cream



We stipulated: After an afternoon in Beverly Hills, we were looking for a treat on the drive home. We could have gone to Scoops, but we always go to Scoops. We wanted to try something different and Sweet Rose Creamery's artisan ice cream has been long on our "to eat" list.

They stipulated: "At Sweet Rose Creamery we make small batches of homemade ice cream using only the best ingredients. We use organic milk and cream from Clover Organic Farms and eggs from Chino Valley Ranchers. Both suppliers are antibiotic and hormone free! We also make every effort to purchase our produce from farmers who use organic and sustainable agricultural practices, and support our local farmers by purchasing our produce at the Santa Monica Farmers Market (You’ll see us there every Wednesday!). Sweet Rose Creamery pasteurizes on site and makes all ice cream, sorbets, and dairy free ice creams on premises from scratch every day. We never use any stabilizers in our ice cream bases, and we never use pre-mix bases for any of our products. We also make our own hand-made cones, frozen novelties, cakes, pies, and toppings in house from scratch (except for sodas, sprinkles & coco nibs)."



What we ordered: Maria and I shared a banana split with Caffe Luxxe Coffee ice cream and Salted Caramel ice cream ($7.50); Blogger Kid 2.0 tried a kids scoop of mint chip ($3).



High point:  The flavors are fresh and powerful. I've never had a coffee ice cream as strong as the Caffe Luxxe flavor

Low point:  I wish I knew they were going to sprinkle nuts on our banana split. I've never been a fan of nuts on ice cream.



Overall impression: Maria and I decided to share the banana split since, at $7.50, that was the cheaper route than getting separate scoops. $4 for a scoop of ice cream is still a little crazy to me, especially when you get two scoops for $3 at Scoops. But the ice cream was tasty, and the flavors adventurous. Maria recently tried Salt & Straw, which she complained was waaay too overpriced. Sweet Rose is a nice middle ground.



Will we return: I'm not sure we would go out of our way, but if we were in Mid City looking for a treat, we'd stop by again.

Scoops Ahoy! A Visit to the 'Stranger Things' Pop Up in Burbank

Steve "The Hair" Harrington and his fellow scooper Robin were nowhere to be seen, but I did see plenty of other "Scoops Ahoy" touches, inspired by "Stranger Things," as I stopped by the pop-up store last week. The wait was long — the line snaked down several blocks, and it appeared to be hours before fans got a chance at buying a U.S.S. Butterscotch — so I just took photos and peered in the windows. But in a way, that was enough to soak in the experience. (Plus, Scoops Ahoy quarts are available at Target — where you don't have to wait hours in line to experience it.)

I know this Baskin-Robbins location well, as it's close to the Blogger Kids' elementary school. But for two weeks, it transformed into Scoops Ahoy, a pivotal location in Season 3 of Netflix's "Stranger Things." Check out some pics below.

Unfortunately, the Scoops Ahoy pop up is now closed. But from what I understand, you can still order a "U.S.S. Butterscotch" (essentially a banana split, with waffle cone pieces shaped like boat sails) at most Baskin-Robbins locations for a limited time.

The Scoops Report: Yes, That's Bacon in My Ice Cream

Scoops is probably the only spot that deserves its own blog post every time we visit. (Here's the scoop on our last visit, back in February.) This time out, I'd say we sampled some of the best Scoops flavors yet.


Oh yeah, you read that right. Banana/Peanut Butter/Bacon. I wasn' t planning on getting this flavor... but then I sampled it. Something about the hint of bacon -- Scoops is subtle with its flavors, after all -- meshed nicely with the peanut butter flavor (the banana was a little more obscured). For my second flavor (remember the Scoops mantra -- One Scoop Is Two Balls), I chose Tiramisu Guinness. Slightly more disappointing -- I barely tasted the Gunness, and the rest tasted less like tiramisu, and more like plain chocolate.


The Kid Formerly Known As Blogger Toddler enjoyed -- seriously, he inhaled the whole thing before we were even done -- his Chocolate/Jalapeno flavor. Indeed, the jalapeno was subtle, but added a nice kick.


Maria may have picked best of all: A Red Wine/Lychee Sorbet.

Zombies Invade Scoops (But Sorry, No Brains Here)

We get a lot of press releases here at Franklin Avenue, but when one includes those magical words -- "Scoops Ice Cream" -- I gotta take notice.

Rebecca writes to tell us about the film AMERICAN ZOMBIE, which opens
at the Laemmle Sunset 5 today.

The movie, about a group of L.A. zombies struggling to gain human acceptance, hasn't received great reviews. But for Angelenos, the setting alone should be interesting: The film was shot in and around Hollywood, East Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Altadena, the Valley and Downtown.

Now, the Scoops part: In conjunction with the film, the "American Zombie" folk are putting on an art exhibit at Scoops Ice Cream Shop's Gallery. "The Art of American Zombie" runs through April 20; to mark the occasion, Scoops maestro Tai has whipped up a few special flavors. (Nothing brain-related, Rebecca promises.)

Another Scoop on Scoops

As part of our Friday night Date Night, Maria and I headed to our fave ice cream shop, East Hollywood's Scoops, after seeing "(500) Days of Summer."

We got there around 9:15, and several of the flavors were already gone (including their signature brown bread). Only a few spoonfuls remained of coffee/cardamon, for example, so they nicely just added a sample to my scoops.

As you know by now, in Scoops' world, "one scoop" actually means two sizable balls of ice cream. In my case, besides the coffee/cardamom topper, I got strawberry/basil and green tea/crema de Mexicana. Maria got the strawberry/basil and green tea/creama de Mexicana as well. Good flavors, but not quite as good as my favorite.

A New Favorite Flavor Emerges at Scoops

On the left, Mike's; on the right, Maria's

As part of Friday night date night (this is part of a three-post series), Maria and I hit our fave ice cream spot, Scoops in East Hollywood (sorry, Fosselmans, you're up there too).

Any Scoops visit is a good one -- but this one delivered what has quickly become my favorite flavor yet: Spiced Kabocha/Japanese Squash. With hints of cinnamon spice and pumpkin, that flavor was straight up my alley. I paired it with the Green Tea/Marsala Wine flavor (remember, at Scoops, one "scoop" is actually two -- and at $2.75, an amazing deal), which had the nice effect of enhancing the green tea flavor.

Maria, meanwhile, went for the Pineapple/Kiwi, which was nice and refreshing; and the Black Sesame Seed/Marscapone.

Rate-A-Restaurant #341: Carmela Ice Cream Co. (Pasadena)

Restaurant: Carmela Ice Cream Co.



Location: 2495 E Washington Blvd (Pasadena)

Type of restaurant: Ice Cream



We stipulated: After hiking at nearby Eaton Canyon, we wanted a cool treat to celebrate Maria's birthday. We just happened to spy Carmela on the way to our hike, and so it beat out our other choice, a quick drive to Fosselman's.



They stipulated: "We make artisan ice cream and sorbet, using fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients sourced from local farmers' markets. Established in 2007."



What we ordered: Mike: 2 scoops-- Salted Caramel and Lavender Honey ($5.95). Maria: Cone-- Lime Mint Sorbet ($5.75). Blogger Kids: Cone-- Salted Caramel ($5.75) and Cone-- Chocolate Sorbet ($5.75).



High point:  Maria's lime mint sorbet was extra refreshing after that hike. The salted caramel is always a hit.



Low point:  You want your ice cream in a cone? It's $1 more, no matter what.



Overall impression: It felt a little bit like we were cheating on our beloved Scoops -- but hey, our local Scoops in Highland Park is closed on Sundays. Carmela's flavors aren't nearly as adventurous/wacky as Scoops, but that's OK. The ingredients are fresh and the flavors are spot-on. It may be a little bit on the pricey side, but worth the occasional splurge.



Will we return: Yes, especially if we were nearby the store.