FOOD REVIEW: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

By ALISON ROWE | Special to the Palisadian-Post

Photos by Rich Schmitt | Staff Photographer

Venice residents have long said, “Rose is the new Abbot Kinney”—and now the avenue is living up to its reputation with the opening of its first gourmet ice cream store. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is offering scoops and pints from its corner location on the fifth block of Rose Avenue.

What makes Jeni’s ices different from the others of her cone-toting kin? Jeni Britton Bauer would answer it’s the pure organic cream from grass-fed cows, which is what first inspired the Ohio-based chef to make it her specialty. That and a fondness for the individually sourced botanicals she infuses into the sweet cream.

I asked for recommendations from the impressive array of flavors at the Venice store. First, with Valentine’s Day still on my mind, I conjured a very grown-up date as we headed toward the chocolate section of the cabinet.

Darkest Chocolate lived up to its name. It has the highest concentration of cocoa in any commercially produced ice cream. With that billing, I was prepared for a dry and maybe slightly bitter experience. What I found was balanced, definitely dark and 100-percent for adults.

However, Queen City Cayenne turned out to be what I was looking for. The Aztec-inflected flavor profile was one of the first ice creams that Jeni developed in 1995 at the start of her career. Her version is a “timed-release” experience, starting with milk chocolate at the forefront, moving to fragrant cinnamon then, finally, the big warm of the cayenne tingling on the palate.

Next came an unusual suggestion for those of us of drinking age, Juniper and Lemon Curd—the perfect gin martini, with a twist, in frozen form.

The starting point for the flavor was the recent discovery of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s handwritten recipe for bathtub gin, which provided the method for infusion. Plus it’s a tip of the hat to Jeni’s fellow Ohioan James Thurber. The scoop was indeed sophisticated: sharp lemon curd drizzled through juniper scented cream. After just one mouthful I sharpened my pencil …

I had to try the Salted Caramel. Each batch is slightly different due to in-house caramelization, which brings out the variety in the sugar’s compounds, treading the line between sweetness and bitterness. The sea salt is subtle and it also has perhaps the most sensual texture of any of the scoops I tried.

Feeling sorry, by this time, for the lactose intolerant, I explored the cream-free, nut-free options. The Whole Lemon Sorbet uses every part of the lemon: zest, pith and juice combine to make an unexpectedly mellow mixture. The normally bitter pith becomes almost creamy after processing and freezing.

The Blackcurrant Lambic Sorbet is shockingly good and highlights the mouth-filling qualities of America’s forbidden fruit, which appears again with orange oil and lavender in the extremely lilac-colored Wildberry Lavender.

What is an ice cream store without a child? Sweet Cream is the No.1 option for young customers. The unadorned cream showcases all the work that it actually takes to make something so deceptively simple. The initial spoonful is firm, it has body which then melts into smooth cream; no graininess, no artificiality, just pure, sweet, cold, organic cream.

Vanilla is a popular choice and I was not prepared for surprise. However, we are so used to vanilla sourced from Madagascar that the flavor of vanilla sourced from Uganda is a total revelation. In keeping with Jeni’s emphasis on clean, ethically accountable practices, Ndali Estate Vanilla uses a single-source, fair-trade aromatic. It unfolds slowly on the palate as honeyed, perfumed and slightly smoky, with a fresh-baked goods quality that Jeni describes as “donuts.” Your child will eat it, but only if you don’t finish it all first.

In a Palisadian-Post exclusive, I can reveal that a new kid’s ice, Super Moon, is due to launch in the next couple of months. It is based on Crème Violette, scented with marshmallow and colored with blue spiralina. Described as a “Lucky-Charms-cereal-marshmallow flavor,” it makes a fun connection between the exotic and the familiar. Look out for it as the weather warms.

The playful approach continues through the store’s design, where a mural of curious cows in cheerful colors occupies the wall of an awkward-shaped, long corridor leading to the washrooms. The mural is designed to be a selfie wall. Surrounded by cow love in Venice? Sure! Running under the mural is a chalkboard, which kids gravitate to immediately.

However, it’s impossible to get too comfortable, due to the lack of seating. This is very much a scoop store and not an ice cream parlor. What small space exists is occupied by displays of merchandise. Every Jeni’s store is different, and the décor and layout reflects the locale. After a study of the area, the design team determined that most of the business is likely to be from people on the move.

So grab your ice cream and get your exercise both at the same time. It could be the most guilt-free scoop you’ve ever had.