When my sister began applying for residency programs in California, I was skeptical. We basically classify ourselves as "NY or Die" kind of people, so her moving across the country did not sit well with me. During her first visit to LA I received a picture from Salt & Straw with a matching text: "DUDE THIS IS LEGENDARY" (I swear this was exactly what it said in all caps).
I had heard of the revolutionary ice cream shop before, the text came at an opportune time. The picture came after a summer of obsession with ice cream skyrocketing, leading to a conversation with my mom when she told I was "out of control." Sorry not sorry!
Fast forward 4 months and it was finally time to visit my sister in the city of Angels. Most importantly, it was time to see what all the hype was about. I'm a tough critic when it comes to ice cream so I was ready for the full experience at Salt and Straw.
A Life-Changing Experience
First, let me start off by saying I love to taste test. Nothing is worse than when you feel the ice cream shop employee staring you down just because you want to try another flavor. Excuse me, but I need to make sure I'm making a smart decision.
One of my favorite things about Salt & Straw is that they let you try as many flavors as you want. They actually encourage you to try as many as you want. Talk about A+ customer service.
Immediately upon walking in, you can smell the fresh scent of a homemade waffle cone. Usually I switch between a cone or a cup based on how I'm feeling but there was no shot in hell I was passing up on that giant homemade waffle cone.
The Ultimate Flavor Decision
I tried 3 flavors: Roasted Strawberry & Toasted White Chocolate, Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and their special October flavor, The Great Candycopia. After this, I then felt the most pressure to make the right decision.
The Decision
I ended up throwing a curveball and going with 2 scoops (the size of tennis balls). One scoop of the The Great Candycopia: which had chunks of homemade Snickers, Whoppers, and Peanut Butter Cups. Their homemade candies test better than the real thing.
For the other scoop, I decided on Chocolate Gooey Brownie: which is a rich chocolate ice cream with chunks of house-baked brownies that include marshmallow fluff to amp up the gooey factor.
I devoured the whole thing in approximately 10 minutes and then sulked for 5 minutes after because I was so sad it was over. Salt & Straw was truly was the best ice cream I've ever tasted. The creaminess level is perfect, the flavors are natural and indulgent, and the chunks of add-ins are sprinkled evenly throughout.
Our trip to Salt & Straw definitely was a life-changing experience, and I am not kidding when I say we went back the day after, and again went balls to the walls with 2 scoops in a waffle cone. If I could have this ice cream everyday, I would.