Beyond the Rocky Road
By Rachel Trachten | Illustrations by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge
It’s nigh on 100 years since rocky road ice cream joined vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry in America’s pantheon of flavors, and while there’s consensus that the bumpy chocolate concoction sprang to life in Oakland, it’s still being debated whether Dreyer’s or Fenton’s invented it. One thing’s for sure: The last decade has seen an explosion of enticing flavors and styles from around the globe, and since scoop shops are proliferating at a pace, we took off around the East Bay to see how many sweet surprises we could taste.
At Bad Walter’s, we enjoyed choosing among their lactose-free frozen custards cleverly styled into adult versions of favorite childhood candies. The Mick Jagger (brown sugar and salted caramel) and the Limewire, a mix of lime frozen custard, marshmallows, and graham crackers, were our faves. 5800 College Ave, Oakland
Caravaggio is the land of genuine Italian gelatos. Their dark chocolate gelato is so rich and creamy it’s hard to believe it’s vegan. Flavor-packed fruit sorbets like apricot, pluot, strawberry, and mandarin rotate with the seasons. 1797 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
iScream!’s handcrafted organic flavors range from Mexican Chocolate to Honey Lavender and refreshing fruit sorbets. They make festive ice cream cakes, too. 1819 Solano Ave and 1809 Fourth St, Berkeley
De La Creamery makes Mexican-inspired ice creams and sorbets like Horchata, Elote, Café de Olla, Paloma, and Pepino Lime. Seasonal flavors feature farmers’ market stone fruits or other produce. Find at the South Berkeley Farmers’ Market and Tacos Oscar popups in Oakland.
Purists will appreciate Almare Gelato’s traditional Italian flavors like Stracciatella, Nocciolo, and Fior di Latte. We enjoyed their signature Toasted Almond and Caramelized Figs and a delightful lemon sorbet. 2170 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley and 349 Main St, Pleasanton
Miharu’s inventive internationally inspired flavors like Shrikhand (a nutty, floral interpretation of a South Asian dessert), Qahwa (an Omani roasted coffee flavor with cardamom), and the gorgeous Lychee Raspberry-Rose Swirl were the draw. In winter, they might feature a Borba Family Farms sweet potato dressed up as a scrumptious sundae. 2965 College Ave, Berkeley and 1951 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
Tara’s Organic offers an impressive array of flavors made with produce from local organic farms. We loved the ginger- and turmeric-laced Golden Goddess and will surely come back to try the Apple Pie, Spiced Pumpkin, or one of the delicious ice cream sandwiches. 3173 College Ave, Berkeley
Launched as a small cart in 2018, Koolfi Creamery now has two brick-and-mortar locations. Among their popular Indian heritage flavors is the Klassic Koolfi, an aromatic nut-studded treat with cardamom and saffron. Dairy flavors are made with Straus Family Creamery organic milk and eggs, and vegan flavors feature organic coconut milk. 599 MacArthur Blvd, San Leandro and 50 Fremont St, Ste 125, San Francisco
Melt Me Creamery features unique artisanal, small-batch Asian-inspired flavors in vibrant colors with names like Mango Sticky Rice, Thai Iced Tea, Ube Malted Crunch, and Yuzu Honey Sorbet. We’ll come back for a Peppermint and S’mores hot chocolate when the weather cools down. 1918 MLK Jr.Way, Berkeley
Helados y Paletas Perita makes rich, creamy ice creams in Mexican flavors like Chongos Zamoranos (think flan or eggnog) and Beso de Ángel, and paletas (ice pops) in flavors like Spicy Mango and Guava. We fell hard for the Gansinieve, a Mexican pastry with two scoops of ice cream, strawberry jelly, and rainbow sprinkles. 4040 Macdonald Ave, Ste A, Richmond
Roast & Toast is the place to try out the traditional Middle Eastern ice cream known as booza. The inclusion of mastic, an aromatic tree sap, makes this ice cream gooey and stretchy. It’s served from a cute cart inside the shop where you can choose toppings like crunchy filo dough, rose petals, and crushed pistachio. They make fruit sorbets, too. 1746 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
U :Dessert Story specializes in Asian desserts like bingsu, a milk-based shaved ice (aka snow ice) inspired by Korean traditions. Try their most popular flavor, Mango, served with sticky rice. 1849 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
A visit to Little Kabul, Fremont’s hub of Afghan life and culture, must include a traditional handcrafted Afghan ice cream from Kabul Icy Treats Cafe. Their Sheeryakh is flavored with cardamom and rosewater, and the Zhala is topped with sweet rice noodles. Add-ons include crushed pistachios, slivered almonds, and rose petals. 32740 Alvarado Blvd, Fremont
For a Fremont doubleheader, visit Nature’s Organic Ice Cream in the Niles neighborhood, where a mom who got fed up with unhealthy junk ice creams uses healthy organic ingredients to create flavors from diverse cultures. Try her Falooda, Cardamom Pistachio Kulfi, Black Sesame, Mexican Chocolate, and Cookies & Cream. 37597 Niles Blvd, Fremont
Brentwood Ice Cream Co. loves its local farm community. Flavors like Snow White Peach, Jammy Strawberry, and Orange Creamsicle are some of the seasonal favorites they make from Brentwood farm fruit. 5421 Lone Tree Way, Ste 101, Brentwood
We missed going to Hawai`i this year, but we found delicious tastes of the Pacific Islands at Lappert’s Ice Cream. Don’t miss the signature Kona Coffee flavor or the Kauai Pie, a concoction of coconut, macadamia nuts, and dark chocolate. 2130 First St, Livermore
The ridiculously creamy 100-percent organic cashew milk ice creams at Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Creamery come in flavors like Hella Vanilla and Zen Matcha. Their cashew-based milkshakes and floats are also free of dairy, gluten, soy, gums, and fillers. 1116 Solano Ave, Albany; 5959 Shellmound St, Emeryville; 4184 Piedmont Ave, Oakland; 1521 Cypress St, Walnut Creek
We first visited Nieves Cinco de Mayo 15 years ago and watched proprietor Luis Abundis make traditional Mexican nieves de garrafa (handmade “carafe” ice creams) in flavors like Pétalos de Rosa, Elote, Leche Quemada, Nopal, and Rompope. His water-based nieves (sorbets) come in intense, fresh fruit flavors like Guava, Mango, and Lime. Fruitvale Public Market, 3340 E 12th St, Ste 2, Oakland
Annie’s Ice Cream Gelato creates vibrant and creamy Italian flavors like the Ferrero Rocher and refreshing sorbets like the Wild Berry. Try your scoops inside a Hong Kong–style bubble waffle. 2079 University Ave, Berkeley and 1320 Locust St, Walnut Creek
From its sweet little spot in Oakland’s Temescal Alley, Curbside Creamery offers both dairy and vegan options. Their soft-serve flavors change weekly and there’s also a wide array of ice cream sandwiches and pie by the slice. Our faves are the Oatmeal Cookie and vegan Thai Tea. 482 49th St, Oakland
Guanatos features Mexican-inspired flavors like Horchata, Elote, and Tequila. Try out the Chamoyada, a sweet and spicy shaved-ice drink, or the Bionico, a healthy serving of fresh fruit topped with coconut and granola. 2474 Willow Pass Rd, Bay Point and 3330 Main St, Oakley
Alameda’s Cookiebar Scoop Shop is a popular spot to try Asian-inspired ice creams like DanTat (Chinese egg tart), Durian, Lychee Black Tea, and Strawberry Matcha. 1608 Webster St, Alameda
Lottie’s Creamery hand crafts seasonal specials highlighting farmers’ market produce. They’ve also collaborated with Lamorinda’s Local Vines winery collective to create wine-based flavors for Sip + Stroll events. Feast your eyes on the gorgeous sundaes, sandwiches, and custom cakes, and if you’re there on a cool day, try the hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows. 1414 N Main St, Walnut Creek and 145 E Prospect Ave, Danville
At Berkeley’s brand-new Serotonin Scoops, the low-sugar ice creams include a nutritional boost of fiber, whey protein, and prebiotics. Saffron Pistachio and other Indian-inspired flavors are highlights. Epicurious Garden, 1511 Shattuck Ave, C, Berkeley
We’re always delighted to visit the East Bay’s legacy scoop shops, and hope you’ll add in Fenton’s, Tucker’s, Meadowlark Dairy, and the “bizarre, delicious, frozen universe” of Humphry Slocombe as you taste your way through the shops on this list. If you want to tell us about what most delights you, we’re easy to reach at info@edibleeastbay.com. ♦
