The Los Angeles ice cream scene is rife with top-tier competition. If you’re an area resident with a soft spot for the frozen treat, this works to your advantage. You don’t have to travel to enjoy sensational, Italy-based Grom or Brooklyn artisan ice cream superstar Van Leeuwen. You also have proprietary or exclusive access to dozens of regional small-batch creameries. Here are nine exceptional Southern California ice cream brands to try if you haven’t already.
Carmela Ice Cream and Sorbet
Established in 2007, Carmela probably has the most famous salted caramel ice cream in Los Angeles. But Carmela’s dozens of other flavors, including candied pecan and Guinness, are also crowd pleasers. The shop’s ice creams and sorbets are made with seasonal, farmers market produce. Carmela has brick-and-mortar locations in Mid-City, Pasadena, and Woodland Hills, a 10-minute drive from AMLI Warner Center. You can also enjoy Carmela’s ice cream at farmers markets in Altadena, Hollywood, Monrovia, and South Pasadena.
Flavors Creamery
This relatively undiscovered ice cream and gelato shop opened in Glendale just last fall. And it is a treat for those in the know. Flavors serves top-quality ice cream, gelato, and sorbet at affordable prices. Its ice cream cart is stocked with classic flavors like vanilla bean and less common varieties like banana and dulce de leche. The creamery’s gelato cookie sandwiches are especially popular, and cost just . If you live in AMLI Lex on Orange, this affordable creamy treat spot is just three blocks away.
Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co.
With 98 years of experience, this seasoned creamery has cemented its place on Los Angeles’ must-try ice cream list. Fosselman’s makes 40 flavors of ice cream, 24 sorbets and sherbets, and five frozen yogurt varieties. Homemade ice cream sodas, floats, and malts are also on offer.
Gelateria Uli
Uli Nasibova’s downtown L.A. gelateria makes its small-batch gelato and sorbetto in-house every day. Scope out their seasonal flavors the next time you’re near the Spring Arcade Building.
Gresescent Ice Cream
Gresescent Ice Cream opened its shop downtown less than a year ago. But that hasn’t stopped it from becoming one of L.A.’s most beloved creameries. Gresescent is famous for its 10 mini-scoop ice cream bouquets.
Magpies Softserve
The handmade ice cream movement has caught on, but artisanal softserve is still quite rare. This Los Angeles ice cream shop is leading the pack in bucking this trend in Southern California. Magpies Softserve already opened a second location in the Valley, a 10-minute drive from AMLI Warner Center. The original location, in Los Feliz, is a 15-minute drive from AMLI Lex on Orange.
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams opened shop in Santa Barbara in 1949, making it an early entrant on the artisanal frozen treat scene. Today, McConnell’s has outposts in downtown L.A., Studio City, Los Feliz, and Ventura. The creamery also has thousands of Angelinos’ hearts. McConnell’s serves dozens of tasty ice cream flavors, but its sundaes, banana splits, and ice cream sandwiches are also popular. McConnell’s Ventura location is a 10-minute drive from AMLI Spanish Hills and the new Los Feliz location is 15 minutes from AMLI Lex on Orange.
Quenelle
Quenelle owner John Park is endlessly creative and passionate about his trade. The ice cream at Quenelle is rich and creamy. But it can be hard to opt for a cone when a menu of innovative bars, popsicles, and push pops are also on offer. Flavors rotate and change frequently, but past concoctions include blackberry lychee, Red Bull Tang, yuzu mojito, and Fruity Pebble ice cream bars. The funnel cake ice cream sandwich is also a hit at this Burbank dessert paradise, a 10-minute drive from AMLI Lex on Orange.
Wanderlust Creamery
This Los Angeles ice cream shop derives its name from its global offerings. At Wanderlust Creamery, you can indulge East Asian flavors with scoops of Japanese Neapolitan, Ube Malted Crunch, and Sticky Rice and Mango ice cream. Pretend like you’re a kid in Europe with a Kinder Bueno cone. Or journey south of the border with some Abuelita Malted Crunch or Tonka Bean ice cream. Wanderlust Creamery has locations in Encino and Altwater Village, a 10-minute drive from AMLI’s Glendale apartments.
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