The Best Ice Cream East and West

I asked my friend Laura, who is about as deep in the food world as you can get, what her favorite ice cream is in LA, and she immediately said "Sweet Rose Creamery in the Brentwood Country Mart". So we had to go and try. It was fantastic, and I would put that on a must-stop on an LA bucket list. 

It reminded me of our other favorite ice cream shop in Brooklyn, Ample Hills Creamery, on Vanderbilt, in Prospect Heights. Both have a sense of humor, are not super self-conscious, and somehow their personality comes out in the ice cream. I had a cotton-candy ice cream at Ample Hills, and I don't even like cotton candy, and I swear the experience was so electric I was totally transported back to being at some fair, on a ferris wheel. Both shops use organic ingredients, and both are very generous with giving out tastes, which is very nice, when every single one is intriguing. 

Williamsburg Find #1

I've always been a little intimidated by Williamsburg. First of all, even though it's in Brooklyn like we are, it seems to always take at least 20 minutes to drive there, so it has to be really planned event.  Second, even though I know the stereotype of hipsters in skinny jeans and beards isn't entirely fair, too many of them in one place make me feel old and cranky. Recently though we've found ourselves there more often, and found some really great spots, that while not new to a local, are new and exciting to us.  Today I'm posting about the Brook Farm General Store , which is so great, I'd drive 20 minutes to get there, even if there was nothing else around.  They have such a smart edit of products, that I don't see in every other store, and we kept comparing it to destination stores like Manufactum in Munich, or Labour and Wait in London. 

Blue Marble Ice Cream in Rwanda

We are huge fans of Blue Marble . I do think it's probably the best ice cream I've had in New York. Maybe in the U.S. If you get to New York, you should try to get over the bridge to Brooklyn, and come to Blue Marble. The owners are smart, idealistic, and passionate about using good/responsible ingredients, and also doing progressive ventures as they succeed. It's very exciting that they are working with a group of women in Rwanda, to open up the first ever ice cream shop there, and it's grand opening is today! Read their story about how they got to this exciting moment, and support them if you can.

Cold Weather Option: Brooklyn Boulders

We went to a birthday party at the Brooklyn Boulders, and I think it's a good way to spend a freezing weekend afternoon, if you and your kids are sick of being inside. They have gear and instructors for little kids, and there are plenty of walls for different levels of skill.  It's not a kid place per se, so it isn't dumbed down at all.