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Ici

2948 College Ave., Berkeley, CA - (510) 665-6054
Posted By Michael Stern on 8/8/2008 12:03:00 PM
Ici ice cream is aristocratic. A first lick tells you there is something superior about it. Even before you taste, the mere list of one day's flavors posted on the wall is sure evidence that rare and exotic pleasures await. Mocha salted almond, anyone? Earl Gray and cookies? Sesame praline? Brandied cherry? How about peach habanero sorbet? The one that knocked my socks off was molasses gingersnap, a golden cream thickly veined with soft streaks of peppery gingersnap cookie. It is similar to the Indian pudding flavored ice cream one finds at a few places in the Northeast, but bolder.

You can have it in a cup for slow savoring – as it softens, the flavor blooms – or perched on a dramatically delicious cone, made here in such limited numbers that the kitchen had run out the first afternoon I visited. Of course, I was back the next day – to dive into a hot fudge brownie sundae, which I had made with not-the-least-bit-plain vanilla – but also to sample a Santa Rosa plum ice cream cone. Modestly-sized, crisp, and elegant, Ici's cones are made with a surprise inside, in the form of a nugget of rich chocolate secreted in the point at the bottom.

While the inevitable wait in line and lack of seating might make Ici seem user-unfriendly, the staff is happy and helpful, offering little spoonfuls of anything you need to taste before committing to a flavor. And there are few foodservice establishments of any kind more assertively earth-friendly. Among its virtuous practices are the use of spoons made from potato starch and soy oil, biodegradable ice cream sandwich wrappers, and bowls made from material derived from sugar cane fibers recovered as crop residue.

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Scorecard

5 - Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace
Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace
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Every element of this hot fudge sundae sets a benchmark of deliciousness. Together, the fudgy brownie, the angelic vanilla, and the devilish dark hot fudge are an unequalled package. If I had to quibble with it, I would say that the one problem with a sundae is that in some ways the fudge and brownie, great as they are, take some focus away from the ice cream, which deserves undivided taste-buds attention.
"Every element of this hot fudge sundae sets a benchmark of deliciousness. Together, the fudgy brownie, the angelic vanilla, and the devilish dark hot fudge are an unequalled package. If I had to quibble with it, I would say that the one problem with a sundae is that in some ways the fudge and brownie, great as they are, take some focus away from the ice cream, which deserves undivided taste-buds attention."
Michael Stern





Can the peppery sweetness of gingersnaps and the syrupy muscle of molasses combine to become an intoxicant? If you have a few licks of this molasses ice cream laced with gingersnaps, you might say yes. I want to call it overwhelming, but it is, in its own way, absolutely elegant; and yet to call it elegant does not do justice to its devastating power. What the heck, I give up trying to describe it. Please, if you are in Berkeley, have some! (Unless one of the other magnificent flavors mesmerizes you even more.)
"Can the peppery sweetness of gingersnaps and the syrupy muscle of molasses combine to become an intoxicant? If you have a few licks of this molasses ice cream laced with gingersnaps, you might say yes. I want to call it overwhelming, but it is, in its own way, absolutely elegant; and yet to call it elegant does not do justice to its devastating power. What the heck, I give up trying to describe it. Please, if you are in Berkeley, have some! (Unless one of the other magnificent flavors mesmerizes you even more.)"
Michael Stern


A toasted coconut ice cream sandwich with brittle tiles. Strawberry and vanilla ice cream sandwiches also are available with gingersnaps.
"A toasted coconut ice cream sandwich with brittle tiles. Strawberry and vanilla ice cream sandwiches also are available with gingersnaps. "
Michael Stern


A freezer case displays scoops of the day's flavors. Every customer is entitled to sample them before committing to a single one.
"A freezer case displays scoops of the day's flavors. Every customer is entitled to sample them before committing to a single one."
Michael Stern


My sister, who lives in the area, tells me it is rare to come to Ici when there isn't a line of customers. The line moves fairly slowly because once you get to the head of it, you will want to consult with the ice cream practitioners and have some samples. Each order is a kind of event ... certainly for those about to eat it!
"My sister, who lives in the area, tells me it is rare to come to Ici when there isn't a line of customers. The line moves fairly slowly because once you get to the head of it, you will want to consult with the ice cream practitioners and have some samples. Each order is a kind of event ... certainly for those about to eat it!"
Michael Stern


The cones, with their lode of chocolate at the tip, are delicious. But they are fairly small; and God forbid your scoop of ice cream falls off! Many customers get their ice cream in a dish and have the cone planted on top to eat like a cookie.
"The cones, with their lode of chocolate at the tip, are delicious. But they are fairly small; and God forbid your scoop of ice cream falls off! Many customers get their ice cream in a dish and have the cone planted on top to eat like a cookie."
Michael Stern



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