Scoops-Los Angeles
Hearing about Scoops killer Guinness gelato from a co-worker, I had to give it this establishment a try. Being an Irish girl I have a fondness for any product that contains the stuff and an admiration for anyone creative enough to make it into a frozen confection.
The location is right next to LA City College on Heliotrope Dr. I went midday on a Monday, so parking was relatively easy to find on the street. There are only a few spots out front and there are restrictions on street parking between certain hours, so be forewarned.
The building is inconspicuous and low key. It was a far cry and a relief from the trendy spot I thought it would be. My companion and I were encouraged to try as many flavors as we liked. I must have tried at least 3, wishing now that I’d written down the flavors. From the top of my head I remember a brown bread, green tea and something, saffron and something, lychee, vanilla cookies, almond, and a couple vegan options. I finally decided on the vegan Thai iced tea peanut butter and my friend cemented their decision with a lychee cone. The serving size was large. One scoop=two. No complaints here! The price was right at $2.
Even though there was seating inside, we decided to venture into the warm air outside and chill under the shade of an umbrella table. Our cones decreased in size with every lick, cooling our tummies. Being gelato and I’m assuming also because mine was vegan, it had an icier texture than other gelatos I’ve tried. Nonetheless, it was a taste bud carnival which left my mouth spinning. The lychee gelato was crisp and fresh-a treat for those looking for lighter options.
The only thing that scares me from coming back more frequently is finding convenient parking, but return I shall. I wish there was a calendar for the days creations or a mailing list! I’d sign up in an instant. Long live Scoops and the creative genius of gelato!
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4/21/08 Update:
The gelato is now $2.50 for a single(still 2 scoops). The parking situation is as bad as ever with permit parking required for the neighborhood surrounding it. Also, the texture of all the gelatos tried on my last visit was watered down and literally melting.
Scoops continues to dish out the inspirational flavors like red wine/papaya, chocolate almond, and horchata, but the taste and texture are just “ok”. Not worth really going out of my way for anymore.
