Many places are worth the hype. Few places are worth continued hype. It takes commitment to quality, consistency, and continued innovation for the latter. And Salt & Straw is one of those places. It’s beloved for a reason, a contemporary classic that has taken hearts across the west coast. For starters, it’s just really really good ice cream. They use high quality organic, grass fed dairy and source ingredients from local farms and partner with local artisans, hand made and slow churned into the most decadent, creamy ice cream.

But where they truly shine is in the flavors. The owners, cousins Kim and Tyler Malek had no background in ice cream making but a determination to create community and imaginative ideas for what ice cream can be. Their “classic” flavors include Honey Lavender, Strawberry Balsamic with Black Pepper, Cinnamon Snicker Doodle and Pear and Blue Cheese. On top of this already impressive base line up, they also do seasonal collaborations and limited edition flavors inspired by pretty much anything imaginable, from summer vegetables to nostalgic cereal flavors. Salt & Straw is constantly pushing the boundaries on what ice cream can be, using it as a delicious canvas for storytelling and always offering an opportunity for a unique experience, even if you fall back on familiar flavors. So yes, well worth continued hype and frequent revisits.