They make soft serve ice cream in all sorts of trendy flavors - my favorites being Burnt Caramel and Earl Grey. Yesterday they had Burnt Caramel with the delightfully tangy Plain Yogurt in the same machine so I could get a swirl cone of that topped with the unexpected olive oil and sea salt I've been hearing so much about... I must say, it was a delicious combo.
I will admit that I miss their hard ice cream that they used to make - nothing beat the Earl Grey ice cream sandwich between their homemade lavender shortbread cookies... Now I just have to get a cookie on the side - not quite the same.
They do make ice cream cakes - I bet those are divine! (and pricy - saving that idea for a very special occasion)
So, when you get tired of the same old-same old at the Ferry Building in SF, head across the bridge to 4th Street in Berkeley for a larger scale version with many more foodie treats. They also have a Napa Style store (I have a secret crush on Michael Chiarello), with a sea salt tasting bar, many great lunch spots, from Betty's Diner to a really good asian noodle place we tried this time. And, of course, you never know the bargains you'll find at the Crate and Barrel outlet there too!
And while I'm at it, I'll share my other secret of 4th Street - located just 2 blocks down on 4th is the Takara Sake factory - makers of Sho Chiku Bai sake that you have most definitely encountered in local restaurants. Here you can visit their tasting room and learn all about their whole range of products - we had a very educational visit, and enjoyed trying it all! And Sake is nowhere near as expensive as wine, so coming home with some bottles is a reasonable option, and it doesn't get fresher than straight off the bottling line!
