photo: Christina Mitchell
Robyn Sue Smith figured out how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen and created a “Brrr machine” with the help of engineers. After taking the patented machine out in San Francisco on a red wagon, her fresher than fresh ice cream got really popular. Smitten Ice Cream opened in Hayes Valley, then Los Altos and the first East Bay location officially opened its doors on Monday. The good people of Savor Oakland invited me to a soft opening event they hosted at the Rockridge shop the other day. They wanted to showcase small businesses in the town, so we learned all about Smitten, then tasted samples from Chunky Pig, Sugar Knife and The Cookie Department (talk about a sugar high). Anyway, back to the ice cream. Since it’s so fresh, there are no preservatives or stabilizers, and the liquid nitrogen freezes the ingredients at a much lower temperature (-321 degrees), which makes a smaller ice crystal. The result is ice cream that’s silky smooth, and oh so flavorful, but there are two things you should know. One drawback of made-to-order ice cream is you can’t taste all the flavors before you decide. I kind of missed that. The other thing is the price. At $4.75 for a small, it is not cheap. It’s almost special occasion ice cream, but it’s delicious and unique, so you should definitely try it.
5800 College Ave, Oakland
510-594-7630
Christina Mitchell
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