I (generally) devote a single post to my first visit to a new place (e.g., most recently Gjelina, Littlefork, Pizzeria Mozza) or for great individual meals at familiar haunts (e.g., Shunji, Kiriko), but I have a rotation of places I like to visit regularly that I haven’t posted on recently. So I will be working my way through some of these places in a series of posts I’m calling “Revisitings”. The first entry was on Ramen Hayatemaru. This second entry is for Sweet Rose Creamery’s second location in Santa Monica, on Pico Boulevard.
According to my “records” I have been to Sweet Rose Creamery‘s Pico location 17 times! I know that already sounds like a lot, but keep in mind SRC Pico only opened a month and a half ago, so I’m averaging nearly 3 visits a week. (Yikes! Can I blame my kids?) In that time, I’ve tried nearly every flavor that they’ve offered, either through samples or by having actual servings. I’ve also tried most of the baked goods from Milo & Olive and some of the coffee drinks by Caffe Luxxe, and they were as good as ever.
In fact, the issue I had with the Pancetta Quiche being too oily the first time I had it has not reoccurred. However, my favorite baked good is still the Chile Cheese Scone.
SRC Pico maintains a list of flavors under the “Classics” banner like Salted Caramel, Caffe Luxxe Coffee, and some form of Maggie’s Mint with an assortment of chocolate admix (e.g., chips, ripple, Valrhona pearls), which are all still offered, though my younger daughter’s favorite, Cookies and Cream, has fallen off the menu in the past few weeks.
Another highlight, the “PB&J”, a twist of their two inaugural soft serve flavors, Kyoho Grape and Peanut Butter, always had a warning attached that the flavors, especially the grape, were a limited time offering. I’m sad to report that the “PB&J” has finally gone away, not to return at least this month, per the staff member I asked this week.
Some of the newer “Seasonal” flavors introduced since open include Earl Grey, Banana, Gaia Melon (frozen yogurt), Apple (sorbet), and Apricot (sorbet).
However, I guess chef Shiho Yoshikawa takes seasonality pretty seriously, as she’s already started transitioning away from those selections in favor of more autumnal flavors, such as Brown Sugar Butter Pecan and Spiced Pumpkin. Another new flavor, one of my current favorites, is Honey Stout! On the toppings front, they made Ghost-mallows (my name for them) for Halloween!
As mentioned above, SRC Pico finally changed their soft serve flavors just this week, and it may change again soon according to staff. Right now they’re making limited batches of Passion Fruit soft serve. The other flavor in the machine is a more pedestrian Chocolate. I decided to be adventurous and try the twist. Not sure that the flavor combination works, but the Passion Fruit soft serve by itself is amazing! Get it while you can!
Update: Brought the kids back tonight (see, it really is their fault!) for visit number 18. Flavors are changing left and right. No Honey Stout tonight, but Cookie Dough is a new flavor. Of course, my younger daughter, missing her Cookies and Cream, had to try it, with (I think) a relatively new topping, cocoa nibs. The base has a distinct sweet yet tangy taste of really fresh cream, like in their Cookies and Cream. The cookies were not quite as prominent as I would have liked.
The cocoa nibs were a little too bitter for my younger daughter so I had the “horrible” task of eating it, and any accompanying ice cream that it was embedded in. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. ;-)
My older daughter and I shared a Passion Fruit soft serve. No chocolate twist this time. Despite what the workers say behind the counter, that combination still doesn’t quite work for me. The Passion Fruit on its own is definitely the way to go!
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Sweet Rose Creamery
826 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 260-2663
All photographs © 2013 The Offalo
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