The calendar indicates summer is waning, but I still need to cool off.
I could turn down the temperature on the air conditioner or find a shade tree. Instead, I’ll chill with ice cream, sweet creams or sorbets made with real ingredients, stylishly served in ice cream parlors and vintage soda fountains, or dished up at a late summer soiree or ice cream social.
I favor the ice cream social – sophisticated, savvy, fun gatherings, where frozen creams are dished alongside cold lemonade, or better yet, chilled Champagne. Invitations for such socials are lacking on my social calendar. To fill the void, I’ll invite a few friends over for an impromptu social at the Campbell House Museum. Cups or pints of traditional flavored ice creams and Virginia Campbell’s Roman Punch Sorbet are sold at the gift shop. Pick your pint, then enjoy and socialize in the Campbell’s garden gazebo.
Socializing and reconnecting with friends over ice cream is something Tamara Keefe, owner of Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery, advocates. At a time when cell phones and laptops capture our attention, we need to reconnect to one another. Keefe feels ice cream can do just that. “Ice cream brings people together, because everyone has special memories of ice cream,” she said.
Ice cream shared with friends at ice cream parlors, such as Clementine’s, which features small-batch creams with (naughty) or without (nice) booze, promises an unforgettable experience, offering unique flavors along the rail.
Preserving memories, traditions and celebrating everything ice cream is Joy Grdnic’s passion. Grdnic, the proprietress of The Fountain on Locust, gives customers a flashback to the 1930s, the golden age of soda fountains. Its retro décor matches the menu, which stars malts, sodas, sundaes and the venerated banana split, built with house-made toppings and syrups, and crowned with hand-whipped cream. All are considered works of art, including The Fountain on Locust’s signature ice cream martinis and its updated versions of creamy cocktails, such as the Brandy Alexander and Grasshopper, ice cream temptations that are hard to resist.
Crown Candy Kitchen is not a soda shop throwback. It’s the real deal, where candy and ice cream have been dipped and scooped continuously by the Karandzieff family, who opened the landmark in 1913. A combination confectionery, creamery and eatery, Crown has retained much of the original soda fountain decor. While Crown’s BLT has hogged the spotlight in recent years, it hasn’t out shined the ice cream. It’s the only place in town to order a World’s Fair Sundae, served in large glass goblets. Grab a booth and order one. On second thought, make it a Newport. That’s a sundae with a ton of whipped cream and pecans.
House-churned, small-batch ice cream isn’t something one expects to find at a burger-centric eatery. However, at Baileys’ Range, I do expect the unexpected from owner David Bailey, the prolific papa of six St. Louis restaurants that all boast farm-to-table cuisine and a dedication to making everything from scratch. Heck, Bailey even makes his own ketchup. With such attention to detail, one’s expectations should be high when ordering ice cream. And Bailey doesn’t disappoint, delivering standout flavor blends, like Goat Cheese Blackberry Swirl, scooped in a fresh-made waffle bowl.
Those preferring ice cream served with theatrics, head to Ices Plain & Fancy. Ice cream is made using liquid nitrogen, while you wait. Once added to the cream, cold smoke overflows from the bowl as the cream flash-freezes to the bowl. A blowtorch passed over the top frees the cream for dishing. It’s a cool trick, but an old trick. The technique was patented back in 1894, by Agnes Marshall, author of “Ices Plain & Fancy (the store’s namesake).” One warning in regard to the liquor-flavored ice cream: Nitrogen freezes alcohol as fast as the cream, resulting in liquor retaining its kick. Guests are encouraged to eat responsibly.
Finally, for foodies yearning to churn a batch of ice cream themselves, I have a recipe. Written 150 years ago by Virginia Campbell, and updated in 2015 for my book, “The Gilded Table, Recipes and Table History from the Campbell House.”
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
4 cups heavy cream
8 ounces grated Baker’s chocolate
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Place 1 cup of cream and the chocolate in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Heat over a medium-low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from stove and cool. In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan, combine remaining cream with egg yolks, whisking to blend together. Add in sugar and chocolate. Vanilla can be added at this time. Cook until mixture becomes thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove chocolate custard from the stove. Strain into a large bowl, cover and chill. Place into containers or fancy ice cream molds and freeze to harden. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
Corbett is the author of “The Gilded Table, Recipes and Table History from the Campbell House,” “Pushcarts & Stalls: The Soulard Market History Cookbooks” and “Unique Eats and Eateries of St. Louis.” She can be contacted at suzannecorbett@me.com.
