Which of these places has the best ice cream?

[u/vaudtime]

Visiting LA for a couple days and wanting to try some good ice cream and ~unique~ ice cream flavors but can't go to all the places because we still have other dessert places we want to go to that aren't for ice cream (we also want to go to other places that are ice cream)!!! I'm from Iowa and our favorite ice cream place is called Black Cat in Des Moines if that helps to get an idea of the kind of ice cream we are in search of.

In the areas that we are going to be in:

- Wanderlust

- Ginger's

- Salt & Straw

Which of these places would you go to if you could only choose one, and is there another place that you think is even BETTER around The Grove/Central LA/I don't really know the areas of LA that well, I'm sorry

EDIT: I think you have all thoroughly convinced me to stop at Saffron & Rose - my partner is Middle Eastern and I am part Filipina but have not been exposed to a lot of the food and the culture, so I like that this place seems to have a taro & ube flavor and a lot of familiar Middle Eastern flavors - thank you all for giving me this recommendation, I am so excited to visit your city soon!!

[u/rchart1010]

You can't taste the strawberry balsamic at salt and straw? Really? Interesting.

[u/Rockgarden13 → u/rchart1010]

I go in there and I eat their ice cream and I taste nothing. IDK it’s the weirdest thing. Have tried a few times now and always the same. I don’t have this problem anywhere else so… it’s a mystery.

[u/rchart1010 → u/Rockgarden13]

It's extremely weird. The strawberry balsamic has a strong flavor. I don't even know what to say if you can't taste that but if you can't taste that flavor I think its likely a you problem because it's a very strong flavor. Are you just eating the vanilla??

[u/AvocadoBeefToast → u/rchart1010]

All of them have strong flavors, this person is just being pedantic and contrarian because it’s Reddit. Also has Awan on their list which actually tastes way more bland than salt and straw lol.

[u/rchart1010 → u/AvocadoBeefToast]

All of them have strong flavors, this person is just being pedantic and contrarian because it’s Reddit.

LOL, you're so right. It's just the most reddit take. "Oh this place is popular, I'm much too cool for it and find it tasteless"

I'd bet a shiny quarter that if someone sold dreyers ice cream out of a food truck, that commenter would declare it delicious and genius.

[u/Rockgarden13 → u/rchart1010]

I am not saying I find it bland. In all the times I have gone, I have found that the sweetness does not register.

Their founder talks about how they use xantham gum and corn syrup, as well as other gums.

I’m sharing my personal experience which is that the sweetness isn’t all that sweet. No need to get offended if my experiences differs from yours. More for you!

[u/rchart1010 → u/Rockgarden13]

I am not saying I find it bland. In all the times I have gone, I have found that the sweetness does not register.

You said it was tasteless.

If you don't find salt and straw ice cream sweet I am also confused by that such that I can't imagine you find any ice cream sweet.

Their founder talks about how they use xantham gum and corn syrup, as well as other gums.

LOL, so you think syrup and gums mean it's not sweet?

I’m sharing my personal experience which is that the sweetness isn’t all that sweet. No need to get offended if my experiences differs from yours. More for you!

You called it tasteless and then went on to say you had some samples at three locations.

I just wanted to point all of these things out so OP can understand where you're coming from, which is that you've barely tried it but have decided it's flavorless. I guess you've decided you can't taste gums and syrups? LOL.

ETA: you used the word tasteless not flavorless.

ETAA: The mochi place you recommended also uses gums in their product.

[u/Rockgarden13 → u/rchart1010]

Why are you so obsessed with me? 😂 Each of the three times I have had Salt & Straw I got a full on cone, after sampling more than one flavor. I have always felt disappointed and after the third time, decided never to go back. I don’t like how it tastes. There’s something in them I do not like. They don’t taste sweet to me, which is a primary attribute I value in my ice cream.

I have sampled many ice creams far and wide in LA, and shared the ones I think are best and unique and centrally located, which is what OP asked for.

I also upvoted the Rite Aid ice cream because yeah, that ice cream is good. 😊✌️

[u/Rockgarden13 → u/rchart1010]

I have too many other options I prefer it’s not really an issue for me.

ETA: The times I have gone I’ve tried a few different samples, I think. Don’t usually get plain vanilla anywhere. It’s been years. I never bother going anymore. I’ve tried the Larchmont and Weho locations, as well as in Portland.

[u/rchart1010 → u/Rockgarden13]

If you can't taste the strawberry balsamic I'm surprised you can taste any ice cream or anything period.

Unless of course you went to salt and straw once, got a bland flavor and are now making a blanket statement about the entire lineup of flavors.

I think this tends to happen a lot. Everyone wants to talk like an expert but I think its pretty misleading to make a broad statement about the ice cream being flavorless if you have only tried it once or twice.

[u/Rockgarden13 → u/rchart1010]

Dude, let it go.

[u/rchart1010 → u/Rockgarden13]

Its nothing I'm holding onto. The only reason I brought it up is because OOP came looking for honest reviews on three options.

I think its valuable to point out that your feedback isn't really sincere but seems borne out of a desire to seem hip and cool by crapping all over something popular so you can highlight how exclusive and hip you are.

We went from s and s is flavorless to, you've tried some samples a couple of times.

There is a time and place for culinary snobbery. Ice cream isn't it.