Finally, some honest-to-goodness ice cream weather

July 5, 2011 at 2:09PM
Ice cream at Crema Cafe
Ice cream at Crema Cafe (Tom Wallace — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Crema Cafe co-owners Carrie Gustafson and Ron Siron always have their fingers on the season's pulse (organic rhubarb sorbet, anyone?) and are constantly innovating (olive oil-pine nut, chocolate-bacon). Still, regulars can't seem to get enough of the title flavor, a wonderfully mellow formula that's nothing more than infusing cream with roasted arabica beans.

What was once a video rental store (remember those?) is now Jackson's Coffee & Gelato, which is cranking out a dozen varieties of its own gelato (the black chocolate is ridiculously good) and sorbet on the premises and scooping it into highly affordable cake cones, waffle cones and kid-friendly portions.

The No. 1 seller at Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream Cafe? It depends. Sometimes it's raspberry chocolate chip, other times it's Oreo, with the caramel-banana-chocolate chip combo known as "Pavarotti" nipping close at the frontrunners' heels. The small minority of those not interested in ice cream should know that the shop's bakers also put out a first-rate chocolate-chip cookie.

about the writer

about the writer

Rick Nelson

Reporter

Rick Nelson joined the staff of the Star Tribune in 1998. He is a Twin Cities native, a University of Minnesota graduate and a James Beard Award winner. 

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