When you’d rather pay to get ice cream than eat free pie, that ice cream must be exceptional. In this case, the ice cream was Salt & Straw, and at last weekend’s KCRW pie contest, it was the star of the show.

Admittedly, the line to get free samples of pie was rather long so when I spied that Salt & Straw booth, I made a beeline for it to get my sugar fix. Salt & Straw started in Portland and recently started opening shops in Los Angeles. Salt & Straw puts a lot of love into their ice cream, making small batches with organic, locally-sourced ingredients.

The Freckled Woodblock Chocolate is made with Woodblock chocolate and a touch of sea salt that gives it a unique salty-sweet flavor.

Strawberries from Oxnard are roasted and tossed into the Roasted Strawberry and Toasted White Chocolate. The chunks of the bright berries still retain their sweetness – coupled with the white chocolate ice cream, it was quite a treat. I was so satisfied after eating it that I couldn’t even manage to eat any of the free pie samples.

At $5 for a single scoop, it’s a little pricey but well worth it, considering the quality of ingredients.

Salt & Straw works with local elementary schools to develop new flavors and then will donate part of the proceeds back to the schools. So the next time you find yourself at Salt & Straw, order one of those flavors and you’ll be doing something good, both for you and the community.

Locations – Studio City, Larchmont, Venice and a Downtown location coming soon. Also in Portland.
Website – http://www.saltandstraw.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegan Friendly – Yes, they offer a coconut-based flavor
Gluten-Free Options – Yes