Gelato Classico’s long dessert monopoly over Castro Street may soon end as two ice cream shops – nearly next door to each other – prepare to open.
Pushcart Creamery, the latest venture from the family behind Srasa Kitchen, currently awaits city permits at 292 Castro. Creator Brandon Poon said much remained in limbo about the small-batch ice cream shop, depending on what equipment requirements the city dictates to allow an expedited approval.
Long-term plans for the organic ice cream shop include a gradual menu expansion once Poon opens and establishes the business. His ultimate plan is to offer small-batch – even made-to-order – desserts, but that might not happen immediately.
“The style is really up in the air. It really depends on what the city allows us to do,” he said. “We might offer soft serve, if it comes down to it – we’re just trying to open up shop.”
A few doors up the street, Icicles will begin serving hand-rolled ice cream confections sometime in the fall at 282 Castro.
For the Thai-style dessert, ice cream is frozen to order on a chilled slab, spread thin like a crepe and then rolled. Icicles opened its first location in Willow Glen and expanded to Cupertino and three other Bay Area locations.
The trend, first popularized as a street food in Thailand, started popping up in Southern California and New York in 2015 and has now spread as far as Wichita, Kans., and Columbus, Ohio. In the Bay Area, three other ice cream shops pursue a similar style – Let’s Roll Creamery and STEEP Creamery & Tea in San Francisco, and Freezing Point Creamery in Oakland.
Icicles, the South Bay’s first such outpost, offers ice cream flavors ranging from Asian-influenced (Thai tea, matcha green tea) to classic American (cookies and cream, peanut butter and jelly) with a few modern touches as well – other options include avocado ice cream and a breakfast cereal concoction pairing a sweet cream custard base with Captain Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Fruity Pebbles.
Icicle’s tightly rolled curlicues come with unlimited toppings options, a gesture of generosity that goes some way to offset the $7.50 ticket price for each serving. Toasted marshmallows appear to be a favorite topper, but other selections include condensed milk, mochi, fresh fruit, cheesecake or brownie bits and whipped cream.
