L.A. has incredible produce, the most ethnically diverse restaurant scene in the country, and is one of the few places in the world where it’s totally normal for a chef to leave a Michelin-starred kitchen and serve dope sandwiches from a truck. That said, we have to give credit to other cities when it’s due, and our favorite ice cream shop is actually from Portland: Salt & Straw.The quaint shop doesn’t look out of place at all on Abbot-Kinney—in fact, it looks more natural on the ultra-cool Venice street than it does at its original location a thousand miles away. Salt & Straw’s ice cream base is creamier than your average scoop, and the flavors range from classic to inventive to downright bizarre (dill pickle and fish sauce have been featured here). You can’t go wrong with SEA SALT CARAMEL or DOUBLE VANILLA, but to experience Salt & Straw at its best, take a leap of faith and hit up the STRAWBERRY HONEY BALSAMIC with black pepper. Its sweetness, acid, and back-end tingle of spice keep your palate interested through the whole damn cone.
