SF - Mitchell's Ice Cream

[Krys Stanley]

Still getting used to this board and reading through your wonderful posts, so forgive me if this has been discussed before.

Mitchell's Ice Cream makes egg nog to drink for the holidays (as well as egg nog ice cream). This is a little late in the season to post this, but there are still a few days left.

The egg nog was very nice. Not too thin or thick, the spices didn't overpower it. What I also liked was you could buy a small 6 oz cup as well as quarts. I'm the only one in my house that likes egg nog and I don't need the calaries that come with a quart.

I've had Mitchell's Ice cream before, but this was the first time I've ever been to the mother store, the source of it all. Mitchell's has some of the best and most unusial flavors of ice cream in the city. The flavors that get the most mention are mango, pumpkin, avacodo, ginger, buko (baby coconut), purple ube (yam), and the cinnamon-scented Mexican chocolate. I had the spumoni today that was generously loaded with nuts, cherries and fruit. Delicious.

The fruit flavors use real fruit and the taste is true to the fruit.

They also have an really good selection of ice cream cakes for various occasions and holidays. There's a big book with pictures of all the cakes.

As this excellent Chronicle article about history of Mitchell's mentions the ice cream is hand made and contains a whopping 16 per cent butterfat.

There are a few other places that I know of that sell Mitchell's besides the original shop.

1. Near the Metrion

Mitchell's Ice Cream, 825 Mission, (near Third Street), San Francisco; (415) 495-4237.

2. Joey's Ice Cream, Espresso, Sausages, Wash & Dry

In the tenderloin at 517 O'Farrell

The easiest way is to go up Mission to 29 th (a few blocks up from Cesar Chavez aka Army)

You will see a Good Frickin Chicken restaruant on the corner (GFC IS good chicken). Follow 29 th for 2 blocks. You will see Mitchell's. There is a parking lot in back.

688 San Jose Avenue (Guerrero Street). (415) 648-2300

11:00 a.m. to 11:00 pm. 7 days a week

[cookingwithamy]

Swenson's on Hyde also makes homemade eggnog this time of year and some "seasonal ice creams" such as a spicy pumpkin and rum raisin, both worth seeking out. The Swenson's on Hyde is the original one and not part of the chain, btw.

Edited December 30, 2004 by cookingwithamy (log)

[marie-louise]

I've noticed Strauss Creamery egg nog this year at the grocery. Anyone tried it? I'm not much of an eggnog fan, but it seems if anyone could make it special it would be Strauss.

[jschyun]

Haven't had the eggnog (not an eggnog fan) but Mitchell's ice cream is really rich heck almost fatty, some good flavors, and the store on 29th busy as hell.

[Krys Stanley]

Swenson's on Hyde also makes homemade eggnog this time of year and some "seasonal ice creams" such as a spicy pumpkin and rum raisin, both worth seeking out. The Swenson's on Hyde is the original one and not part of the chain, btw.

←

Yum. Rum raisin.

I never knew the original Swenson still existed. Looking around to see the exact address (corner of Union and Hyde), it seems they make their own cones. Even if I passed by it, I probably would not have stopped because the ice cream at the chain was pretty bad. I'll have to check this out. Thanks for the tip.

If I don't make it for the egg nog this year, I'll keep it in mind for next year.

[MsRamsey]

The ice cream at the Swenson's chains was fantastic back in the 80s. Did the quality decrease?

[jgarner53]

Love love love Mitchell's ice cream. A year later, and my mother-in-law still talks about how good the Mexican chocolate was that we had around last year at Christmas.

Hmmm, maybe that's what my New Year's celebration needs -- ice cream!

[MsRamsey]

We just moved here and are lucky to have Mitchell's just a few blocks away, but we've only tried the ube so far and didn't like it. It didn't taste like anything except butter. Very much looking forward to trying more flavors. We did love the fig and saffron pistou flavors at the Bombay Ice Creamery, though.

[EdS]

I saw several flavors of Mitchell's ice cream in the freezer section at the local Draeger's market here in San Mateo this evening. However, at $9+ per half gallon, I didn't bite.