All Good Things – The Creole Creamery, New Orleans

There’s nothing quite like a really good ice cream parlor. I grew up with a Graeter’s near my house, and that was a place we could gather after a movie or a study night (mostly study nights, in my high school days), or pick up some scoops during a slow week when I could sneak off-campus. At Graeter’s I had my first scoop of black cherry flavor, which to this day remains one of my favorite flavors.

Creole Creamery has that distinctive neighborhood feel, of something both comfortable and lively, like it’s been there the whole time, even if it’s new. There are families and kids and hipsters and old-timers. There are wide booths with smooth leather seats and bright lights, and there’s the faint sweetness – the lightly toasted, vanilla perfume of cones and waffles. Plus, the uptown location of Creole Creamery has that old-school soda fountain feel to it, retro chic. But those are more stylistic embellishments. I was there because I’d heard nothing but rave reviews about the ice cream. Even the owner of Brennan’s loves Creole Creamery. So many choices, and many uniquely New Orleans flavors (including king cake, when we last visited). Creole cream cheese, Satsuma orange. Banana cane malt. Lavender. Cafe au lait. The sampler. Six mini-scoops of amazing. We had two of these. With mostly different flavors.We are serving this at our wedding, in case you were wondering.