After finishing our delicious pizza-fest at Pizza Brain (and taking a few minutes to digest), we moved from the pizza-centric dining area of Little Baby's into the somewhat-separate ice cream shop. The decor here is more pastel 80's than the rest of the space. Little Baby's has been around for a little while now- starting out as a bicycle-drawn ice cream cart and made famous by a pretty-darn-creepy advertisement- but they specialize in hand-made, "super-premium" ice cream using specially sourced Pennsylvania milk.
The options at Little Baby's are practically endless. Not only do they have a solid selection of incredibly interesting flavor options (including non-dairy options as well!), but you also have to choose how to consume your flavor of choice- in a cup? in a cone? in a milkshake or a float? Sandwiched between two cookies? I think I spent more than a few minutes blankly staring at the menu and wanting to say "one of each, please."
Milk and cookies are offered to those who think it's too cold for a frozen treat, and the soda selection mirrors Little Baby's next door neighbors'. The cookie options are just as intriguing as the ice cream, with flavors like sweet potato cumin or almond fennel.
While my friend tasted a few before making his choices, I somehow managed to zero in on a single flavor- the Peanut Chews Vanilla Molasses. After our Philly food extravaganza at Jake's, I've had a special soft spot for the classic-Philly Peanut Chews- what's better than dark chocolate and sticky, molasses-coated peanuts? This flavor was dairy-free, but to be honest, it was so creamy and flavorful that I didn't even notice. Vanilla is my favorite, and as a base flavor, Little Baby's version is subtle. The molasses provided a really round, robust, slightly spicy and slightly bitter component that perfectly matched the chunky bits of Peanut Chews. I chose both a chai snickerdoodle and a sugar cookie to sandwich the generous scoops of ice cream- there is no way you can take a full bite through all three layers. This actually allowed me to appreciate each cookie separately. The cookie texture was perfect- soft and moldable without crumbling or cracking. Best cookie sandwich ever... and it was only $5!
My friend couldn't resist the allure of the Peanut Chew flavor either, but he also ordered a scoop of the sweet potato burnt marshmallow and the peanut butter maple tarragon ($7). Trying a bite of the latter two again showed how similar the dairy and non-dairy options are in texture- seriously indistinguishable. The sweet potato was sweet and spicy with only a late hint of marshmallow, but the starchy vegetable makes a surprisingly good ice cream. Peanut butter maple tarragon? Well, let's just say the flavors are so multi-dimensional, you need to go try it for yourself!
Unfortunately they weren't offering the pizza flavor which I would have jumped on, but I was perfectly satisfied by my cookie sandwich. None of the flavors, though some are seemingly odd, were overwhelming or in your face. I didn't notice this till after we had paid (they take credit cards!!) but they also offer a "pick six" ice cream tasting option with six mini-scoops for $6. Definitely the best bet for eating your way through the menu!
Little Baby's Ice Cream
2311 Frankford Ave
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