Little Baby's Ice Cream 2313 Frankford Ave. Fishtown (267) 867–8567
Don't Miss: Earl Grey Sriracha Ice Cream Skip: Vegan Banana Chip 0 - $10 per person
Little Baby’s describes itself as a “Hand–Made, Small–Batch, Super–Premium Ice Cream Company” Translation: “We–sell–weird–gourmet–ice–cream–to–people–trendy–enough–to–bother–finding–us.” Their promotional video practically falls over the other side of the hipster horse, into a category best described as “creepy as fuck.” It shows a guy covered in vanilla ice cream eating his own head with a spoon, while a decidedly pedophilic male voice tells you that “you’ll wink and nod and hug and high–five each other with great enthusiasm.” Not to mention the creepy baby music in the background — but if that didn’t scare you off, Little Baby’s is definitely for you.
Little Baby’s is not a fancy place. Most often they operate in cart form in various locations around the city, which all close during the winter. Over the summer, they opened up their own shop in Fishtown that’s open year–round to appease those who want frozen goodness once Jack Frost comes to town. The store, adjacent to its quirky foil Pizza Brain, ditches the eeriness of the video for bright, whimsical design that compliments the uniqueness of the ice cream's flavors. Good reasons to get Lil Baby’s include: feeling adventurous with a friend, craving gourmet ice cream or trying to impress your date by how trendy you are.
They have a whole array of strange/cool flavors, from Chipotle Chocolate to Pizza, and even specialize in vegan ice cream (which isn’t surprising when you think about it). For those who like a bit of spice in their ice cream, I recommend Earl Grey Sriracha and Cardamon Caramel. The Earl Grey is an awesome combination: a light, sweet, tea flavor, with a slightly spicy aftertaste (it’s one of those ice creams, though, that can only be consumed in moderation). Cardamon Caramel was my personal favorite, as the cardamom really gives the traditional flavor profile an interesting edge.
But even if you feel like you don’t have the world’s most exotic palate, no worries: there's still something for you. Bourbon Bourbon Vanilla and Balsamic Banana are both more classic flavors, but nevertheless delicious.
And all you vegans, fret not:; Lil Baby’s has cream made from primarily coconut and almond bases. Their Coconut Chai is really brilliant and flavorful — definitely on par with the dairy ice creams. The Banana Chip, on the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend, unless you really like blah–bland banana flavor. It may be getting chilly, but a trip to Philly coolest new ice–cream store might be worth it.
