Cowlicks Ice Cream
The best ice cream in Mendocino!
Remember how last week we mentioned what a warm, sunny summer and fall we’ve had here on the Mendocino coast this year? Well, warm and sunny usually equals prime ice cream eating time, so we have of course been dreaming of cups and cones and bowls of chilly frozen goodness for months. This week we at last gave in to our weather-induced craving and drove up to Cowlicks Ice Cream in Fort Bragg…
We strolled up Main Street in the warm sunshine, happy with anticipation, and stepped into the cheery interior of this local favorite. There were a couple people in line ahead of us, so we had a little time to decide what we wanted, but by the time our turn came, we were still agonizing over all the delicious flavors tantalizing us from behind the glass. Should we go with Rockiest Road? Candy Store Floor? Chai? Pumpkin? Black Raspberry Chocolate Chunk? Oh! Candy Cap Mushroom is always a good one… So is the Hokey Pokey with its crispy honeycomb bits… And the Cookie Dough boasts awesome cookie dough from the Mendocino Cookie Company next door… This was a tough decision!
Flavors at last chosen, our little group sat down at one of the bright orange tables to indulge. The Black Forest was superb. The Mocha Almond Fudge was a dream. The Chocolate was the perfect balance of dark and creamy. And the Peppermint was a refreshing counterpoint to all the decadent chocolate going on at the table. We could taste the quality of the ingredients in each distinct flavor, as well as the care and attention that we knew went into crafting each small batch by hand – it was ridiculously good.
We slowly savored our treats, chatting and laughing as the crowd of fellow ice cream enthusiasts ebbed and flowed around us. It was a fun group with people from all different parts of the community - there was a gaggle of junior highers just out of school for the day giggling and taking selfies, travel-weary families from out of town, locals taking a quick break from work, and friends of just about all ages meeting up and hanging out. At several points during our visit, the line was trailing out the door as more and more showed up to join in the fun.
Our most recently converted fan of ice cream contemplates a dab of Peppermint on his cone.
Snarf!
As the smell of fresh waffle cones came wafting through the air, we perused the fliers for local events that were posted next to the door. Hmmm… If we went to one of those concerts or plays, maybe we could end the evening with another round of what we quite simply have to call the best ice cream on the Mendocino coast!
Cowlicks also makes amazing fruit sorbets, with flavors that rotate seasonally – perfect if you are dairy-free or vegan!
Eating out? You can find Cowlicks’ exclusive Dulce de Leche ice cream at Los Gallitos and their special Mayan Chocolate ice cream at Mayan Fusion, both in Fort Bragg. Rhody’s Garden Café at the Botanical Gardens usually has a few of their flavors available during the summer, and Frankie’s in Mendocino offers a good variety of both standard and seasonal flavors.
Words and pictures by Laura Hockett