San Francisco’s dining scene is witnessing a delectable trend, as upscale ice creams, sorbets, and gelatos are becoming increasingly popular across the Bay Area.
Restaurants like Brucato Amaro, located on South Van Ness Avenue, are at the forefront of this movement, pairing unique chef-driven ice creams with a selection of liqueurs like amaro.
Flavors such as Mexican-spiced chocolate, burnt honey, and preserved lemon sorbet exemplify the creativity that chefs are bringing to this beloved dessert.
The emergence of new ice cream concepts is also on the rise, with notable entries like Jack & Remi ice cream by Serena Chow Fisher, which debuted in the city in 2023.
The San Francisco Chronicle has dubbed this recent surge in upscale ice creams a wave, which has been further fueled by the upcoming Gelateria di Cotogna led by pastry chef Jennifer Felton.
With contributions from other establishments such as Hila and Angie’s Pizza, the Great Gelato Summer of 2024 is set to make an impact in the area.
For instance, Vince Bugtong, known for his past work at Oakland’s Viridian, now serves butterfly peaflower and hojicha gelato at Redwood City’s SF Gelateria.
Additionally, innovative offerings can be found at Besharam, where Heena Patel crafts a unique gulab jamun ice cream, and at Mattina, where Matthew Accarrino presents walnut baklava gelato.
Francis Ang also embraces bold flavors with his Thai basil ice cream at Abacá in Fisherman Wharf, showcasing the culinary diversity of the city.
But the question remains: why is there such a continuous fascination with ice cream among San Francisco chefs?
One underlying factor could be the current economic instability.
According to Eater’s Jaya Saxena, comfort foods like ice cream tend to thrive during economic downswings.
Ice cream serves as an accessible dessert option, allowing chefs to exhibit their creativity while also addressing cost-efficiency concerns amid rising ingredient and labor costs.
Pastry chef Ellie Estrada-Londo of Nisei also notes that ice cream has become universally popular and is a safer bet during difficult economic times.
In California, the ability for chefs to utilize seasonal and local ingredients in their ice cream creations offers additional value.
However, Estrada-Londo points out that desserts can often be harder to sell, especially during economic distress due to unpredictable tariffs.
Ice cream emerges as a solid choice for menus, as it is both shelf-stable and reliable in terms of sales.
Moreover, employing young cooks in ice cream production can serve as a litmus test for their skills with manageable techniques.
Max Blachman-Gentile of Jules, a popular pizza pop-up, has embraced ice cream making in his $1,200 Musso Pola freezer-mixer.
His experience at Superiority Burger in New York inspired him to create stunning ice creams in a small production space, allowing for regular service without extensive time commitments.
Blachman-Gentile notes, “We can spin like two batches a day,” sharing the efficiency of producing ice cream without it becoming a cumbersome task.
He also highlights the environmental benefits of ice cream, as it provides an opportunity to use ingredients that might otherwise go to waste.
For example, he turns excess buttermilk from making butter into a vanilla buttermilk ice cream, showcasing his commitment to sustainability.
With the flexibility to rotate flavors just as one would with a dinner menu, ice cream provides a valuable avenue for creativity, especially amid fluctuating food prices.
Michelle Hernandez, owner of the floral-inspired bakery Le Dix-Sept, has felt the impacts of rising ingredient costs firsthand, particularly with eggs.
She reported a staggering increase in the price of her Vital Farm pasture-raised eggs from $52.55 in March 2020 to $96.75 in April 2024, demonstrating the pressures faced by culinary operators.
However, with ice cream being forgiving in terms of flavors and modifications, it remains a viable dessert choice.
Professionals can utilize egg yolks in their ice cream mixtures while using egg whites in cocktails, creating a clever way to make the most of their ingredients.
At Brucato Amaro, chef Chip King is also focused on creatively complementing the flavors of amaros with his desserts.
Here, customers enjoy a unique experience by selecting their flavor pairings, rather than following a prescriptive menu, adding an element of excitement to the dining experience.
King relies on the Ninja Creami freezer-mixer, an affordable machine that is perfect for small-batch operations.
A $7 order provides two small scoops of ice cream, resembling more of a tasting experience, along with a drizzle of amaro on top for an added twist.
The burnt honey flavor, for example, has origins connected to the restaurant owners’ rooftop apiary, showcasing the hyper-local ethos that many Bay Area chefs embrace.
With a focus on sourcing dairy and eggs from Northern California, King, like Estrada-Londo and Blachman-Gentile, aims to utilize available ingredients for creative, affordable dishes.
In these challenging times, chefs are increasingly finding that ice cream is a solid investment for their menus.
Blachman-Gentile elaborates on the potential to sell packaged ice cream in the future, seeing it as a feasible avenue for additional revenue.
As he puts it, “Running a restaurant is great, but it’s really hard.
Ice cream is just another thing that could theoretically be made and then sold,” hinting at the versatility and economic potential of this sweet trend.
image source from：https://sf.eater.com/2025/4/23/24413278/ice-cream-san-francisco-restaurants-chefs-economy
