baskin robbins

This is the stuff little ones' dreams are made of. If you grew up in these parts, trips to Baskin Robbins for a fat scoop of bubble gum ice cream - and the resulting sugar high it induced - were a treat wholly worthy of some good behavior. If you ever went to a kiddie party, you probably had slices of at least a dozen BR ice cream cakes, too.

And, ooooooh, the clown cones. How could I forget the clown cones! They gave me the creeps!

When one of my best friends told me she was getting a classic birthday cake here for our shared celebration this month, I couldn't have been happier. And let me tell ya, every bite of that cake delivered, from the peanut butter cup ice cream and unmistakable bite of frozen white cake, down to the tang of copious amounts of FD&C #40 in the red icing trim.

Sure, it's no Haagen Dazs, Scoops, Mashti Malone's, or any of those other places your grown up palate tells you you should prefer, but it's a very tasty bit of nostalgia sure to hit the spot, and a guaranteed stroll down memory lane.


271 North Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 273-3422

al gelato

After our less than thrilling experience at BJ's, we decided to stop by our favorite gelato joint on the way home - Al Gelato. Everything is homemade and I've yet to have anything here I didn't love, but faves include the DEEP dish apple pie with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream (it's still a mystery to me how you bake something that size and get it perfect), the lemon ice, riccota cheesecake, and, of course, the chocolate hazelnut gelato, which is hands down one of the best I've had anywhere. If you don't do dairy, the fruit flavor ices (pear, lemon, raspberry, apple, etc.) are delish and so is the chocolate ice (it's better than most chokkie ice creams). The staff is warm, friendly, helpful and always quick to offer you another sample :) Tonight we had the tiramisu for the first time, and it was damn good. Can't wait to try their deep dish pecan and pumpkin pies this fall. Mmmmm...

I hear they have wonderful grilled sandwiches but I never have room for anything more than dessert.

Tip: Even if it seems pricey, buy a quart of your fave flavor. It's so rich, it'll last for weeks - even for a chocoholic like Beer.

806 S Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 659-8069

Photo courtesy of Joan S.