Humphry Slocombe is not the latest British serial comedy. Instead it is a fine addition to the ice cream arts in the Bay Area. This is a culinary exercise that has paid off; their rotating ice cream menu includes andante chevre-strawberry jam, honey thyme, lychee -rose petal, peanut butter curry. Recently, I enjoyed balsamic caramel and McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil ice cream. The balsamic caramel takes a lead in my palate over Bi-Rite’s salted caramel; what is key in this unique flavor pairing is the sweet from the caramel and tart and warmth from the balsamic–this ice cream is completely successful and completely balanced. The olive oil ice cream sounds like to most ears as a strange and nearly unbelievable ice cream. This ice cream succeeds not just because of the olive oil but because the ice cream meister understood that this ingredient could pick up an additional and much more subtler flavor–citrus. There is microfined lemon citrus zest that can be seen only on almost microscope inspection.
The craft and art behind Humphry Slocombe’s ice cream is unique, bold, unapologetic but there is a true culinary approach to their offering. Humphry Slocombe is a fine addition to the Mission district’s food scene but to the Bay Area as well.
© 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved
