Mar Vista’s got a new ice cream scoop shop – and everything about it is fun.
Small Batch Ice Cream is now open on Venice Blvd and comes to us from the team behind Playa Provisions and Da Kikokiko, Chef Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts, assisted by Pastry Chef Lindsay Kirk. Small Batch was incubated at Playa Provisions before being brought to Mar Vista, and maybe we’ll see it launch other places as well, only time will tell.
Pastry Chef Lindsay Kirk and Chef and co-owner Brooke Williamson at Small Batch in Mar Vista
Pastry Chef Kirk has come up with some delightful flavors for the ice cream at Small Batch, where she also sells some of her baked goods. Along with traditional dairy-based flavors, Small Batch also carries sorbets and vegan ice cream, made with coconut milk.
close up of the mural at Small Batch by @bumblebeelovesyou
She delighted in telling us about an ice cream she makes with Cereal Milk; which means she soaks a cereal in milk, in this case Fruit Loops, and then uses that milk to make ice cream.
Her sense of whimsy and fun are also evident in the blue Cookie Monster cookies, which are filled with bits of Oreos.
She’s also pretty excited about their special menu item: the Unicorn sundae. It comes with 10 scoops of ice cream, 8 toppings, 3 sauces, whipped cream, a cherry on top, sprinkles, a unicone and and a lit sparkler. This mythical beast is as yet unserved, but we all look forward to the day it becomes real.
I bought a scoop of Nutella with cookie pieces on my first visit and really liked it. Other flavors I was able to sample include: Vittoria Coffee, Bubblegum, Chocolate Malted Crunch, Salted Dulce Swirl, Sweet Corn, Banana Cream Pie, Mint Oreo Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peaches n’ Cream, Earl Grey, and a super-rich Mango Sorbet with Chamoy, a spicy hot sauce ribboned throughout. It’s a stand-out and I highly recommend it.
Small Batch also makes popsicles, ice cream pies and ice cream cakes, and they sell some terrific candy. Mar Vista is lucky to have such a great new ice cream scoop shop right in the heart of the neighborhood and I predict tons of fun.
Small Batch Ice Cream is located at 12222 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista 90066.
Sarah Auerswald is Mar Vista Mom and she was treated to some ice cream samples for this review.