Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

A few years back the kids got my husband the Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream cookbook for his birthday.  We have tried several of the ice cream recipes in the book and they have all turned out and tasted delicious.  Instead of using egg yolks in her ice cream, as a lot of other homemade cookbooks do, she uses cream cheese, which actually gives the ice cream a nice consistency.

Enough about making the ice cream at home, however, because Jeni Britton Bauer has opened an ice cream shop at 3404 N. Southport. It has only been open a short while and combined with some unseasonably warm weather, this store was crazy busy when we went there this past Saturday.  Like line out the door and around the corner busy.  And the line, at least when we were there, was full of a lot of people who don't normally have to deal with children.  The wait was ultimately worth it for us but you might want to wait a couple of weeks until the newness wears off a little and people have moved on to the next hottest thing.

As we approached the counter we were able to see a list of close to two dozen available flavors listed on the chalkboard. Plus there are shakes, sundaes, and ice cream sandwiches.  My older daughter went with Rainbow yogurt, which was much better than I expected and the younger one went with the super adventurous vanilla in a cone.  I've complained on multiple occasions about the child size being way too big at most ice cream places but they really get it right at Jeni's.  It was just a perfect little scoop on a cone, enough without being excessive.  My husband and I both got ice cream sandwiches.  He got the caramel with salty almonds and I got hazelnut.  Both large and amazingly good.  The cookies on the sandwich are different flavored macaroons that are light, chewy, and the perfect compliment to the ice cream.  The ice cream is not cheap at all.  We definitely thought it was worth it for a special occasion splurge but not for just an everyday run to get ice cream.

Inside the store there are a few tables up front and a few in the back to enjoy your ice cream treat indoors.  When we were there it was so busy we desperately wanted to get back outside once we had paid.  It also happened to be a beautiful day so it was wonderful to eat on the little patio adjacent to the store.  The Brow Line runs right by overhead but the ice cream is so good it won't bother you.

It is generally not too difficult to find pay parking along Southport.  In addition, the store is located right by the Southport Brown Line stop.