Sam Caruso Is Forging a New Path With Laozi Ice Cream in New Orleans | Eater New Orleans

"I was struck by the French-style custard base—made with “beaucoup” egg yolks rather than a Philadelphia-style mix—and by how liberal Sam Caruso is with butter and cream; the result is exceptional density and richness, flawless scoops that peel out of the containers, and a textural creaminess that melts evenly with no icy crystals. What began as home experimentation in 2018 grew during the 2020 shutdown into a cult-followed operation: after selling out of his house and being forced to move by a cease-and-desist, Caruso sold from the back of Blue Dot Donuts in Mid-City and now regularly opens his biweekly menu releases at 10 a.m. every other Thursday to lines around the block, selling hundreds of quarts (one release moved 180 quarts in just over an hour; he’s sold up to 450 quarts in a few hours). The flavors are spontaneous and inventive—everything from jasmine-infused cream (once too perfumey) to pizza-inspired riffs, a planned Stilton-and-balsamic jam swirl, and playful, pun-driven creations like “Burnt Reynolds” and “REO Cream Wagon”—and he hand-packs each pint with original label art he designs and prints himself. Caruso’s backstory of long-term addiction, homelessness, and recovery (he’s five-and-a-half years sober) is openly part of the Laozi narrative, and he hopes to turn Laozi Ice Cream into a New Orleans neighborhood institution." - Amelia Parenteau