Aesha E.
Yelp
I had not been to this location--getting to a Jeni's in the city can be tricky if you're not using public transportation! But I stopped at a shop nearby for an event and, as part of the event, we were able to grab a treat from Jeni's, so of course I couldn't pass it up.
Let's start with the elephant in the room: They're expensive. Like, really expensive for an ice cream cone. For that reason, it's not a place that I'll be going with any sort of regularity. But for an occasional treat, or a night out with friends or something, I'd stop in.
They make their own waffle cones here. As I stood in line, there was an employee making them before my eyes. That's pretty awesome. I'm not sure I've ever been much of a waffle cone person--especially since they tend to be more expensive. But having them made by hand while you wait is a different thing altogether. I'm still not a huge waffle cone person... and to be honest, the cone seemed to have a bit of a taste that I didn't like (it was almost spicy in some respect? I could taste a bit more of cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever they put in there). So would I pay an extra $1.50 for a waffle cone? Only if someone else was buying.
I got darkest chocolate ice cream (I wonder if this is the same flavor that used to be called Zanzibar chocolate), and it was really good. Smooth and creamy and rich in flavor. I was actually pretty impressed that I didn't spill a drop of ice cream from the time I got the cone until I got home 10-15 minutes later. I was really afraid it would be a terrible mess with ice cream on my hands and shirt and stuff, but the only drips I made were on my kitchen floor when I was nearly finished with it. Not sure if that has anything to do with the ice cream or not, but it was good to not be dripping in stickiness.
I bought a couple pints to try at home. I got the darkest chocolate for others to try, and wildberry lavender, since that piqued my interest. I'm not a fan of lavender. I don't love the smell, since it's usually to strong; I don't drink tea or anything that would have a lavender taste. But the wildberry lavender flavor was really something else. THIS is the type of thing that makes a place like Jeni's worth it. The vanilla, chocolate, or other run of the mill flavors--you can take it or leave it, really. I mean, B&J Phish Food is my favorite ice cream and it's wildly cheaper than this; a pint at Jeni's costs $12 (I can't believe people pay this regularly--I wouldn't have if someone at home hadn't asked me to pick up some ice cream paid for it). I still struggle to comprehend this; $12 for a PINT of ice cream. Wow. (But I digress; sticker shock still hits me like slap to the face.) As I said, the special flavors like wildberry lavender is what makes a place like Jeni's special. You can't find this in a grocery store, generally. The texture was creamy, and I like a little melt in my ice cream so it melted just enough for me pretty quickly. I don't know if I could really specify a flavor besides "good". It had a bit of berry taste but the lavender was so subtle as to be nonexistent for me--I couldn't discern specific lavender flavor, which for me is a good thing. What's was important is that all the flavors combined to make a really lovely, light flavor.
Will I be back to Jeni's often? Absolutely not, unless I get a much higher paying job. But will I return to Jeni's? Definitely.