Butterfat makes ice cream rich and creamy. At Fosselman's Ice Cream Co. in Alhambra, they put 16% butterfat in their ice cream. That 16% means their ice cream is considered "premium." Butterfat gooooood.
Fosselman's has been in business since 1919, and at the Alhambra location since 1941. It is located off the main drag of Main Street, on the opposite end from the car dealerships, and next to Wells Fargo. The third generation of Fosselmans have taken over the business. Fosselman's Ice Cream Co. still seems as quaintly old-fashioned as before. Ice cream is still made in the back. The owners are often in the shop, still scooping out flavors to customers. Signs are still hand-drawn and hand-written.
At any given time, there are about 50 flavors of ice cream, sherbet (only 1 1/2% butterfat), and sorbet (no dairy). The mango sorbet tastes like a ripe, juicy mango. Fosselman's has seasonal flavors such as date, peach, cinnamon, rum raisin, black walnut, pumpkin, and egg nog. The seasonal flavors are posted on the front windows in an old-fashioned sign, drawn by hand with a small picture. Fosselman's has also responded to Alhambra's largely Asian and Latino communities and features green tea, lychee, ube, taro, red bean, ginger, and dulce de leche flavors.
My cousins and I have been going to Fosselman's for a looong time. This night we indulged in dark chocolate, banana walnut, pistachio, and I can't remember the other two flavors. A single scoop (large!) is $2.35 on a cake or sugar cone.
Fosselman's also has malts, shakes, rootbeer floats, banana splits, and ice cream cakes. Select flavors can also be taken home in half-gallon containers. There's also a candy counter with various jelly beans, gumdrops, and homemade saltwater taffy.
Fosselman's routinely wins gold medals at the L.A. County Fair. And appears on the L.A. Times' list of best eats year after year. But trust me, 16% butterfat ice cream. Goooood.
April 11, 2007 Update:
To make it up to lil' sis's friend for the bad dessert we had at NBC Seafood Restaurant (Dim Sum) - Monterey Park, we went to Fosselman's Ice Cream Co. in Alhambra.
My mango sorbet was refreshing and not too sweet. $2.15 a scoop.
Lil' sis chose blackberry-raspberry sorbet.
Sing it with me now! (Apologies to Prince.)
"She ate a
Raspberry sorbet
The kind you find in an ice cream store
Raspberry sorbet
And if it was warm she would eat much more
Raspberry sorbet"
December 31, 2007 update:
Just some photos I've had sitting around for a while. During the heatwave this summer, I bought a half gallon of the mango sorbet.
October marked the return of pumpkin pie ice cream.
And licorice! My childhood friend was waaaay excited about this since she hadn't eaten this flavor in about 20 years. Her tongue and lips were stained black, but she was in heaven.
Taro ice cream.
Fosselman's makes ice cream sandwiches too.
October 5, 2013 update:
Following the Thit Heo Nuong Xien (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers) lunch, my friend and I went to Fosselman's for dessert. Sweet corn and horchata ice cream!
I got a scoop of each.
She got taro ice cream and something else.
Other ice cream shops:
Bert & Rocky's Cream Company - Claremont
Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain - South Pasadena
Scoops - Los Angeles
Saffron Spot - Artesia (Little India)
Fosselman's Ice Cream Co.
1824 W. Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-282-6533
Open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Yum! Want! Want!
ReplyDelete- Chubbypanda
CP,
ReplyDeleteYou gotta get out of OC to get some of this stuff!