You know what is woefully absent from this town? Decent ice cream. Sure, we have plenty of yogurt, which is lovely, but there is not a single decent ice cream joint in Los Angeles, as far as I can tell. I have traveled far and wide in search of such a place, and I’ve taken a decent sampling of the scene, from the ever-popular (and cheap as dirt) Diddy Riese, to Milk on Beverly, to the CoolHaus truck, to Carmela at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, to Jonathan Gold’s beloved Bulgarini Gelato way out in China…sorry, I mean Altadena. Maybe I’m spoiled, but nothing holds a candle to San Francisco ice cream. San Francisco has a complete monopoly on good ice cream. My home city harbors the incomparable BiRite, with its salted caramel that blows away even Bertillon’s in Paris. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s also Humphrey Slocombe, and the underrated Three Twins, where I could eat Earl Gray all day long. You can even get decadent, luscious Fiorello’s Valhrona Chocolate Gelato at Whole Foods there. Share the wealth, SF! I went through a brief phase where I drove the 40 minutes to Scoops in Hollywood multiple nights a week for their inventive flavors that change daily, but then I spent a few days back in San Fran and had some BiRite, and now I can’t even bear to go back to Scoops. It’s too depressing. The flavors are good, but the consistency is all wrong. It is a great option for vegans and lactose-intolerants. Nevertheless, the search continues. If you have any insights, I implore you to share them. I am at a loss.Image Credit: flickr user roboppy