Molly Moon's Ice Cream - Seattle, WA - Review
Coffee ice cream with vanilla-bean caramel sauce at Molly Moon's in Seattle
Anyone who has spent time in the Midwest or on the East Coast will agree, Seattle is not a great ice cream town. So when I heard that Molly Moons in Wallingford was making the good stuff on site with mostly organic ingredients and interesting flavors, it was on my radar right away. Then when Dana Cree, a wonderful pastry chef and co-author of Tasting Menu was leaving Veil to work at Molly's, I couldn't wait any longer.
My wife and I tried the coffee, chocolate, and salted caramel ice creams. The coffee was my favorite, made with beans from Vivace which may be the greatest roaster in America. (I know, I'll probably get some hate mail from someone who is a fan of a place I've never heard of that roasts their beans one at a time with forceps and a bunsen burner. Go ahead, I can handle it). You can see that scoop up above, with caramel sauce. Sarina objected to the slight grittiness of the very fine coffee grounds remaining in the ice cream, but it didn't bother me.
Honestly, I felt the chocolate was just good, not chocolate reverie inducing. And we both thought that the salted caramel was out of balance. I adore salt in my caramel, but this just seemed to go too far. And the salt was very evenly distributed in the mix, so every bite tasted the same. I think less salt and mixed in at the last moment so you get the occasional capricious flake of sea salt would be better.
Dana's toppings were absolutely stellar, and a great treat for only $1 per serving. The aforementioned vanilla bean caramel sauce was rich and buttery and neither too runny nor chewy. The seasonal compote achieved a texture I've never come close to, somehow thick and consistent without being at all gummy, and no sacrifice in fresh fruit flavor. Amazingly good.
Molly's is definitely worth a visit, and I'll be back to try some of those other interesting flavors, like the Thai Iced Tea and Balsamic Strawberry. At just $3 for a scoop and $4.50 for a double, it is an affordable and very fun treat - especially for us transplants that miss having good ice cream in every neighborhood.
p.s. kudos to Molly for using organic dairy, lots of local ingredients, and all compostable serving bowls and utensils!
Nice review! Thanks for posting on my blog. I wouldn't bother with the Thai ice cream--it isn't very good. Although I see you have a more delicate palette than I do--as I love the robust caramel salt and Victrola coffee is the only way to go. Vivace is for coffee wimps!
Aug 14, 2008 2:35:42 PM
Why do I automatically associate good coffee, with good ice-cream? You're shattering my assumptions! Lol.
Great review though - I can't see the odd bit of grounds being problematic either.
Aug 14, 2008 2:47:28 PM
Kelley - Ooh, talking a little smack! I like it! :)
Aug 14, 2008 2:49:48 PM
Michael,
Each time I visit your site, I see something that I would like to eat! I would make a trip out to Seattle specifically for this ice cream...
This morning I received a blog award and thought I would pass it on to you. Nothing tangible but, for me, cyberspace appreciation is always nice. (Can you tell this was my first award?)
Natasha
Aug 14, 2008 10:32:19 PM
To see award, please visit website: http://www.healthyandgourmet.blogspot.com
Aug 14, 2008 10:44:58 PM
That icecream sounds really delicious. What a great find and wonderful review!
Aug 16, 2008 6:35:58 AM
If you're looking for outstanding local ice cream, try Olympic Mountain Ice Cream, made in Shelton. It's served in Olympia at a few local spots and it's by far the best and most creative ice cream I've ever had. Keep an eye out in Seattle and you'll likely find it. The Internet says that it's served at Palisade, Chinook's, and Arnie's. Enjoy!
Aug 18, 2008 12:15:04 PM
Thanks for the comments! I gotta get in there soon and try those toppings. The new cherry flavor is pretty much mind blowing (in my humble opinion). Maybe its the power of suggestion now, but the salted caramel was a bit homogeneous. I think that flavor would be much better with an unbalanced sweet and saltiness to it.
The homemade waffle cones are incredible too. Keep up the good blogging...
Aug 23, 2008 11:20:46 AM
Great review, especially the part on the caramel with salt. That'd be the first thing I'd try. I think I'll give this place a shot. We are always looking for a good ice cream place when we are in Seattle.
Aug 29, 2008 7:30:27 PM
Michael - thanks for the tip about the Vivace coffee flavour. I'll HAVE to try that the next time I'm in town. The idea was that we'd make it back to Molly's a few more times before the end of our trip, but just kept finding more and more yummy things. :)
Sep 1, 2008 4:49:29 PM
Molly Moon's was one of the highlights of my trip to Seattle--ya gotta try the cardamom. But I liked every flavor I tried, including the salted caramel. What I liked more than anything was the creaminess. A bite could hang around on your tongue for a while.
Sep 9, 2008 7:36:26 PM