YEE: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Although I wouldn’t say ice cream is my favorite treat, it must be subconsciously moving up the list as I keep finding myself trying out ice cream places looking for that ever-​so satisfying kind that would become my benchmark to judge all other ice creams by. I think I found it at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams!
The backstory: On my way to a meeting in Los Feliz, I drove down Hillhurst and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this place and thought it would be a neat place to check out sometime or hope a Unilocal elite event would come up. That evening, I check my inbox and there’s the invite for this event! I couldn’t believe it!
I went to the 7:00 PM tasting and was fortunate to be one of the first to arrive. I had the sweetest girl guiding me down the long row of various ice cream choices. It started with the salted caramel, then the brown butter almond brittle and continued on eventually ending with the sweet cream that is the base of all the ice creams. The flavors were outstanding and many were unique.
What the clincher for me is this base ice cream recipe. There is something to be said about good tasting ice cream, but I feel the texture of the ice cream is often the more critical facet of the experience. My wife and I bought an ice cream maker over the summer on our journey to home-​make more of the food we eat, and we’ve been having difficulty with a good vanilla base recipe. I want something that is creamy, smooth, and dense. Exactly the ice cream at Jeni’s.
I had a chance to meet Jeni and learned how there’s a whole science behind the world of ice cream, and how her recipes differ from others and even her background in starting her business. It was fascinating.
I’m so glad I was able to attend the event. I felt sorry for my poor wife and kids at home who didn’t get come, so I had to buy a pint of the ice cream (that heavenly brown butter almond brittle) so we could all enjoy it together. Can’t wait to come back! Can’t wait to buy the book and see if I can replicate some of what I ate!

It was a great mix of art with ice cream. I already had Jeni’s bookmarked, so getting to visit was awesome. The staff was quite generous with me sampling nearly everything. They were especially informative about all the ingredients in the ice cream as well. I ended up getting a scoop of sweet cream and their unique vanilla ice cream. If you got a cup, it come with a small waffle slice. Meeting Jeni and her team was also a great experience. She was really friendly. I can’t believe that the original shop is located in Columbus, Ohio!
I can’t wait to come again to buy ice cream when it’s not a Unilocal event.

Free homemade gourmet ice cream? What’s not to love! I’ve never heard of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream before so it was great to see that they had flavors each uniquely delicious. The shop is quite small but very cute. They had a bar in the middle and a long bench along the wall. They sell their own ice creams and also cups, pins, receipe books, soda pops, etc. Jeni’s 2016 Winter Collection was «American Licks», a throwback to the old school flavor with a twist. The collection featured Candies Ginger, Orange Sherbet, Cherries Jubliee, Green Mint Chip, Black and White Cookies and Pralines & Cream. Jeni was also at the event! The Unilocal members received a free tumber, notepad, an American Licks pin, and a coupon for a free scoop until the end of March. The staff was super friendly and literally let me try almost every flavor. A scoop can consist up to 2 flavors so I got the Green Mint Chip and the Pistachio & Honey which was an interesting mix. I got it in a cup and it came with a small waffle piece. Very nice presentation. The ice cream was creamy and flavorful.
The event also had postcards where we can write it to whoever we want and they’ll mail it for us. The postcards were the American Licks collection and very cute. I definitely took advantage of this haha Thankfully I took public transportation to get here. It is about a 20 min walk from the Vermont/​Sunset station (Red Line) which to me wasn’t that bad. I didn’t have to worry about parking at all.
Overall, this was a great event! Thank you Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream and Unilocal for hosting another fun event. Cant wait for the next one :)

Amazing. And I got to meet Jeni! Seriously I thoroughly enjoyed this event.
I’ve never been to Jeni’s before but have heard a ton about it, so I was excited to try it for the first time. It truly is exceptional ice cream. It was very hard to pick just two flavors. But I did, and they were great.
I met Jeni. A fellow Unilocaler, Michael, and I got to meet her and chat with her about her favorite and least favorite ice creams, the American Licks set, and the preferability of being excellent at a few things rather than trying to do everything. According to Jeni, Michael may have changed her mind on their menu offerings. Through talking with Jeni, I must say I was very much impressed with her professionalism. She’s clearly a pro and she knows her craft well.
The event also featured free postcards you could write to your loved ones. Jeni’s even offered to apply postage and send them out for you. I took full advantage of that. I wrote three cards, saying hi, that I’m thinking of you, and bragging that I met Jeni and enjoyed some delicious ice cream.
All in all, this was a wonderful event. Thanks to Katie B and Jessica H for putting it on. And thanks to Jeni for making amazing ice cream and welcoming us in.

Did someone say free licks? I want a few of those… let alone when I walked in the door everyone was screaming… then I started screaming… geez we were all screaming for ice cream.
It was delicious and some wild and crazy flavors I haven’t ever had before. Even savory stuff. It was almost like pulling up to an ice cream meal. yet utterly delicious. Some of the craziness included; sweet corn (that actually had corn chunks in it), brown butter brittle, churros to name a few.
What sets this place aside is that the ice cream is made with the actual ingredients you would think are in them… not artificial flavoring…
But this is a very fun lil place with some interesting and delicious ice creams. My favorite though was the mint chip… but that is just the kind of guy I am. I love the tried and true flavor of it. I am sure that I always will.
I must say, I wish I was back there eating more of it right now… instead of sitting here reminiscing… Nonetheless great job of putting on the event to Jessica and Katie you ladies rock big time!

Ice cream any time of day is awesome; especially in SoCal where we have no seasons. First YEE of the year and I’m glad it involved scoops of creamy ice cream.
Truthfully, I was reluctant to try Jeni’s because of their listeria problem back in 2015, but per their website, it looks like they’ve gone to great lengths to explain the problem in full details and disclosure and how they’ve fixed the problem. I really appreciate that.
So when I saw the invite for a YEE at Jeni’s, I decided to try my luck to get on the list. Hooray! I got on the list! I’m a huge fan of ice cream whether it’s a pint of Häagen-​Dazs, Dreyer’s, Thrifty’s, or the artisanal ice cream shops popping up in different neighborhoods.
Upon entering their cute little shop in Los Feliz on the corner of Hillhurst and Clarissa Ave, I was greeted by smiling faces and promptly checked in by Jessica H, given a cute little pin, and a card to redeem a free scoop (2 flavors). Jeni was also there to converse with. We were allowed to sample as many flavors as we wanted and there were plenty of smiling face ready to scoop out your choices. The girl that helped me was holding six little spoons so I took full advantage and tried five flavors (minus one that slipped and dropped to the ground, opps). I tried brown butter almond brittle, pistachio and honey, dark chocolate peppermint, wildberry lavender, and sweet corn spoon bread (ranked from favorite to least favorite).
Oh My Gosh! The brown butter almond brittle was bomb! It was creamy, true to it’s flavor, and oh so good. Pistachio and honey was also good and not too overpowering in pistachio flavor. The sweet corn was unique with bits of cornbread throughout but it wasn’t to my liking.
Thank you Jessica H. for a fun event and the Unilocal goodies. I can’t wait to go back and try more flavors and take home a pint.

First off, I love that Jeni’s ice cream just speaks for itself. There are no gimmicks. Just purely amazing ice cream.
I want to applaud the staff for being so incredibly friendly. I asked for a lot of samples and the girl never seemed annoyed. She was helpful in answering my questions. After a dozen samples, I choose two scoops: milkiest chocolate and vanilla bean. I asked for it in a cup and it came with a waffle chip, which was also delicious. The ice cream was just the right amount of creamy and decadent. It wasn’t overly sweet, which I liked. I wish this place was closer to where I lived so I can come here more! Jeni was also there in person to speak to everyone and although I didn’t get a chance to talk to her, you can tell how passionate she is about her work.
Another huge plus: plenty of sitting place on the benches!
I also thought it was super cute that they provided free postcards for us to send.

As a health buff, I restrict food in a major way. Especially when it involves sugar, carbs, and fat. But who I am kidding?! Can I really say no to ice cream?! Not really and I am pretty sure that the majority of people can’t. Especially when it involves Unilocal and Jeni’s which has been a buzz word in the ice cream business. Off I went to indulge in some scoops…
I was excited to hear that Jeni’s was opening an LA location being that I grew up in Ohio so I was already aware of the establishment. Yet, I haven’t been to this location in Los Feliz even though they have been around for about a year now. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is a simple ice cream shop with clean lines and an a 50s soda fountain-​feel and yet has a modern and trendy hint; bringing old and new perfectly together. Much of the shop is taken up by the counter (and huge menu board) so seating is limited. Jeni’s also offers items for purchase: sauces, cook books, dishware, etc.
So, what was the low-​down to this Elite event? We were greeted upon arrival by a Jeni’s employee whom explained the ‘American Licks’ promotion (ice cream flavors based on nostalgic throwback popular flavors) while also being welcomed by Jessica who was stepping in for Katie. Basically, we were able to sample any or even ALL of the ice cream flavors and then choose a regular serving (2 half scoops which is usually a hefty $ 5.50). A cute side note was the availability of post cards which we could send anyone in the US and Jeni’s would mail for us. It definitely made you feel like you were on a cross-​country ice cream shop road trip.
The ice cream offered traversed a variety of flavors such as Candied Ginger, Churro, Berry Crumble, Dark Chocolate Mint, Bourbon Praline Crunch, Sweet Potato Almond, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean, and Sweet Cream (the base of most of the flavors) to name a few. Jeni’s ice cream is delicious because the flavors aren’t overpowering or too sweet and the texture is divine! Thick and creamy… very much like a frozen custard. Not to mention: they don’t skimp on the additions in the ice cream with large chunks of whatever flavor is added. We were able to choose between a cone or a cup and I chose Churro and Berry Crumble in a cup. The presentation was excellent with a waffle wafer piece (reminiscent of gelato servings) and the ice cream was heavenly!
Service was also top of the line. The scooping associates were friendly, all smiles, and truly made us feel welcome encouraging us to come back. Jeni herself was also on hand to chat with Unilocalers and speaking to her makes you feel like you are chatting with a true pro on the Food Network (her book DID win a James Beard award!). Jeni is VERY passionate and knowledgeable about her work. Not just in terms of running a business and offering great ice cream flavors but in the actual science and chemistry behind it. This girl knows her ice cream!
My only complaint is that the event was not how it was advertised. The listing said that the shop would be transformed with stations explaining the nostalgic flavors etc. Us Unilocalers were discussing this at the event and looking at the listing on our phones with a, «Um ??» sort of blank looks. The event wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t what was described at all. But hey, we got free ice cream and Unilocal swag so can’t complain too much!
Overall, Jeni’s truly welcomed up and introduced Unilocalers to a wonderful product definitely ensuring some repeat and new business. Thanks to Jeni’s, Jeni herself, Jessica, Katie, and Unilocal for this fantastic ice cream tasting! Although my waist line probably hates you!

What an incredible experience! Delicious ice cream, and had the opportunity to meet the founder Ms. Jeni. The ice cream was delicious… so many flavors to choose from. Each flavor was created and perfected by Ms. Jeni herself.
I wish I could have tried we’ve flavor, but then the line behind me will keep growing, and Ms. Jeni will probably eject me from her parlor. LOL. Some of the flavors I tried was the Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Wildberry Lavender, Cookies n Cream, Dark Chocolate and Mint, and of course my favorite Salty Caramel. Every flavor tried was so good! That I couldn’t figure out of which flavor goes well with what. Believe me, it was tougher than Calculus. Lol.
Anyhow, I chose the waffle cone with Dark Chocolate Mint on the bottom, Cookies n Cream in the middle, and my Salty Caramel on top. Yum! It was great. I purposely chose these flavors so I could distinctly taste the differences after each flavor. Yes, it seems like I turned ice cream tasting into a science. But that’s the only way to do it unless there’s an even better way. Lol.
My Unilocal buddy Tora and I also had the privilege to meet the founder Ms. Jeni. We had a great conversation talking about ice cream, the business, and all the way to the family background. Gosh, could have chit chatted all night, but had to give others the opportunity to meet and greet. It was informative, and I learned a lot as an ice cream lover.
I dare to say Ms. Jeni is a rock star after being in the business for so many years! A very knowledgeable and a great conversationalist!
Would I go back to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream? Yummmm. Must I say more?!?

Yay I finally got into another event! These days it’s almost as hard to get into one as it is to win the lottery…
First event of 2016. Ice cream is the best way to do it. Jeni’s ice cream originated from the east coast and I was excited that there’s a location in Los Feliz — just within miles of where I live! Score!
There were 2 sessions — one at 6pm and another at 7pm. Upon entering the cute ice cream shop, I was greeted by Jessica (subbing for Katie) and she explained that I could try any of the ice cream flavors and then receive 2 scoops for free. I shamelessly tried maybe 10 flavors — all of which were surprisingly delicious in both flavor, consistency and texture. The ones that really stood out were the pistachio & honey, bramleberry crisp, candied ginger, and cherries jubilee. The pistachio and honey was so perfect — nutty with honey and not too sweet.
Some of the goodies of the event include:
— cute ice cream post cards from Jeni’s and if you write them to friends Jeni’s mailed it out for you
— Unilocal elite plastic water/​drink cup with straw
— Small Unilocal paper bag with a paper pad inside
Service was great too. The lady giving me samples explained every sample to me in detail and with enthusiasm — you could tell she really did love ice cream
This is the kind of event that goes by quicker than expected — you arrive, sample, eat, chat, mail out cards and leave. All done in 30 min. I think I love the longer events better because there’s more to it, but sometimes these are a nice quick stop after work!

Had such a great time at this Unilocal event! I was a bit scared to go Bc 1) I was by myself and 2) it was my first event. However, everyone was so friendly and welcoming! I was able to try about 7 flavors and of those 7 I leaned toward liking the fruiter ice creams. My top two were the cherries jubilee and the bramble berry crispy. I like the fact that they both had so much flavor and it was a nice touch that there were large chunks of cherries. I hate when ice creams skimp on the fruit. This was my first time trying a bramble berry… Not sure if it’s actually a black berry or not but it tasted almost exactly the same! The crunch in the bramble berry adds a nice touch. My friend who comes into Jeni’s said their flavors change all the time and she said in the summer they have mango, which she loves! Can’t wait till summer to try all of their summer flavors! Jeni’s such a cute little store with all these lights inside making it look very hipster!!!

My first Unilocal Elite event of 2016! I’m glad I was able to go because the first time I tried Jeni’s ice cream was about 2 years ago in Nashville when I was there for Unilocal Spring Break and boy was it good. I did not even know they open a location here on the west coast until a few weeks ago when I was looking up some other ice cream places, so I’m very excited I was able to go tonight. I’m not big on sweets, but I rarely say no to ice cream!
Checking in a very fast and easy. Jessica H was friendly and checked you off as you came in. Another person passed out American Licks pins! You were also given a coupon for ice cream, and even though it said one scoop, it seemed like you were able to pick out whatever you liked. We were allowed to try as many flavors as your heart desired. I tried many flavors: churro, vanilla bean, brown butter almond brittle, green mint chip, black and white cookies, and burbon. For my freebie, I got 3 mini scoops (green mint chip, brown butter, and black and white cookies) in a bowl with my waffle cone on top! My favorite flavor as far as I could remember has always been mint chip… but I’ve become more open to more flavors over the years. Here, I would say my favorite flavor was the brown butter. It was the perfect combo of sweet and salty with a good crunch to it! The 3 mini scoops were more than enough ice cream for me.
Parking was fairly easy for me to find. It’s street parking and there are scattered spots in the residential area. Much easier to find parking here than some other LA neighborhoods! There are also some metered spots right outside the shop.
The décor here was cute and simple. They have books, pins, cups, etc for sale. All the employees were very nice! The guy who gave me the samples was very friendly and knew the flavors well. He was able to describe all the flavors in detail that I tried! After getting your ice cream, there were displays around the shop for the 6 classic flavors and what year they came out. There are some benches to sit on and enjoy your ice cream. There was also postcards we could write on to send out. Also, no Unilocal event is complete without swag! As if complimentary ice cream was not good enough! We also received a Unilocal reusable cup, Unilocal post-​its, and Unilocal popcorn bag!
I’m glad I went to this event! Thanks Unilocal,Katie B, Jessica H, and of course Jeni’s ice cream for being so generous and putting on this great event! You can bet I will be back at Jeni’s! The ice cream here is just so delicious!

I was pretty excited to see the invite for this event in my email! I mean, yea it’s ice cream. But it’s Jeni’s ice cream! I’ve never actually been to this ice cream shop before, but my friend has her ice cream recipe book and we’ve made a few of them (specifically the bourbon butter pecan!).
I’ve never been in Los Feliz/​Silverlake before but I was pretty in awe driving by. I probably shouldn’t be driving, bc I was so distracted looking at all the interesting cafes, bars, and shops. I would like to explore this area more. Especially now that I’ve tried Jeni’s ice cream! Parking in this area is metered/​street parking, but I was able to find a spot on a Thursday evening.
The ice cream shop is the cutest thing! They had a lot of amazing and unique flavors, and the girl helping me gave me a verbal detail of each flavor I tried (which is pretty much all of them lol). I settled on getting a scoop of the brambleberry crisp and the brown butter almond brittle. Those flavors were my absolute favorite and I definitely intend to come back for them! The brambleberry had great texture, and creamy fruitiness of it went well with the rich brown butter ice cream.
I think my favorite part was meeting and talking to Jeni, the owner and creator! It was very interesting hearing about her history and inspiration behind the «American Licks» exhibition. I love that she tying in classic ice cream flavors to American history. Food is definitely a big part of culture, and ice cream should make up a part of our American history! Her shop definitely carried that classic American feel. I think the cherry on top was when they gave us post cards to send to our family and friends (and they sent them out for us)! I haven’t written a post card in… forever…so it definitely brought me back. I can’t wait for my friends to get their surprise in the mail! I think the theme is a great idea, and from what I’ve tried, she executed it very well! I can’t wait to go back for another treat :)

Unilocal Challenge 2016– ⁷⁄₁₀₀.
I love, love, love ice cream! And Jeni’s had been on my to do list for awhile… count on Unilocal and Katie B. to give me the excuse I needed to indulge my sweet tooth. Unlimited samples of super-​premium and creamy ice cream on real metal spoons started out the evening.
I tasted many of their flavors: Brambleberry Crisp, Wildberry Lavender, Luxardo a Cherries Jubilee, Candied Ginger, Lemon Buttermilk, Torrone, Brown Butter Almond Brittle & Bourbon Salted Pecan– all were super yummy and was tough to decide. I finally settled on the brandied cherries, candied ginger & lemon buttermilk-​which is frozen yogurt but you’d never know it!
I am an avid new convert to those who worship Jeni’s!!!

2016 Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE — ⁰⁰⁵⁄₁₀₀
I am a self-​proclaimed ice cream connoisseur. I love ice cream more than most people. I’m kind of snobby about it to the point where I refuse to eat grocery store ice cream. I absolutely LOVE artisanal ice cream shops just like Jeni’s! In fact, Jeni’s has been on my ice cream bucket list for a long time now… but I’m NEVER in Los Feliz so I haven’t gotten to try it. Once I saw this YEE arrive in my email inbox, my heart leaped for joy as this was the literally THE perfect first Elite event for me this year! I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I GOT INTO THE EVENT! Praise to da ice cream gods. They knew I had to be in.
Parking was a little rough, which is one of the reasons why I very rarely come to Los Feliz. After circling a few of the streets nearby I finally snagged a metered spot on Hillhurst that was 2 hour parking until 8pm.
As soon as I entered, I was greeted by all of the friendly employees at Jeni’s, including Jeni herself! I was given a cute pin, and we also got some Unilocal swag. I went to try the flavors, and all of the people working behind the counter were super nice and helpful! I was allowed to try ALL of the flavors, which was AMAZING because I absolutely hate ice cream places that are stingy about their samples. Thank you to Jeni’s for allowing the ice cream addict in me to try anything and everything! They employees also gave me a short description of each of the flavors, which was very helpful and informative!
They were featuring their American Licks flavors, which are «six classic (pre-​1980) flavors that taste exactly as you remember them, but better than they ever were.» These flavors included: Orange Sherbet (before 1865), Candied Ginger (before 1865), Green Mint Chip (1973), Black & White Cookies (1983), Pralines & Cream (1900), and Cherries Jubilee (1897). I was able to try all of these flavors except for the Orange Sherbet, which I did not see available. My favorite out of the American Licks was their Black & White Cookies, which was their own twist on Cookies & Cream! The Cherries Jubilee was also quite impressive as I was told they imported the cherries from Italy and were super high quality.
Out of the rest of their normal flavors, my favorites were definitely the Brown Butter Almond Brittle (SO FREAKING GOOD; hands down my fave), Sweet Corn Spoon Bread (I love me a good sweet corn ice cream), and Churro (not the best I’ve ever had, but still very delicious). We were allowed to have a small sized ice cream which came with two scoops (2 flavors) in either a cup or cone. I opted for the Brown Butter Almond Brittle and Churro. I ended up liking the Brown Butter so much that I bought a pint to take home! :)
The store itself was super cute with beautiful patterned tile flooring, and some other misc. items for sale such as chocolates, pins, mugs, books, old fashioned bottled sodas, etc. They had pretty vases of roses everywhere and nice framed photos and pieces of art. They also had photos of their ice creams that had captions with phone numbers listed. If you called one of the phone numbers, it provided a recording of Jeni talking and giving a description of what you saw on the wall in front of you. Very unique and something I’ve never seen before!
Overall, I had a wonderful evening at Jeni’s and am SO glad that I was able to go! The ice cream is definitely made out of high quality ingredients and I loved the assortment of unique flavors — one of my favorite things about artisanal ice cream shops. I highly recommend checking out Jeni’s if you are an ice cream lover like me! You will not be disappointed! Thank you so much to Unilocal LA East, Jeni and her fantastic team for having all of us tonight!

Getting into this YEE for Jeni’s was like my version of winning PowerBall!
Because yes, ice cream is more important to me than money. When I got the confirmation email I was overcome with exuberant joy like a guest on Maury being told «you are not the father!»
It seemed like fate that it happened to fall on the same day that I was already scheduled in the area on business. The stars aligned for my attendance at a Unilocal event so monumental that it wasn’t just once in a lifetime, but «once in human history,» as Joe Rogan would hyperbolically exclaim.
Besides the ice cream being like the best thing ever, Jeni herself was there! She took the time to talk to us in depth about anything we wanted to know. It was a real treat to meet someone like her that has done so much to make people happy. She should be recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize or Humanitarian of the Year Award for having this place open to serve the community.
The shop was transformed into a «museum» (ok, basically pics on the wall) showcasing relic flavors. It’s about time someone realized that ice cream was deserving of its own museum! The featured attraction was the AMERICAN LICKS exhibit: Ice Cream as a Living Artifact, which was an homage to throw-​back Jeni’s flavors (on Throwback Thursday no less). These classic (pre-​1980) offerings were designed to «taste exactly as you remember them, but better than they ever were.» In today’s world where we celebrate innovative exotic flavors like Thai Chili, it was nice to take a pause and embrace our Roots of Cream.
CLASSIC FLAVORS:
–Black & White Cookies: this one was the best!
–Cherries Jubilee: this one was even better (the cherries were imported from Italy)
–Green Mint Chip: better than the rest, hands down
–Candied Ginger: this one stood out above all others, no question
–Orange Sherbet: it was so good that I didn’t even see it there
–Pralines & Cream: ehhhh it was just ok
*they also made their regular full menu available to us
Jeni’s is like the Mastro’s of ice cream, except you don’t need to make a reservation, and you don’t have to wear pants. Even on this occasion where they highlighted traditional flavors, the quality was a cut above many scoop shops that specialize in modern flavors. As Jeni told my friend and me, while most companies are trying to find ways to make ice cream cheaper, she’s focusing on making it better, and there is a price to that.
Thanks to Jeni’s and Unilocal LA East (Katie B and Jessica H) for putting on this Splendid YEE! I am grateful to have been welcomed into the LA Unilocal community. Although I live in OC, I write more reviews for businesses in LA, many of my favorite Unilocalers are from LA, and clearly the best ice cream is here. This event ended up being better than Powerball because EVERYONE here won!