Challenging Ice Cream

I loved this NYTimes article about a San Francisco ice cream parlor, Humphry Slocombe, that specializes in, er, unusual flavors. (Why do I have to read this kind of thing in the NYTimes, anyway, when I get two Bay Area newspapers?)

Godby’s palate favors salt, booze and meat. Each day he scoops 10 to 12 of his hundred-plus ice cream flavors, favorites including Jesus Juice (red wine and Coke) and Boccalone Prosciutto. Godby also produces novelties in the what might be called the nose-to-tail dessert paradigm: duck-fat pecan pies, foie-gras ginger-snap ice cream sandwiches, treats that incorporate odd animal parts.

As interesting as the menu is Jake Godby, who creates it, and his conflicts with the local vegan store and a fake Twitter account and web site that mocks his store.

Twitter, the microblogging service, is important to Humphry Slocombe. Nearly 300,000 people follow the store, with Vahey announcing flavors through such edgy confections as “That’s right Rosemary’s Baby is back. Toasted pine nuts and fresh Rosemary . . . a ‘killer’ combination. Muwah-ah-ah!”

Then, in February of this year, “Jasper Slobrushe,” who identified himself as a proprietor of a fictitious and eponymous ice cream shop, began harassing Humphry Slocombe on Twitter. “Makin’ poop shakes. Yeah, that’s right — there’s dookie in ’em! And bacon!” Slobrushe posted. “Ever wondered what a burrito would taste like as ice cream? It’s gross. But we made it anyway.”

The reporter tracks Jasper Slobrushe down and finds out he has something like 15 fake Twitter accounts and just does this stuff for fun.

I hope I can talk our local ice cream expert, Dara, into going to this only-in-San-Francisco store next time we're in the city.