Salt & Straw

Born in Portland, Oregon, the quality-ingredients-driven ice cream parlor Salt & Straw brings more than just a rotating list of delicious flavors to scoop. The family-run business focuses on unique flavor combinations and local, seasonal components. The menu is always changing, but expect such mouthwatering options as honey lavender, roasted-strawberry coconut, or avocado and Oaxacan chocolate fudge. The location on Larchmont Boulevard is fun to visit for its proximity to a ton of very cool, very L.A. boutiques, coffee shops, as well as the jaw-dropping mansions of Hancock Park. If the L.A. traffic has you beat, though, you can always stop in at one of Salt & Straw's other locations: in West Hollywood, the Arts District, Studio City, or Venice Beach.

The scent of waffle cones permeates the air on a corner of Abbot Kinney, and the fragrance lightens an already dreamlike setting. Sandals clothe every other passerby, and even more are wearing sunglasses as respite from a hot mid-winter sun. Salt and Straw, the ice cream shop and the culprit of the sugary perfume, fits into this setting seamlessly: the weather will almost always be kind to it, and its of-the-moment flavors are ideal for a place that is consistently on trend. But aside from its new reputation, there’s a timeless quality to it that provides substance. This isn’t just a place to try a small-batch concoction. It’s also a spot that recognizes what will never go out of style: a cheerful escape where scoops can simply put a smile on your face.

Step past the striped awning and into the shop, where a mix of childlike pastels contrast wood accents. Ice cream flavors are written in chalk above their respective gallons, and a white marble countertop separates them from the crowd. Try the popular sea salt with caramel ribbons, with its salt sourced from Guatemala and caramel made in-house. Or, opt for the rich taste of honey lavender alongside the creamy Stumptown coffee and Compartes love nuts. Classic songs will be playing overhead as your perfect scoops are formed into a cone, which may still be warm from the iron. Take that first lick, and feel your surroundings soften. It may be nothing more ice cream on a clear day, but that will always be just what you need.