How Cove Creamery started
Cove Creamery opened in 2015 in a former surf-wax shop on Newport Avenue, two blocks from the pier, with a used batch freezer and six flavours. The first summer we ran out of vanilla by four most days.
There are two freezers now and fourteen tubs in the cabinet, but the recipe card for vanilla bean has not changed. We still buy strawberries in Carlsbad and still close when the last tub is scraped.
What we insist on
- A cooked custard base, aged overnight, churned in eight-quart batches
- Fruit from San Diego County farms when it is in season, and not on the board when it is not
- No stabilisers, no colourings, no extracts standing in for the real thing
- Cookies, brownies and waffle cones baked in the shop
Who scoops
A crew of twelve in summer and five in January. Two make ice cream in the mornings, the rest scoop. If you come on a Saturday evening in July, bring patience; the line moves at about a scoop a minute.
Good to know
Do you have dairy-free flavours?
Four sorbets, all vegan and made in a separate tub and scoop. The waffle cones contain egg and butter; the sugar cones do not.
Can I get a pint of any flavour?
Yes. Pick the flavour at checkout and we hand-pack it when the order comes in. Pints travel well for 30 minutes in a cold bag.
Is there anything nut-free?
Pistachio and butter pecan share the kitchen with everything else, so nothing is guaranteed nut-free. Every product lists its allergens.
Can I taste before I choose?
Two tastes per person at the counter, on little spoons. Three if the line is short.