Ice Cream Parlor Review
(Photo courtesy of www.atlantaintownpaper.com)
By Amanda Munro, Staff Writer munro15@up.edu
The first thing I noticed when I walked into Ruby Jewel Scoops on Sunday evening was the most heavenly smell I've ever encountered in the course of my life: something along the lines of vanilla, lemon and freshly baked cookies all at the same time. I followed my nose to the counter where I was faced with the extremely difficult (and possibly life-altering) decision between fourteen different flavors like Banana Cream Pie, Honey Lavender, Fresh Mint Flake, Caramel with Salted Dark Chocolate and...Chevre with Habanero Jelly? (It's surprisingly tastier than it sounds).
Ruby Jewel Scoops offers three options for ice-cream lovers. The store started as an ice-cream sandwich cart, and continues to be famous for it's legendary make-your-own ice cream sandwiches, where you have your choice of cookie (chocolate chip, double chocolate, or lemon) and your choice of ice cream from any of the flavors available (which change regularly).
Of course, Ruby Jewel also has cones and cups, but for those of us who have trouble with decisions (like me, for instance) they also have the "flight" which is an ice cream cone-shaped tray with smaller portions of six different flavors. I elected this option and ended up with a tray of Honey Lavender, Fresh Mint Flake, Mexican Chocolate, Pistachio Honey, Espresso and Caramel with Salted Dark Chocolate.
After the half-hour I spent in Ruby Jewel Scoops, I was convinced I had died and gone to heaven.
The Honey Lavender was by far my favorite of the six; it was smooth, dreamy, and sweet like a perfect summer day in Portland.
My second favorite was the Pistachio Honey, which was rich and creamy with little delightful pieces of real pistachio and a subtle hint of honey. The Caramel with Salted Dark Chocolate, Ruby Jewel's bestseller, was silky as a cloud, with thick ribbons of salted, dark chocolate fudge. Needless to say, it was all so good that it was almost inappropriate to eat in public.
But Ruby Jewel Scoops is more than just an ice cream parlor with interesting and delectable flavors; it's as conscientious and forward thinking as the city it calls home, ranging from the environment to food-allergies. Ruby Jewel offers "cow free" ice-cream selections as well as gluten-free cookies.
"We get all kinds of new-age diets here," employee Brendan Quinn said.
Ruby Jewel gets its ingredients from local farms: dairy from Lochmead Farm in Eugene, strawberries from Sauvie Island, peaches from the Paird family...even their mint is locally-grown!
Not only is the ice cream good, but you can feel good about eating it too. Each cup supports local farmers in Oregon and Ruby Jewel Scoops recycles and repurposes all of it's materials, making the store almost waste free. To top it off, they even encourage and reward employees who bike to work.
Open until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends, Ruby Jewel Scoops is a fun and tasty hangout for anyone looking for something to do in the North Portland area. It's a great place to sit and spend time with friends.
The parlor sits on 3713 N Mississippi Ave, which is also one of the coolest streets in the North Portland area: only four miles from University of Portland and a 20 minute bus ride on the 35 line.
This ice cream parlor is delicious, fun, and quintessentially Portland. My taste buds are still singing their praises and I can't wait to get back and try new flavors!
