Cookiebar: Alameda’s Ice Cream + Cookie Youth Rebellion
Being a David Chang ball-fondler, at first I thought Cookiebar’s logo and the name were a little too close to resembling Momofuku’s Milkbar. This minor detail kept me away longer than it should have. On our way home from recreational meandering, I finally went in.
All of the employees are under 30-years-old. Damn millennials. It seems like a bunch of friends got together, put in their money and opened a business that only sells ice cream and cookies. Which is impressive.
You can choose to have the cookies warm. But, don’t do it for ice cream sandwiches. Soft ice cream + warm cookies = cookie milk shake. when I took my first bite and the ice cream separated like roaches when you turn on the lights. It squirted out of both sides, leaving both me and the ice cream panicking; the both of us holding on to the edges of the cookie for dear life. The cookies (provided by Pacific Cookie Company) are buttery and soft, but packed full of crunchy nuts and chunks of chocolate. The cookies and cream gives a whole new meaning to the title, “chocked full.” This shit was chocked full of cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie chunks and schmear. Why the hell didn’t I ever think of this business model? Bitterness aside, the employees here are very sweet.
You can customize your own ice cream sandwich; assembled to order. And with a single scoop of ice cream (my childhood favorite Thrifty’s or Mitchell’s) being $2.50 and the cookies costing $1.25 each, you want the ice cream sandwich for $3.50. You choose ANY two cookies — Macadamia Nut and White Chocolate Chip known as the Cahootz + Chocolate Chip — with your choice of ice cream — Cookies and Cream. Or, the second time I went — Cookies and Cream cookies and Grasshopper Pie ice cream.
Sure, these young people aren’t waking up at 3am to tiptoe into a Petaluma barn to milk a cow and create artisan ice cream. But, they were wise enough to do an extremely simple menu and choose good quality ice cream. And don’t front like you’re not down with Thrifty’s infamous ice cream. I have some extremely vivid nostalgic moments attached to those cylindrical scoops of affordable (yet great quality) ice cream. My nana allowing me to get a double scoop and my older cousin a triple scoop! We giggled with guilty gluttonous delight as melted ice cream ran down our arms. And if you’re from Northern California, chances are you have a similar memory attached to Thrifty’s ice cream. Good job, kids.
This was a delightful little shop with delightful little employees. And not too bad of a price tag.
My only suggestion to them: Pre-assemble SOME sandwiches in the morning, giving the ice cream and cookie a chance to sauter.
Cookiebar
1606 Webster St, Alameda, Ca 94501
[The East Bay]
