I've been to Stricklands Ice Cream in Irvine this summer more than I care to admit. I've lost count actually, but I can tell you that since May I've cashed in about three stamp cards. When I tell you that each stamp card has nine slots and entitles me to the tenth one for free, you don't have to do the math to agree: I'm there a lot.
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It's all about the special flavors. Apart from chocolate and
vanilla, which are always available, only two other flavors are offered
per day (sometimes, it's three).
As I alluded to in the icy treats for summer
write-up not too long ago, “A visit made when a new flavor is
introduced feels like an event, and the best are those that rarely see
supermarket shelves.”
This Saturday is one of those days.
Strickland's has previously introduced its taro, green tea and lychee
flavors, which have become my favorites in descending order. Tomorrow,
they'll try to make a Thai ice tea-flavored ice cream. Will it be as
great as the green tea? Or kind of a let down like the sweet red bean
(which tastes too much like vanilla, too little like red bean)?
However it turns out, I'll be there and, yes, I will get another stamp on my card.
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Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.