Whether you are looking for ice cream, custard, gelato, or sorbet, we have your sweet tooth covered in this edition of Eight Around the State. We focused on hand-crafted and homemade ice cream with creative twists on flavors, and found many purveyors that took their inspiration from ingredients easily sourced in New Mexico. Many of these creameries’ flavors change with the seasons, so we see a lot of ice cream tasting in our future. This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have the lowdown on the best ice cream in your city or county, drop us a line, and we will be sure to check them out.
Tonari No Mise
What we are eating: Tonari sundae with caramel miso ice cream, red bean dorayaki, and mochi balls
Worth noting: Tonari No Mise is the store next door and sister restaurant to Magokoro Japanese Restaurant. They offer traditional Japanese desserts like dorayaki (pancakes and cream), house-made ice creams, and house-made milks. Their hand-churned ice creams are so unique, we know we will have to go back frequently to try all the flavors, which include black sesame, mushroom, sunflower and honey, and matcha.
Find: 5600A Menaul NE, Albuquerque,
instagram.com/tonarinomise
Freezie Fresh: Rolled Ice Cream
What we are eating: Salted caramel red chile
Worth noting: Freezie Fresh specializes in Thai rolled ice cream, named after the distinctive rolled shape of the frozen treat, which originated in Southeast Asia. First, the vanilla custard base is mixed with handcrafted flavors and flattened onto the anti-griddle. Then a spatula is used to scrape the ice cream from the pan’s surface into the shape of ice cream rosettes.
Find: 2860 Cerrillos, Santa Fe, freeziefresh.com
La Lecheria
What we are eating: Red chile rhubarb
Worth noting: Chef Joel Coleman, owner of Fire & Hops, is the brains behind La Lecheria. He finds inspiration in the community by supporting local agriculture. Their ice cream is made using organic dairy, eggs, and sugar, without stabilizers or artificial ingredients.
Find: 101 W Marcy, Santa Fe, lalecherianm.com
Taos Cow Ice Cream Co.
What we are eating: Lavender scoop, flavored with organic New Mexican culinary lavender seed
Worth noting: Taos Cow Ice Cream Co. has been churning out ice cream since 1993, and it’s all produced in Santa Fe. They use cream and milk from the Rasband Dairy in Albuquerque’s South Valley, and locally source many other ingredients to create their flavors. At their Arroyo Seco storefront, they also offer savory food made with the same care.
Find: 483 Hwy 150, Arroyo Seco, taoscow.com
NM Vintage Market
What we are eating: Green mint chip and pecan pie
Worth noting: NM Vintage Market, a 100 percent New Mexico products store, partnered with New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) to bring fresh-made, by-the-scoop gelato and sorbets to Mesilla. ACES Foods is a student-run food production company in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at NMSU, providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply the principles of food science and technology to food products.
Find: 2310 Avenida de Mesilla, Mesilla,
facebook.com/nmVintageMarket
Photo by Morgan Switzer of NM Vintage Market
Fratelli’s Pizza Bistro & Ice Creamery
What we are eating: Green apple chile gelato
Worth noting: Italian cuisine is known for many traditional foods, notably spaghetti, pizza, and gelato! Fratelli’s innovates on tradition with fresh, made-from-scratch gelato in a host of playful and seasonal flavors, such as lavender, Almond Joy, and lemon blueberry.
Find: 1209 N Hwy 491, Gallup, fratellisbistro.com
Mint Chip Creamery
What we are eating: Wild rose ice cream on a gluten-free cone
Worth noting: The Mint Chip Creamery began in Anchorage, Alaska, as a food truck. They transplanted to Silver City in 2018, and recently set up a brick-and-mortar space downtown. Locally and organically sourcing whenever possible, they shop for ingredients at the Silver City Farmers’ Market and the neighborhood food cooperative. They also handcraft popsicles, donuts, and other baked goods.
Find: 601 N Bullard St, Silver City,
instagram.com/themintchip
Photo courtesy of Mint Chip Creamery
Fahrenheit 32
What we are eating: Mangoñada with mango nectar ice cream, mango, Tajin, chamoy, and a tamarindo stick
Worth noting: Yes, we know they are in El Paso, but since this is our travel issue, we are including them in the mix. Signature roll-ups include Honeydew You Love Me, served with melon balls and mochi; Gotcha Matcha; Piña Colada; and Brotein, made with chocolate protein ice cream. Their over-the-top garnishes include green tea and strawberry Pocky, Teddy Grahams, Thin Mints, and cornflakes.
Find: 12135 Montwood Dr, El Paso, fahrenheit32icecream.com
Drop us an email at info@ediblenm.com with your best finds from anywhere in the Land of Enchantment.
Edible celebrates New Mexico's food culture, season by season. We believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. With our high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and informative publication, we inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, beverage and food artisans, and other food professionals in our community.