N'ice Cream - On the Boardwalk, Over the Sea

My friend 'Designer' had bought the Groupon deal for $5 for $10 worth of N'ice Cream a while back - and after the Good Food Fest last weekend, we walked over to the closest location, at The Market at Santa Monica Place, for a gelato break.

N'ice Cream prides themselves on organic gelato and sorbet, made fresh daily on the premises. 

Their gelatos are made from organic milk from Rock-view farms, and are "a bit lighter" than competitors' with less cream and sugar.  Their sorbets use fresh, locally grown fruit when possible.

I haven't been to their Abbot Kinney or Venice oceanfront walk locations, but at The Market at the top floor of Santa Monica Place, the selection is relativelly small, and not nearly as many varieties nor as inventive as Gelato Bar & Espresso Cafe.  Given that pricing is at: 1 scoop=$3.50 2 scoops $4.50 3 scoops =$5.50, we decided to get 2 scoops each with the Groupon.

My picks were: Hazelnut Chip and N'ice Cream Delight.  Hazelnut Chip was a lovely hazelnut base gelato with crisp chocolate bits strewn throughout - delicious!  N'ice Cream Delight featured rum, hazelnut and chocolate chip - reminding me of rum raisin but nuttier flavors and chocolate pieces instead of raisin!  The texture was indeed just slightly less creamy/dense than competitors' gelato - well balanced and perfectly refreshing after a hot day walking around outdoors at the Good Food Fest (or the beach!).  The scoops are also fairly generous in size - though the flavors I got were so addictive I was tempted to get second rounds, calories be damned!

N'ice Cream also offers toppings for their gelato / sorbets as well as milkshakes. 

With the organic offering and convenient locations, I plan to be back next time I'm in the area - gotta love desserts that are 'good for you'! ;)

[For more deals like this one, check out my Get More Bites Outta Your Budget page!]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $ (1 bite mark)
Probability of return visit - 85% 

______________________________________________________________________

N'ice Cream 
Santa Monica Place
"The Market", 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Additional locations:
1410 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
619 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291
Website: ilovenicecream.com
_____________________________________________________________________