North Pole Snow Cream: Snowburger Mashes Tropics with Arctic

Frozen treats have always been one of my Achilles heels - but the extent of creativity in this area has mostly been new flavors and ingredients in ice cream / gelato / shaved ice / custards.

Until Churroborough created an ice cream sandwich with churro discs instead of cookies.

And then people started substituting other carbs.  And then, the Snow Burger arrived and upended the ice cream sandwich inside out.  I was hooked from the first time I had it.

North Pole Snow Cream makes their Snow Burgers ($4) with snow (a frozen treat shaved down from large blocks similar to shaved ice, but whose consistency is creamier than shaved ice, but more airy and light than ice cream) + any topping (really more of a mix in, in the case of a Snow Burger) + any drizzle of your choice, then finishes it off by sticking that between two hawaiian buns.

Then here's the magic touch: the whole 'burger' is then pressed so that you get warm buns + cold snow cream, for an amazing interplay that is simultaneously comforting as hot cocoa, while wrapped up in a snuggie, by a roaring fire on a night in the frozen tundra.  While watching a travel show about some place in the scorching tropics, and ukulele music is playing in the background.

Yep, that is North Pole Snow Cream.

You can choose from more than 20 different flavors of 'snow', including dairy free ones, more than 20 toppings, and six different drizzles.  I LOVE that in this part of the San FERNANDO Valley, you can choose from flavors of snow that include black sesame and taro, as well as fun flavors like tiramisu, horchata and pistachio; toppings that include various flavors of boba, as well as red bean, and drizzle that includes condensed milk.

The snow cream creators behind the counter may be young guys, but they really know their flavors - and have been super helpful with recommendations for combos every time that I had been there.  After heeding their advice and trying the melon snow + fruit jelly + strawberry + condensed milk Snow Burger, I was hooked, and although I'd made it my mission to try as many combos as possible since I love this dessert so much, my favorite has remained that one that I had the first time, for its subtle sweetness cut through nicely by the hint of tart from the strawberries which all played well with the hawaiian buns.

A definite must try for those who live / work in the area, and also a great alternative dessert stop for those who may have traveled to Universal Studios Hollywood but looking for a change of pace from Citywalk.

Also of note, it can be difficult to find good coffee in this immediate area, and North Pole Snow Cream serves Intelligentsia coffee!!!

AND, it's open late - til 11pm Mondays to Thursdays and Sundays, midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

The strip mall parking lot in front of the shop is really small, so parking can be challenging during the day / evening, but later at night it's easier to find street parking on Ventura.  Or, you can risk parking in the free Rite Aid / Ralphs lot across and down the street and take a short walk.

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North Pole Snow Cream & White Drop Espresso
11048 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604
Ph: 323.203.1114

(Other location: 201 E Magnolia Blvd., Suite #119, Burbank, CA 91502)

Website: northpolesnowcream.com
Twitter: @northpolesnow 

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