icdc, Los Angeles CA

icdc

Ice Cream Samples – Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Tangerine Vanilla Sherbet, Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet, Tcho Chocolate Sorbet

The “Icdc” – Salt and Pepper Caramel Donut, Dulce de Leche Ice Cream, shot of Vittoria Espresso

Buttermilk Brown Butter Doughnut

Butterscotch Doughnut

Fluffernutter Doughnut

Rocky Road Doughnut

Previously a pop-up at BLD, and officially opening brick and mortar at noon on Thursday, icdc – an acronym for ice cream, doughnuts, coffee – instantly found itself atop my ‘must visit’ list for this trip to LA and after a few hours of shopping nearby it seemed only logical to visit Neal Fraser’s newest concept for some pre-dinner bites before sitting down at Redbird, the Chef’s red-hot DTLA eatery, later that night.

Small in size, a maximum capacity of five per the fire marshall’s decree hanging high above the door, icdc is entirely a grab n’ go affair and arriving to surprisingly find no line just moments before 4:15 it was to friendly service that I was greeted, a tasting of ice cream samples proving impressive in both texture and flavor with both the chocolate sorbet and tangerine vanilla sherbet amongst the best of their kind, the later reminiscent of my childhood favorite but upgraded in a fresh, juicy, and substantial way.

Notably pricy, the ‘simple’ selections ringing in at $2 with filled and fancies priced at $3 and $4 for doughnuts no bigger than three-bites, it was after a few moments of indecision that selections were made and unable to resist the $8 signature ‘sundae’ a total of just over $24 inclusive of tax and tip was paid, “The icdc” consumed as I chatted with the staff and well worth the price of admission as the bitterness of ground-to-order espresso found more than a little levity in creamy dulce de leche atop a still-warm donut rife with yeast and salty caramel, the faintest hint of pepper lingering on the tongue following each slowly melting bite.

At this point taking the party outdoors, the al fresco seating at BLD not yet occupied for dinner service, it was with box opened and doughnuts photographed that the tasting progressed and although the brown butter topped buttermilk was an oily disappointment all the flavors that followed resonated with the sort of creativity and ingredient quality to justify the cost, the fancies absolutely decadent though admittedly quite messy while the butterscotch filled iteration is poised to become a signature, the crystalline sugar crusted shell and wispy crumb wrapped around the sort of pudding oft imitated but seldom replicated from spots like Mozza, Gjelina, and Trotter’s To Go.

http://bldrestaurant.com/