Chilly Jilly’z Bakery & Café
Pineapple-Orange Dole Whip Float with Whipped Cream
Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish
Cinnamon Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
Peanut Butter Cookie
Magic Cookie Bar – Coconut, Chocolate Chips, Butterscotch Chips, Peanuts, Graham Cracker Crust
Broaster Chicken, Potato Wedges, Buttermilk Biscuits, Potato Salad, Mac ‘n Cheese
Opened in 2013 as a kiosk across the street Chilly Jilly’z has since developed into a full-fledged Café en route from Las Vegas to Boulder City or vice versa, owner Jill Quatrale still involved in daily operations including on-site baking and overseeing a youthful staff who really could not be more pleasant.
First and foremost an Ice Cream stand, the Valley’s hot summers and mild winters rarely making frozen treats a bad proposition, guests entering the low-slung shop on Nevada Highway will quickly note self-serve Dole Whip lining the west wall, some eight flavors joined by Chocolate and Vanilla Custard with Pineapple no doubt the best seller.
Further expanding the interior concept to an outside Patio on Weekends, 105ᵒF temperatures on this Saturday making Waffles, Pancakes and Cocktails less appealing since ordering such requires diners to eat al fresco, it was instead after perusing options that housemade Pastries and Broaster Chicken were highlighted, the fifteen minute preparation announced up front accurate as visitors spend time at metal tables serenaded by iHeartRadio or watching sports television.
Allowed to sample a few flavors of Dole Whip while waiting, the Lactose, Cholesterol and Gluten-free concoction made famous by Disneyland not so different from Fro-Yo highlighted by Key Lime while thick Chocolate Custard also fares well, it seems almost every visitor to Jilly’z eventually tastes her famous Float, a Pineapple-Orange Swirl topped with Juice and Whipped Cream that is citrusy, refreshing and exceptionally smooth.
Letting staff warm baked goods on their suggestion, the day’s last Cinnamon Roll seeing its sugary Frosting become molten and almost slide off, suffice it to say that neither Cinnabon nor Cinnaholic has anything on Chilly Jilly’z in terms of softness or sweetness while the Danish supporting Blueberries in unsweetened Cream Cheese is far more subtle, the light layers with availability in two other flavors standing amongst the best in or around Sin City.
Not particularly thrilled by one Cookie, a homogenous texture from edge to edge save for Peanut Butter Chips that would be better left out, it was saving the hefty $3.65 Magic Cookie Bar for later that attention finally turned to four pieces of Chicken brined and fried with great moisture plus spicing, the Mac n’s Cheese nothing worth writing home to mama about but both piping hot Potato Wedges and buttery Biscuits worth making a special trip for even if one does not care to see Hoover Dam.
FOUR STARS: Taking advantage of a good location and famous brands like Broaster and Dole Whip Ms. Quatrale has created an unlikely little spot in Boulder City that will satisfy almost any appetite at a fair price.
RECOMMENDED: Pineapple-Orange Dole Whip Float, Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish, Cinnamon Roll, Broaster Chicken, Potato Wedges, Buttermilk Biscuits.
AVOID: Mac n’ Cheese, Peanut Butter Cookie, Coconut Dole Whip.
TIP: The Patio at Chilly Jilly’z offers an extended menu including Alcohol from 8a-1p on Weekends for those willing to sit outside.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.chillyjillyz.com
