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| - Yes, I'd met Sweet Republic's Helen and Jan before I ever set foot in the shop. And Helen and Jan are splendid people. Bias be damned -- the product at SR is brilliant, unique to the valley, and somehow both familiar and avant-garde.
I paid my first visit (pilgrimage?) tonight with Kelly B. and her superspy husband. Among us, we sampled everything in the case -- flavors remarkable (cheese course duo ice cream -- roquefort and dates), bracing (basil lime sorbet), and flat-out unfair (mayan chocolate ice cream).
I wound up having a sundae for probably the first time in 20 years: mayan chocolate and bananas foster ice cream, fresh blueberries, salted caramel, and homemade whipped cream on top. Kelly's husband had watermelon sorbet. Then he went back for cantaloupe sorbet. I have no idea what Kelly ordered, as I was so absorbed by what I was eating that I entered a fugue state.
Everything is made in-house, and Helen has some serious culinary chops. For those who want comfort flavors, SR whips up mint chip, rocky road, belgian chocolate, and other goodies that won't invite cognitive dissonance.
What really impressed me was the attention to design in the shop. The place is really sharp, and they went with quite a few eco-friendly choices from aka green and other vendors. Check out the tables topped with kirei board, the recycled glass tiles behind the counter, and the bamboo wall decorations.
It's all smashing. ¡Viva Sweet Republic!
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