What do you get when you combine mad-scientist techniques with the Victorian “Queen of Ices?” No, not the opening lines to a bad joke, but rather the inspiration behind the new ice cream shop, Ices Plain & Fancy, coming at 2256 S. 39th St., in St. Louis in June.
Troika Brodsky, director of communications at Schlafly, has teamed up with three college friends, Max Crask (also executive chef at Tripel in Lafayette Square), Darla Crask and Matthew Deutschmann, to transform the corner spot of the Shaw neighborhood into an ice cream parlor, as reported by the Riverfront Times.
The shop is inspired by culinary icon Agnes B. Marshall, who published “Ices Plain & Fancy” in 1885. “She was a very, very cool lady,” Brodsky said. “She is our patron saint, and she is worth Googling.”
But the 19th-century ice cream queen probably never got her hands on a tank of liquid nitrogen. Leave that to Max Crask, who is spearheading the menu development and experimenting with that, as well as anti-griddles (a device that creates an almost-instant deep freeze) to create frozen treats ranging from sorbets and shakes to gelatos and dairy-free ices. “Fast churning will allow us to utilize a wide variety of bases, and our menu will always be changing,” Brodsky said.
Using liquid nitrogen means the extreme cold (we’re talking around -325 degrees) flash-freezes the base so quickly that ice crystals and air are eliminated from the finished product, Brodsky explained. This makes for a creamy, dense scoop that can be churned in a fraction of the time a traditional ice cream maker takes.
The build-out has just begun, but Brodsky said there will be a cozy interior and outdoor seating. Darla Crask, who is also Max Crask’s sister, heads up the renovations; her previous contracting work includes the interior of Tripel. Once open, she will oversee day-to-day operations. The fourth co-owner Deutschmann brings his experiences in graphic design and restaurants to the mix as creative director.
Brodsky intends to use regional products and collaborate with local businesses whenever possible. “Darla, Matt, Max and I are all such huge fans of the current food scene here in St. Louis and the community that has grown up around it, and we will be looking for opportunities to have fun with our friends and neighbors as often as we can,” Brodsky said.
This article appears in May 2014.