Elite Event: It’s Sweet to be Elite 2.0 @ Smitten Ice Cream

From the moment I learned about this event, I had already fallen in love with it. There are two quick ways to my heart (boys take good notes!), shoes and ICE CREAM. What a better way to make my debut as a Unilocal Elite than by stuffing my face with ice cream? Answer: Being able to stuff my face with ice cream made from liquid nitrogen (I have a huge soft spot for science and innovative inventions).
I loved that the event was small and relatively intimate, it was great to finally meet Nique in person, the venue was fantastic, the staff was attentive and worked quickly to assure I was eating as much ice cream as possible. Perfect size.
Now as for the flavors…
~Salted Caramel~ So delightful and sweet! I was amazed by how smooth the ice cream way, perfect consistency!
~TCHO 60% Chocolate~ WOW, just, wow. Probably the richest, yet not completely over powering, chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had. Truly addicting. Personally, I would pair it with a bit of the salted caramel or the vanilla but if you can handle that much chocolate, more power for you.
~Olive Oil w/​Lavender Cookies~ The most unique flavor of the 5 but I couldn’t let the unusual ingredients stop me from trying it. If I were to come in and buy a scoop (or 2 or 3) of any of the flavors, hands down it would be this or the vanilla. Why? Because the flavor is subtle but addicting, I could sit there and keep eating it without it getting too sweet.
~Mint Chip~ This is not anything like the typical «mint chocolate chip» ice cream you buy from baskin robins, not in the least bit. From the first bite, I could taste the fresh mint, you can tell this ice cream is not made from your standard mint extract. Let me craving a mojito. There was something odd about it, but in a good way (considering I couldn’t stop myself from eating it)
~Vanilla~ Silky smooth perfection. Added the spicy caramel to this and it was perfect. I’m fascinated by the spicy caramel, it was sweet, then cinnamon-​y, and then left a hot-​tamale-​like after flavor.
Well worth the bloating I experienced. Thank you, Nique!

What’s more fun then trying custom made ice cream? How about trying with the people who have a passion for food and also the creators of this unique product. Robyn the creator of this delicious concoction had a chance to give us the background of the Smitten story. The ice cream base is made right there on the spot and Liquid Nitrogen is applied to freeze it making it creamy and smooth. The flavors we sampled were TCHO 65% Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Mint Chip, Olive Oil Lavender cookie, and Vanilla. All were very good but the Salted Caramel and the chocolate were my favorites. The 2 added to a Waffle cone made it a tasty treat. All of the staff were extremely generous and informative about their product and were also super friendly. The Cm Nique once again put together a small get together which was intimate, fun, and informative. Thanks Robin for letting take a run in your store and giving us your story, so we can now tell people about your unique product and share with friends and family. Thanks Unilocal East Bay for making it fun!

As usual another 5 star event. This one was smaller and more focused. I’ll still give it 5 stars for allowing me to bring my child for some ice cream fun. The ice cream itself was amazing. Wonderful texture and flavors. I may be hooked.
The owner did a great job explaining the concept and the ice cream machines were really cool. I completely understand why this ice cream is so pricey. Expensive machines, top notch and fresh ingredients, plus you have to have enough employees to run the machines. This isn’t possible with your standard high school employee who is just scooping ice cream out of tubs. It made me wonder about behind the scenes liability issues. Does a place like this have to deal with extra legal fees? Is it much of a hazard to handle liquid nitrogen? I am sure those employees need specialized training to hand make your ice cream using liquid nitrogen!
Of course, I used to deal with liquid nitrogen all the time during my research days. But research scientists are expected to deal with a plethora of hazardous materials, chemicals, and radiation. All in the name of science. In any case, it is so cool to see it being used in such a fun application.

WOW, all I can say is WOW!
What a great Elite event! Ice Cream has always been my go-​to comfort food and now I’m Smitten with Smitten. What a concept — make it right there for each person and they will come (back and return over and over again). It’s very interesting to see the brrr machines turn the fresh ingredients turn into memorable textures and flavors.
Founder Robyn is living her dream and I appreciate all that’s gone into making this a reality. It is literally a dream come true and her love for ice cream shows in the finished product.
Thanks for hosting this great event. It was indeed a pleasure to sample all the flavors. Each flavor was delish, but the Olive Oil and Lavender Cookies was my favorite. I will be back before this seasonal flavor changes!

Dude.
I’m really tempted to just leave it at that, but I won’t. We tried all the flavors: classic vanilla, fresh mint chip, olive oil with lavender cookies, salted caramel and Tcho 60.5% chocolate.
The chocolate was by far my favorite — I swear to god, it’s the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had, and I’ve eaten a lot of ice cream in my time. Robyn, the owner, told us that they literally just melt down Tcho chocolate bars, freeze them, and make ice cream with them. No frickin wonder.
I will definitely go back — the texture is amazing, as Robyn said it would be, and I would totally be willing to pay the outrageous $ 11 for a pint if I really wanted to treat myself. (their individual servings are more normally priced :)) I can see why it’s $ 11 though. They take their ice cream seriously. I will also be taking my lactose-​intolerant husband there, since they have two flavors of vegan pops, made with coconut milk.
My friend and I left ready to barf from all the ice cream, and majorly impressed.

I haven’t had Smitten since my trial at Hayes Valley. But man, was I whisked to an otherworldly paradise yesterday evening.
Robyn, founder, is a brilliant entrepreneur, has finesse in the details, did all of her R&D meticulously, as ice crystal sizes do really matter. The utter creaminess (yes, dare I confess… even creamier than Nirvanaah!) and the high exceptional quality to ingredients makes me happy.
Our ice cream for dinner date last night was fabO, and definitely unforgettable in the experience.
I found their mint chip with the balance of the mint too overpowering. Olive oil lavendar was my fave, although I tasted little lavendar. TCHO 60.5% choc won them all over, I dare assert.
Seeing Nique F. also made my day.
And whaaaaa — — Unilocal beach towels!!! YES!
PS. next to Starbux, or Roam, depending upon whether you want to enter from the front, or the rear.

How does that old saying go again?
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail, but a BEST friend will be sitting next to you saying, «Dang, that was fun!»
That’s about right.
Well, Jacque C. has once again proven herself to be a BEST friend. Not only was she down to go to this event, our 1^st ever Unilocal Elite Event, but she ate each flavor of ice cream right along with me. And you best believe we were both waddling back to Lafayette BART thinking, «Dang, that was fun!»
I am filled with SOOO many calories, but also SOOO much gratitude. Lots of thanks are in order:
Nique — Merci beaucoup for setting this whole Smitten shindig together, welcoming Jacque and I at the front table, showering us with Unilocal swag (now we’ve got matching towels and sunglasses), and not wagging your finger at us for being late and missing Robyn’s story. Good to know that TCHO was your fave flava of the night! We totally look forward to getting to see you, our fearlessly «salty» Community Leader, at other events.
Smitten Team — Muchas gracias to all the Brrristas for working your magic to churn out delicious ice cream for all of us. This event would not have been possibe without all of your hard work and spirit. Special props, though, to Eliza who welcomed us with open arms and full cups of ice cream. And towards the end, you even checked in to see if we had gotten every flavor. When we told you that we had had everything but the Classic Vanilla, you left and came back with a cup for each of us! Jacque and I were blown away. Thanks so much!
Audrey L., Sis + EJ & All Unilocal Friends — The following isn’t the best illustration, but bear with me. Piranha can tell when there’s blood in the water, and I… well, I can definitely lock onto the sweet smell of fresh waffle cones and the invigorating chill in the air around a new batch of ice cream… and not let go until I’ve eaten half my body weight in it. Mea culpa for not getting my face out of my cup long enough to strike up conversations with y’all. Next time. Promise!
Ice Cream — You guys were great. Really. All five of you (in order of consumption):
1) TCHO 60.5% Chocolate — I’m reminded me why I love chocolate in the 60−75% cocoa solids range — it’s rich without being overwhelming. Have you ever had a 99% bar of chocolate? Yeah. My mom bought a Meiji 99% once, I took a big ol’ bite, chewed, and, well, tears… many, many tears. I imagine that that’s what death probably tastes like. Smitten’s TCHO, though? Perfection. Did taste a little salty… Jacque and another Unilocaler at the event could taste it, too, so I hope to God that they do put salt in there or else I’m just salt-​paranoid. And nobody likes salt-​paranoids. :(
2) Fresh Mint Chip — LUV this flavor. My friend Olivia got this at the Rockridge location and she let me try. After years of somewhat fearfully eating Baskin & Robbins’ should-​this-​really-​be-​THAT-​green mint chocolate chip flavor, I’m overjoyed to have a fresher, superior alternative.
3) Olive Oil & Lavender Cookies — I remember another friend telling me about eating ice cream with olive oil and being slightly disgusted at what I believed to be a gross perversion of my favorite dessert. I jest. I didn’t let my little mind spin out that far, but I did think that EVOO + ice cream was a little bit freakyyy. Fast forward to last night, and Smitten has made me a believer. I don’t know what kind of olive oil they use, but it’s perfect since it doesn’t have a very strong smell or flavor. They drizzled just the right amount over the ice cream scoop and it went over sooo smoothly. Nice contrast to the crumbly cookies.
4) Salted Caramel — Right off the bat, I am NOT into salted caramel/​chocolate/​desserts. But I couldn’t not go 5 for 5 at my first Unilocal event so I buckled down and grabbed the salted caramel by the cup. Now, I had a spoonful of Jacque’s for our first round, and the salt didn’t jump out at all. When I had it after the chocolate, mint chip and olive oil… totally different story. The salt came out alright, but so, too, did the slightly burnt caramel flavor. You’ve got me on record saying that this wasn’t bad! I might even be persuaded to try this again in the future.
FAVE of the Night — 5) Classic Vanilla — There used to be an ice cream shop called Cloverdale Creamery in Fremont. They closed down back in 2000, but their vanilla ice cream, made from the freshest ingredients from the family’s own dairy farm, was just the absolute best. I was so, so sad when they closed their doors as no ice cream brand or shop has ever come close. Now, however, I think I can learn to love vanilla again. Smitten, this was a no frills, but absolutely gorgeous vanilla ice cream. Well done!
Robyn — So sad that we missed out on your talk. You’ve started something truly special here. There’s such delicious passion and happiness coming out from the ice cream and the people. Keep it up! We’re rooting for you!

What a unique experience, I was definitely the envy at work today! I’ve been wanting to try this place, so it was so nice to have the opportunity to taste all of the varieties and the fresh baked waffle cone! My dream as a child was to go to 31 Flavors and sample every flavor, so being able to try everything here and more than just a sample size was heaven! Good people and delicious nitrogen ice cream. Thanks for setting this up Nique!

Who in their right mind ever says no to ice cream?! NOT I! Especially Smitten Ice Cream!
I was introduced to Smitten in 2012 in Hayes Valley. I was delighted to check out their new spot in Lafayette via exclusive Unilocal Elite Event (Woot woot! Thanks Nique!). AND we were able to get the backstory of how Smitten became what it is today from Smitten’s Founder Robyn (Thanks for the ice cream and the cones!).
So which flavor was my fave? Chocolate, hands down.

Wow, I mean WOW… I’ve eaten a lot of Icecream in my day and Smitten is seriously up there. Not only are their flavors unique and hand crafted, but they make all the flavors to order using this cool liquid nitrogen (no pun intended) method to get the Icecream cold and creamy.
This was an awesome event! I loved how friendly the staff was and they definitely kept the Icecream flowing. The homemade waffle cones to die for, but pop a scoop of chocolate and olive oil lavender Icecream in there and it’s a serious party.
I brought my sister and 1 year old niece who had a great time. My niece had her 1 year old shots today and ice cream is just what she needed to brighten her mood. Ice Cream for dinner?
Yes, it’s true and I don’t feel guilty about it. In fact I see myself visiting Smitten quite often. Thanks Nique for an awesome power hour of sweetness!

An amazing, hot day + delicious ice cream with fellow Unilocal Elites?
How could you ask for more! Thanks, Nique, for a sweet treat mid-​week!
This is a great, spacious location with nice employees, loads of parking, and the best ice cream flavors!
My favorites? All of the flavors! Plus, they are all made to order with the nitrogen whooshing out like cool steam from the mixers. You’ve gotta see it!
+ Salted Caramel (not too salty!)
+ Tcho Chocolate (unbelievable texture and flavor!)
+ Olive Oil and Lavender with Crumbles (subtle, unique and elegant)
+ Mint Chip (so fresh!!)
The individually pressed waffle cones gave an extra crunch to the creamy and smooth texture of the ice cream.
*Tip: They have seasonal flavors — Strawberry in May, Lavender in June, and Nectarine in July. I cannot wait for Sweet Corn in November and other fun flavors!

I walked into tonight having zero idea what the concept was and wow, was I wowed. This ice cream is incredible. I tried the salted caramel, chocolate and vanilla – which many sound boring, but I can assure you wasn’t. Honesty, I never knew ice cream could be so good. The staff here are the type that make it easy to want to come back – so endearing, helpful and gracious. Thank you for welcoming us to your new home and we are so happy to have you in the East Bay!!! Cheers to your continued success!

My first East Bay YEE! I was really excited to finally meet the gorgeous Nique and glad I f had my +1 homegirl Elizabeth to keep me company and of course have ice cream with me for dinner!
I am not familiar with Lafayette bit Smitten is located right off Mt. Diablo near Starbucks. There are a lot of cute shops around the area, so I know I’ll definitely be back with the family to explore the area more! Thankfully Elizabeth is; she found the place and told me where to park.
We were the first ones to show up as the set up was going on. Lucky for us, Nique explained that since I brought a Newbie, we scored a free towel! Sweet! We picked up our name tags and waited outside for the event to start.
Smitten is a cute little ice cream shop that uses liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. Yep. I’ve know seen it done once on TV so you could imagine how on awe I was to be able to see it in person. I really wish my kitchenaid did that! :) since they use liquid nitrogen, ice cream is made to order!!! You don’t have to worry about hearing «Sorry, we’re out of that flavor» at Smitten!
Tonight featured flavors vanilla, salted caramel, tcho chocolate, fresh mint chip, and olive oil with lavender cookie. I listed them order of my most favorite to least. They were all good and it was difficult to pick a favorite, don’t get me wrong, but in then end, I did have a winner. The olive oil and fresh mint chip were surprisingly good, but not much my taste (I know the mister will definitely love them though). I thought chocolate was going to be the winner for me tonight being a chocoholic, but it was vanilla that came out on top! The staff was friendly, courteous, and they were all so generous with their munchkin servings of ice cream! Robyn even came out with her homemade waffle cones for us to try. Ummm… Delicious.
All of the ice cream flavors are so CREAMY I mean, wow. Robyn explained that because it freezes so cold, the ice crystals are much smaller, giving it the creamier texture. So amazing how science plays a big part! Robyn was able to share with us how she started with the idea and how Smitten started! I tell you what, dedicated is definitely a word that describes Robyn. So glad to see it’s paid off for her!
What a fun, intimate event! So glad I got to come and hang out with the East Bay crew! Thanks Nique, Robyn, and the great staff at Smitten!

Ice Cream before Dinner? Naughty naughty!
I always said that one day I would start with Dessert and work my way backwards and whadayaknow, Unilocal again helps me finally knock something off my bucket list.
I’ve wanted to visit Smitten for so long now but having their main location in The City along with the 2 more recently opened in Oakland and Los Altos it always seemed so far to go for Ice Cream. Well, Lafayette is still quite some way from where I live but visiting Walnut Creek often it’s a lot more easily accessible now and this event certainly didn’t disappoint.
Given that Summer is here (ok, not officially until Saturday) it is the perfect time to explore the wonders of this adorable Creamery. It’s not your regular run of the mill Ice Cream shop, oh no. Here at Smitten they specifically make your Ice Cream to order! Not only does this mean no added nasty ”extra’s” like preservatives and stabilizers but also that it is super fresh. Made using Liquid nitrogen you get to experience some pretty cool Science too. I’ve not ever seen this done before and appreciate that as part of the event we were also explained the process too.
The staff were amazing. Generous with the samples and really friendly. My +1 and I got to sample a number of flavors with the Fresh Mint Chip being my favorite shortly by the Chocolate and I’m not usually a fan of Chocolate Ice Cream!
It was a fairly intimate affair which was great as it gave me the chance to meet and talk with people I hadn’t before.
Thank you Nique, Robyn and all of the staff at Smitten Lafayette.