Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream: Jake Godby's Arm is Truly Committed

I finally got to stop by Humphrey Slocombe the other drizzly day for a taste of pastry chef's Jake Godby's quirky ice cream. I'm not someone who generally likes quirky for the sake being quirky, but Godby has a way with his ingredient pairing that's subtle and sophisticated with just a touch of attitude. The banana ice cream with crushed red hots, for example. Cinnamony and streaked in pink with a honest fresh banana flavor, it's whimsy at it's best. On the flip side, his balsamic-caramel is very adult, very deep. I made the mistake (or had the good idea) of taking his Blue Bottle Vietnamese coffee ice cream and putting a scoop of it in a cup of espresso for a double-whammy affogato. You could sell that stuff on the street. I was ready to go clubbing.

Jake, as you might know if you read my last interview with him for Bits and Bites, had a rough go of it getting his Mission District shop opened thanks largely to PG&E nightmares. But there was no turning back once he tattooed 31 flavors on his arm last year. A true sign of commitment. Read my full interview with Godby coming up in our March issue.