Ice cream brand Van Leeuwen — pronounced “Van (like the car) Lou (like the name) Inn (like the hotel)” — opened its first Chicago scoop shop in Wicker Park on Friday.
The storefront at 1555 N. Damen Ave. will serve more than 30 signature flavors in addition to custom sundaes, milkshakes, root beer floats, ice cream sandwiches and plenty of to-go pints — all in the name of “good ice cream from good ingredients that makes you feel good.” Scoops cost $6.50 to $7.50.
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Ben Van Leeuwen, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream co-founder and CEO, said his team is “sort of obsessed” with sourcing the highest quality ingredients and steering clear of stabilizers such as guar gum or hydrogenated oils, even if it means paying a few bucks more.
“It’s just not as tasty,” Ben Van Leeuwen said. “When I’m making ice cream at home, I don’t need to use that. So why would I use it when my only job in the whole world to make a living is to serve people really good ice cream — I think I can figure out how to keep that stuff out.”
The brand also keeps palm oil out of its products, as well as artificial food colorings. If they need to make something pink, they’ll find a way to use beets.
Van Leeuwen started in 2008 as an ice cream truck in New York City but has become increasingly popular for its innovative and experimental flavors. A second Chicago location is set to open later this fall at Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive.
For Chicago’s debut, the brand unveiled a Jeppson’s Malört ice cream — a nod to Chicago’s most notorious bitter spirit. The flavor will be available exclusively at the Chicago locations for a limited time.
“Malört is about as Chicago as it gets, so we thought, why not put it in ice cream? We can’t wait for people to try it,” Van Leeuwen said.
Some who have tried it likened it to “hairspray.” Tremaine Atkinson, CEO of CH Distillery, owner and producer of Jeppson’s Malört, excitedly called it a “bold treat.”
Offbeat flavors are part of Van Leeuwen’s identity, said Ben Van Leeuwen. In recent years, they’ve launched limited-edition flavors such as Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
Each of Van Leeuwen’s flavors starts with a “super simple base,” Ben Van Leeuwen told the Tribune over the summer, as his team finalized touches for Chicago’s openings.
“Just tons of cream, tons of eggs, sugar, a little bit of sea salt, milk, no stabilizers,” he said.
Then they layer in the fun stuff, depending on the flavor: Whole vanilla beans ground up and blended into the custard; pistachios from Bronte, Sicily; matcha from a farm in Japan; Oregon-grown strawberries; alfonso mangoes from India. The mangoes get pureed and folded into a coconut-rice custard base for Van Leeuwan’s mango sticky rice flavor.
For fall, the seasonal scoops include a sour sorbet made from Peruvian passion fruit; a hazelnut; made with nuts from Piedmont, Italy; a pumpkin cheesecake; and a vegan cinnamon.
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The shop’s extensive list of sundae toppings includes super dark hot fudge, Sicilian pistachio, “more sustainable” Nutella, slow-cooked Amarena cherries and strawberries, roasted almonds, house-made Oreos and of course, whipped cream.
To celebrate the grand opening Friday, Van Leeuwen will offer $1 scoops from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first 100 customers will also receive a free limited-edition tote bag.
1555 N. Damen Ave., vanleeuwenicecream.com
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