Portland’s coolest ice cream shop sets up on the Peninsula
Six things to know about Salt & Straw’s new outpost in Burlingame
Salt & Straw was born in Portland, Oregon, but is steadily becoming a household ice cream name — and for good reason.
The company, known for inventive flavors that draw from local products, is opening its first location on the Peninsula this Friday, Oct. 5, at 1309 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame. Another location is expected in downtown Palo Alto in November.
Here are six things you need to know about Salt & Straw and their newest outpost.
1. Cousins Kim and Tyler Malek started Salt & Straw out of a custom push cart in 2011. Kim, who had dreamed of opening an ice cream scoop shop since 1996, finally tired of working in the Fortune 500 world as Tyler decided to go to culinary school. They now operate more than a dozen locations, including in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle.
2. Like any good restaurant, Salt & Straw draws on local bounty, with a set of special ice cream flavors inspired by each region it opens in. In Burlingame, you’ll see familiar Bay Area food brands in your scoops, like Cowgirl Creamery’s funky Mt. Tam cheese blended into an ice cream base with crunchy bits of toasted Acme fruit and walnut bread.
3. There are bugs in the ice cream. No, really. Burlingame’s opening coincides with Salt & Straw’s October “Spooktacular” series, featuring one ice cream with candied insects from the Oakland-based Don Bugito, which makes snacks inspired by Pre-Columbian Mexican cuisine, like chili-lime crickets and coconut-toffee brittle bugitos. Salt & Straw rotates new, seasonal flavors each month.
4. Don’t fret. The classics that have earned Salt & Straw its reputation — sea salt with caramel ribbons, honey lavender, chocolate gooey brownie and others — are always available. All of the ice cream is made locally, in small batches.
5. Indulging you can feel good about: Salt & Straw always teams up with the local community for fundraisers. On Thursday, Oct. 4, from 6–8 p.m., proceeds from $1 scoops at a ribbon-cutting ceremony will go to the Burlingame Community Education Foundation, which supports the K-12 Burlingame School District.
6. When can you get your ice cream fix? All day. The Burlingame shop will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (If you can’t wait until Friday and find yourself near Burlingame, you can order pints on Postmates starting this week.)
Salt & Straw Burlingame, 1309 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame; saltandstraw.com
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