Tara’s Organic Ice Cream is a little ice cream shop on Telegraph Ave. in Oakland (next to Burma Superstar). We stopped by for a cone after lunch.

It’s very small inside…

Here’s the ice cream selection.

I ordered white pepper chocolate chip.  Originally I ordered it in a cup but then I saw the waffle cones… the SESAME waffle cone.

Here’s my cone! As you can see, my cone is pretty well-done…

White pepper and chocolate chips aren’t really two things I would ever consider putting together, but for some really weird reason these flavors work together. I’m not a pepper person. I don’t add pepper to my food and I rarely eat anything that is peppery.  The first lick of this ice cream was very strong. The flavor is white pepper but it was just as strong if not stronger than any black pepper I’ve ever had. Imagine putting a frozen spoon full of pepper into your mouth and then toss in a chocolate chip. Cold and peppery with sprinkle of chocolate.

So much pepper… in a way I was just eating it so I could get to the chocolate chips… it hard for me to finish but I did all the way down to the last bite of cone. It was interesting to say the least. Who can toss an ice cream cone? Not me.

There’s a lot of art hanging on the wall.

Tara’s Organic Ice Cream
4731 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.tarasorganic.com

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I stopped by after dinner with a friend so it was dark out… here’s what the outside looks like.

Some shots of the inside… as you can see, it’s bright and happy.

Here’s the main ice cream freezer.  If you decide to forego looking at the main menu on the wall, make sure you note which flavors are marked with a (V) in the case because those are VEGAN, and they’re made with NUT MILK.

Here’s the main wall that lists all of the flavors. Again, pay attention to which flavors are marked with a (V), because those are vegan.

I’m not a vegan, but I’m not opposed to trying vegan things. I think if you’re a vegan you definitely lose your taste for non-vegan things and acquire a specific taste for vegan things, so for vegans, these flavors are probably very delicious, but for a non-vegan like myself, I just can’t do it.  The first time I visited Curbside I accidentally ordered a vegan flavor (peanut butter) and didn’t realize it at the time, until I tasted it, and something was just not right… just a little weird, like, not creamy and rich, but a strange bland weird non-dairy flavor. Then I realized I ordered the vegan flavor, and everything made sense.

My regular flavor here (and everywhere) is mint chocolate chip. Hard to go wrong with a good mint chocolate chip, and this one definitely does not disappoint. It’s minty – the fresh kind of minty, and the chocolate chips are very small (shaved). It’s really good!

I like how they serve sugar cones too, classic!

Curbside Creamery
482 49th St, Oakland, CA 94609 (Temescal Alley)
www.curbsideoakland.com

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Like clockwork, I usually order the same thing when I go to this restaurant, and I always have the same reaction (I don’t know what’s wrong with me). I order the chilaquiles verde, because I really like the sauce and I love how they serve scrambled eggs on top, but i can’t stand how soggy they are! I swear I’ve ordered them before and the chips were crunchier, or maybe my particular dish on this particular day sat under a heatlamp for too long, but really, they were very soggy and I could not finish them. This is consistent though, it’s nothing new – they are always like this, so just be warned!

I think in the back of my mind I have an inner ray of hope that they will arrive on the crunchier side, since I really like their regular tortilla chips, but perhaps the authentic way to serve them is soft and floppy? Please, someone tell me so I can manage my expectations and order something else next time I go there!

Above is the menu in all its glory! Below is my dish, as it looks after it arrived at my table.

Very beautiful placement and food styling… love the avocado and the layers. The tortilla chips (should I call them chips or just tortilla triangles?) are tossed in green verde sauce which is tangy and has a spicy bite (not too hot).  The eggs are fluffy and make this dish an awesome breakfast meal.

Oh no, my ultimate soggy nightmare. I can’t even… sorry. I love this place, I really do – they have bomb ass margaritas and drinks, the dinner entrees are fantastic – and this dish is delicious minus the sogginess of the tortillas. So please, for the love of gods, be warned if you order this dish because the tortillas are NOT crunchy and crispy – they are soggy and they will flop on your fork.

If you’re in Berkeley, I highly recommend a trip to Doña Tomás’ sister restaurant, Tacubaya, which is more in the style of a tacqueria. I always appreciate their awwesome crunchy salty homemade tortilla chips!

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There are  teacups hanging along the wall…

I decided to order a custom omelette today – spinach and feta. I always thought that spinach and feta was a standard omelette combination, but apparently I was wrong… on the menu they have a spinach and jack but no feta.  I credit this way of thinking to being from the East Coast where most of the diners are owned by Greek people.  I miss east coast diners.

The omelette was good. A little too much feta but it was tasty and very filling.

I have to be honest… like this place, but I don’t LOVE it. It’s not a place I necessarily crave, but I don’t mind eating there, mostly because there’s not really anywhere else to eat in our neighborhood and it’s good just not great (but alot of people really love it, don’t get me wrong).

My main qualm is that they serve breakfast potatoes and they don’t have hashed browns (unfortunately not many places do in the bay area). That’s really it. I’m a hashed brown snob.

Disclaimer: this place gets crowded. If you don’t want to wait forever, go early in the morning before 9am.

Mama’s Royal Cafe
4012 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94611

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