There are so many bad things going on in the world that it is hard to list them all. Of course, the various wars around the globe are sobering news and one would think that being isolated in Phoenix would at least make those wars seem abstract.
After all, Phoenix wasn’t a focal point of some war. Well, not war in the conventional sense.
Phoenix became a hotbed of warring factions in 2006 when our own Valley of the Sun experienced the brief, but harrowing, Great Gelato War. Luckily, casualties were light and the cease fire seems to have been holding strong for two years now, but it seems like yesterday that broken plastic spoons and shredded paper cups littered the battleground where the forces of Lombardi’s, Arlecchino’s, Angel Sweet and a host of others gathered to duke it out.
The final results weren’t pretty and you can find a taste of the propaganda and “shots across the bow†at this link. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and the battles stopped, the smoke cleared and there was peace across the land.
I was expecting the cease fire to fall apart when I heard of a new place in Scottsdale serving frozen desserts and worried that this would be another gelato business adding its name to the growing list of other places. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this place didn’t serve gelato. It served ice cream and sorbet.
J. and I wandered into Sweet Republic near 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard in North Scottsdale and found a bright, clean and cheery ice cream parlor with a decent-sized selection of ice creams and sorbets along with other concoctions made from the same. What did surprise us, however, were some of the flavors.
There was the jarring Cheese Course Duo featuring ice cream made with gorgonzola and figs. J. tried a bit and found it worked as a flavor but was more on the savory side of things. I took a nibble of the Bananas Foster and was very pleased. We studied the various flavors and felt there was a great mix of traditional and radical flavors.
In the end, we decided to go just for one scoop each ($2.95 each) and share some bites. J. went with the Pear and Ginger Sorbet while I couldn’t pass up the Mayan Chocolate Ice Cream.
Our server grabbed her scoop and two small cups and went to work sliding the scoop through the milky layers of ice cream goodness that would soon take the edge off of the Valley summer heat. When the scoops landed in the cups, they were flawless. Almost perfectly round and plentiful.
J.’s Pear Ginger Sorbet was luscious. The combination of tart pear and spicy ginger were perfectly married together and had everything you could want from a scoop of ice cream. I liked the fact that the heat of the ginger was subtle but the tartness of the pear was shining through. J. seems to thoroughly enjoy it and was still talking about the Cheese Course Duo tasting.
My Mayan Chocolate was thick, rich and had just the right amount of cinnamon to enhance the deep chocolate taste of the frozen treat. I was also pleased the chocolate was dense and slightly bitter. The flavor combination was outstanding and I was rather disappointed that I only had one scoop, but the richness of the chocolate created a satisfying serving.
We mulled over the prospects of having additional scoops, but decided to keep it on the simple side. We did, however, linger a few minutes and take in the various flavors listed on the pamphlet next to the cash register: Salted Butter Caramel and Fuzzy Navel and Honey Blue Cheese.
Our total expenditure for the two scoops of ice cream was $6.38. We thought it was a bargain considering the quality of the dessert. Service was friendly, prompt and helpful. We had no regrets in what we ordered and pledged we would return to Sweet Republic soon, just to try some of the unique flavors.
We headed out to do some errands and I remind J. of the civility of our trip to Sweet Republic. It was a pleasant experience with great results.
And not a drop of gelato in sight.
Sweet Republic
9160 East Shea Boulevard
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Dress: Casual
Hours: Monday through Thursday – 11 AM to 9 PM; Friday and Saturday – 11 AM to 10 PM; Sunday – 11 AM to 8 PM.
Notes: Flavors vary from week to week.
Website: www.sweetrepublic.com
That sounds like some yummy ice cream. I just checked out their menu on their site. Very interesting. I can’t wait to try it. Not sure Tara will feel the same after our visit to Mary Coyle last weekend. Lactose intolerance can be ugly with rich ice cream.
GREAT write up Seth!! Sweet Republic is pretty awesome!! The Salted Butter Caramel is off the chain!! They also make a tart soft serve yogurt.. they even make their own yogurt!! Serious! Total dedication to the art of ice cream!!
I havent tried the cheese course but have heard about it from others.. next time for sure!!!
Thanks!!!!
I’ll join in the Sweet Republic lovefest. The owners are doing some interesting things with bold flavors. The lime basil sorbet is my favorite so far. To make the trip to the north Scottsdale hinterlands worthwhile for those who do not live nearby, I recommend bringing a cooler. The staff will pack up any flavor by the pint to take home.
We’ve been to SR twice now and love it.
On our first visit, we had pear ginger, strawberry, and real mint chip.
For our second, we had real mint chip (our favorite!), matcha, and watermelon.
Tim – Tara can always stick w/ the sorbets!
This sounds great, the write-up is a wonderful read. As newcomers to the Valley, I’m surprised to find that all the DC eating delights (including a brie/honey ice cream) are available and in fine form. Looks like we made a great decision to move here; can’t wait to get to the Sweet Republic.
Nice to see support for Sweet Republic — it’s a wonderful addition to the valley. The owners have vision and great culinary skills / training. Everything is made in-house with enormous care and top-notch ingredients. If people are challenged by a few unusual flavors, so be it!
The attention to detail is also remarkable, from the way desserts are presented and wrapped, to the truly “green” design touches.
Andy, that’s exactly that told her. :) Of course, her eyes kept lighting up as she read the ice cream flavors. :) I have a feeling she’s just damn the torpedos and full speed ahead.
Seth…I just saw this review on CH and came here to post. Not about Sweet Republic (I will certainly go there, it sounds great), but your reviews. I always enjoy them, and you talk me into going to most of these places. I’m a writer and really appreciate your writing. Not forced, not struggled with, just lovely to read.
The only other food writer that I have enjoyed as much as you is the wonderful Merril Schindler in LA. Do you know him? I haven’t heard his radio show since I left LA 7 years ago, but still miss hearing (and reading) his reviews.
You always put me in the same adventurous (and happy) mood that Merril worked on me.
Thanks for your work. Hope I see you in one of the papers soon or you do a book about dining in AZ.
Elmo
We just tried it. I had the Belgian Chocolate. Very, very smooth texture with a nice chocolate flavor. Tara had the Sugar ‘n Spice. We both loved it. STRONG cinnamon flavor, nice grainy texture.
We tried many, many other flavors. Tara loved the Peachy Keen sorbet. She said it had a real peach flavor that was so much better than the usual artificial flavor. I really liked the Real Mint Chip. The flavors came to me in waves, and the real mint leaves added a much fuller flavor profile. I really want to try a full scoop of it. The Sumatra Espresso Shot was like coffee ice cream on steroids. We even tried the Cheese Course Duo. It was ok. Kind of sweet. Nothing we’d order, but good in its way.
Sweet Republic is a Gift from the Culinary Gods to Scottsdale! The Ice Cream & Sorbets are simply exceptional and the Ice Cream sandwiches between HomeMade Chocolate Cookies or Brownies are absolutely wonderful. Thank You Culinary Gods!