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Scoop will be one of the only ice cream shops in The Fan when it opens the week of June 18. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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A macaron ice cream sandwich from Scoop (Photo courtesy Morgan Botwinick)
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The ice cream case at Scoop, which will house nine signature and seven seasonal flavors (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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A view of Strawberry Street from inside the shop (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Morgan Botwinick’s sweet tooth has made its way to 403 Strawberry St. in The Fan, where the pastry chef and owner of Whisk will debut her new ice cream shop, Scoop, slated to open the week of June 18.
“People used to ask what my favorite thing to bake was, and I always said ice cream, which is obviously not a baked item,” says Botwinick, laughing.
When Botwinick first opened Whisk in 2015, she wanted to incorporate ice cream but decided to hold out for the right time and place. However, Whisk did allow her to play around with ideas and test flavors via the shop's famous macaron ice cream sandwiches. Now, three years later, Botwinick has found her ideal space.
“I found this place and said, ‘This has to be ice cream; it’s the perfect spot,' ” says Botwinick of the former Video Fan location.
Scoop plans to offer nine signature and seven seasonal flavors, as well as vegan options and a sorbet. Nostalgic ice cream flavors will be elevated, and baked goods from sister business Whisk will find a home in the frozen treats.
Traditional vanilla? Nope, Botwinick’s putting her own spin on the classic, and Scoop will offer confetti vanilla made with pieces of confetti cake from Whisk.
Mint chocolate chip? Sort of — Scoop will offer mint cookies and cream instead. “It’s all about combining two classic flavors to make something a little more unique,” Botwinick says.
Ice cream will be available in cups or a house-made waffle cone with single, double or triple scoops. Feeling creative? Build your own ice cream sandwich and choose from a Whisk chocolate chip cookie, vegan peanut butter cookie or macaron as the base. Feeling indecisive? Opt for the flight of ice cream — yes, an ice cream flight — with three mini scoops and three cookie wedges.
Botwinick’s pastry chef background has been brought to the fore with the profiterole, or French-style cream puff, ice cream sundae, including a single puff, scoop of ice cream, topping, sauce and the finishing touch, whipped cream. Cacao nibs, Virginia peanuts, cake crumbs, mini macarons and cookie wedges are available as toppings. Sauces include hot fudge, caramel and a seasonal fruit option.
Scoopers can expect a more “American, or Philly” style of ice cream, which Botwinick describes as similar to Breyers, with a milk base, rather than egg yolk or cream.
“What we like about that style is it allows the flavor of the ice cream to come through. … Our flavors are unique, and we want the flavor profiles we're building to come through,” she says.
The experience for Botwinick is nostalgic; she made ice cream for the first time in high school and has always found comfort in the whimsical spirit that surrounds the frozen concoction. Over the years she’s experimented with flavors and gotten extremely creative.
“My favorite flavor for opening is tahini halva — I love it and want to convince everyone else to love it, too,” she says, smiling. “I hope people have faith in us based on our current customer base and are willing to go with us on this new path.”
Scoop will offer a pint of the month club (three-, six- or 12-month options) for ice cream junkies. Each month members receive one each of a signature, seasonal and member-exclusive flavor, and each subscription includes a pint koozie to keep the ice cream cold. Members will have a designated week to pick up pints at their convenience.
The biggest difference for Botwinick between Whisk and Scoop will be the creation process — completing the base, churning the ice cream, transferring it to a blast freezer and then a long-term freezer — which takes two to three days.
“It’s a new process for us, and we want to ensure that it has the appropriate texture. … So much is determined by the freezing process,” she says. “You can get nerdy about ice cream making because it’s very science-forward.”
Luckily, Botwinick has hired kitchen manager Jody Pozen, who makes her culinary debut at Scoop. Pozen reached out to Botwinick after attending a weeklong ice cream program at Penn State called the Ice Cream Short Course, completed by the likes of Ben & Jerry’s and other heavy hitters in the ice cream world including Blue Bell Creameries, Haagen-Dazs, Breyer’s and Dairy Queen.
The course has been around since 1892 and has taught over 4,400 ice cream enthusiasts from every U.S. state and every continent, excluding Antarctica.
Although Pozen has never worked in a kitchen, Botwinick says, “She had an obvious passion and interest in ice cream.”
Fans of the neighboring pizza spot, 8 1/2, hold tight — Botwinick says partnerships with local businesses are a top priority and she envisions ice cream deals with the purchase of a pizza. Stay tuned for details.
Scoop will be open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. and closed on Mondays.
