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Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
Neighborhood: MissionMon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Date & Time: Tuesday November 24, 2009 @ 6:30pm
Company: Michael & Jack Waited Outside @ The Bench
Crowd: Neighborhood Hipster Girls in Skinny Jeans & Boots
Vibe: Chill
Decor: Contemporary, Bright & Cheery
Service: Sweet Friendly Cute Girls
Mediocre: 2 Large Vanilla Fro-Yo's
Total: $7.98
Date & Time: Friday June 19, 2009 @ 9pm
Company: Michael
Crowd: Young Families w/ Adorable Children…
Read more »
*Disclaimer: My auntie's taste buds are all jacked up (she just compared Garcon's food to Olive Garden) and my brother is super sarcastic.
Hipster ice cream? Hardly. Xanath Ice Cream needs to work a little on their parlor. It's like they didn't put any effort into the decor of their shop. If their ice cream spoke for itself and was hotdiggitydog, I wouldn't mind. It would be that hole in the wall in the Mission that was worth the drive/walk/wait. But there was no wait. Nor was there a shortage of parking (I got a space directly in front). Getting my ice cream from Xanath was effortless. Choosing a good flavor was the hard part.
I tasted at least three flavors of ice cream before finding one I actually liked. Pumpkin ~ bleh. Fig ~ too sweet. Chocolate ~ gross. Huckleberry... It's good!!! Not as good as Mitchell's Ube but it did hit the spot and it was different. I've been on a Huckleberry kick since I had Huckleberry cheesecake at Michael Mina. Xanath Ice Cream isn't a substitute for one hundred dollar dessert but you do get what you pay for. I was happy with my ice cream but my relatives weren't. They came with the expectations of Mitchell's.
My *auntie pretty much blasted Xanath for having terrible Tahitian Vanilla Coconut and my *brother equated the Dutch Chocolate to Safeway Select. I'll let this slide. I am a strong believer of their Huckleberry.
Back to the decor and shop. Xanath is a little all over the map. They've got ice cream, organic ice cream and frozen yogurt. I'd prefer them to be a little more focused. They have three large benches and one baby bench available for seating. It's like there was no thought put into the furniture placement. The baby bench is kind of squeezed in the middle. As for the name? No one can pronounce it. Therefore they printed up pronunciations and taped them up to the glass. It looked stupid and cheap. I'd recommend them incorporating it into their logo.
It's not too late Xanath. You can still catch up to the veterans. Good luck!
That? Was not ice cream.
The ice cream is not creamy in any way, nor is it thick like soft serve. The texture is that of melty frozen yogurt. As for the taste, no matter how much you beat me with a hipster stick, I will never think that agave tastes like sugar. I took two bites and threw mine away.
No thanks. I'll stop by Bi-Rite and get a pint instead.
one word: fig
Best ice cream ever... I will be back and bring more friends...
The "just-made" saffron ginger flavor here is the way to go.
Note that it has to be "just made" - for that decadent creamy custard-like consistency,
Things that don't "go" very well with me at Xanath is the name. Xanath sounds like an anti-depressant. How are kids or well people like me supposed to get excited about ice-cream - if we can't even pronounce the name? I'm also not a huge fan of their strange sterile random window displays with obscure big bottles of vanilla and scattered saffron signs. Bizarre. And I think their flavors could use some oomph and variation. One or two of them just seemed off. Too sweet. Too strong. Too subtle.
But unlike Bi-Rite - Xanath never has a crazy wait. Their staff are patient and encourage you to sample as many flavors as you like. It's well lit and there's a bench outside for you to sit and enjoy your ice-cream.
And the big takeaway is that their child size serving of Xanath saffron ginger, with a sugar cone on top is a fairly cheap, but absolutely killer way to end a Sunday night.
Trust.
Meh.
Not the best of the city or the neighborhood by far.
The flavors are nice but the texture is waaaay off. I've had a few things here and I don't think the ice cream is rich enough or smooth enough. Also, it might not be the right temperature? I've had some icy vanilla here before. But today I tried Pumpkin Pie and it had actual chunks of ice in it. I considered getting the Pumpkin Yogurt but it was pretty gross - taste before you buy.
The service was friendly and professional.
It's no wonder so many hipsters are getting skinny fat! Sure the ice cream is made for Straus Family Creamy which has grass-fed, sustainable, organic, local, well loved, well adjusted, college-educated cows but that cream is loaded with yummy organic fat! Though the ice cream is great, the cones could use a little work as they look like they've been molded in a factory. Maybe they can source the cones homemade from a Honduran micro-entrepreneur living in the Mission?
Huckleberry (Beyond Organic): Apparently "beyond organic" means picked from the wild. Picked from the wild means that some unfortunate grizzly bear has fewer berry treats. His bearish loss is my gain! Way better than any blackberry or blueberry ice cream I've ever had. Bonus points for offering such a rarely fresh flavor.
Dried Cherry: It did really taste like dried cherries from the Farmer's Market. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of dried cherries compared to fresh ones. Think of raisin ice cream vs. grape ice cream or prune ice cream vs. plum ice cream. Guess I'll just have to wait until cherries are back in season.
We needed something sweet and palate cleansing after eating Indian food and Xanath crossed our paths on our way home so it was meant to be! They had quite a few flavors to choose from (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) which is always nice...not to mention they had eye-catching ones like Tahitian vanilla and saffron ginger. The prices were amazing as well (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) ...$2.99 for 1 scoop and $3.99 for 2 pretty big scoops!
I liked how the samples were given on metal spoons and that they used biodegradable utensils/bowls like Bi Rite does. We decided on the orange pomegranate sorbet and blueberry ice cream to share. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) The sorbet melted WAY too fast and was too icy...it felt more like a slush but it did have great fresh squeezed orange flavor. The blueberry one was too sweet and didn't taste like blueberries whatsoever...what a lie! At least the consistency was better. The benches to sit on right outside to people watch were pleasant though.
Mental note: I must come back to try their froyo! $1.99 for a small is dirt cheap!
Lovely location, but stick to the ice cream.
Pros: Conveniently located on Valencia, 99 cent yogurt!, open late, wonderful vanilla flavors, organically driven and bio-friendly, short lines
Cons: Not as creative as nearby luxury ice cream shops, agave-sweetened surprising
Located conveniently between the busy bustle of 16th and Valencia and the quieter 24th and Valencia, Xanath gets you in right as you're leaving the hoards...progressing to the quieter side of the Mission. A nice cool reprieve in those rare hot days in San Francisco.
The vanilla ice cream is as good as they come. But despite the many different variations here, the difference is subtle. Creamy and satisfying. The ice cream is just right, but the options are somewhat limited. Better prices!
But here's the killer. In a bad way. Intrigued by the $0.99 froyo sweetened with agave, I was surprised by the imbalance of flavor. The froyo was overpowered by the agave. I tend to enjoy plain yogurt with its tart flavor, but the agave made the frozen yogurt...taste more...honey-like...metallic...uncreamlike Hard to describe, but it was rather unpleasant. And I am the one who loves crazy flavors like salt and pepper and olive oil.
Short lines here might say something, but adding more creativity and rebalancing the flavors could make this place on par with other ice cream shops in the proximity.
The women behind the counter were very friendly. But I almost felt like they weren't ice cream lovers as the people behind other counters at other shops. Usually I expect the excitement in their eyes as they hand out samples, but it was only politeness and friendliness.
A few more improvements could make this place a killer ice cream stop!
We've got ice cream galore all around the 'hood, so this one didn't quite measure up. Xanath had a good range of interesting offerings, but the ice cream was way too creamy and not flavorful enough for my taste. Though a nice little ice cream vendor is certainly better than the blighted and empty La Rondalla on the corner, so many thanks for un-grossing the block a bit.
I'd probably come back on a warm day if I didn't want to stray far from the casa, but I'm not in any great hurry.
Saffron ice cream? Saffron (vegan) sorbet? YES!
It seems the whole new ice cream trend is to have unusual flavors in small, multi-flavor cups or cones (ie, Humphry Slocomb, Bi-Rite Creamery, etc) and this place does this new trend justice without the line that "oh my god SALTED CARAMEL!!!!" makes a few blocks over.
As with most new flavors, you should really try them before you get a whole scoop and realize it's just not your thing. On the other hand, how could lemon saffron not be?
The yogurt may not be as tart as one might like, but I really like the taste all the same. It's different.
I got myself a double scoop of fig and saffron ice cream the other day - DAMN that's a sweet combo.
I have to admit, I'm pretty happy with this place. The ice cream here is great. It is a little too creamy, though, so the amazing flavors don't stand out as much as they could, unless you get the real strong flavors, like the apple cinnamon, or the saffron ginger. The mint chocolate chip was phenomenal, but again I think a little overly creamy.
This place is also the Vanilla Mecca. They have at least 5 different types of vanilla ice cream that I counted. Mexican, Tahitian, and so forth. All have their own unique taste, and each one really stands out on their own. There is no such thing as plain vanilla at this place,and I really like that.
This place is a great alternative to Mitchell's or Bi-Rite Creamery, both which are within walking distance. My only real issue here was with the frozen yogurt, which honestly if you're going to this place, you probably don't want anyway. I, however, in a moment of clarity, decided to go for the healthier option.
And I regretted it.
One thing about an organic ice cream place is that the ice cream is really fresh and tasty with ingredients you can really taste. You ask for strawberry or apple cinnamon, and that's what you get. The frozen yogurt, however, is also organic, which means that it isn't sweetened with sugar. It is sweetened with all natural Agave, the stuff you buy at Trader Joe's.
It DID NOT hit the frozen yogurt spot. It tried. It made a valiant effort, but alas, it was gross. It didn't have the same sweetness you expect from frozen yogurt...unless you like hippie flavored frozen yogurt.
I'm definitely a fan of this place, but I won't be getting the frozen yogurt again. I am curious to see what their sundaes taste like though!
3.5-4 stars.
I tried my boyfriend's Tahitian Vanilla and it was really tasty. My saffron was milky cream, but light.
The ice cream here is definitely lighter and more refreshing. I liked their different flavors; it was also a plus that they're a tad bit cheaper than Bi-Rite.
Will definitely come back for more!
What the heck is this place thinking and what are all these high reviews?! The Mission is the land of Humphrey's Slocombe, Bombay Creamery, Mitchell's, and Bi-Rite, and this can't compete. Period. Their branding is off and their ice cream is off (they randomly call vanilla by it's scientific name and they have different kinds of vanillas without explaining what the difference is). You can't tell if they make the stuff in-house or just buy it. The yogurt flavored with agave (and I love agave) verges on inedible, though the price is right. $10 bucks says this place closes.
1 extra star for being kosher.
With the influx of locally made, handmade, small batch products in the city, seems to come ice cream. So, I have taken it upon myself to try all the new places to see how these small local gourmet businesses are doing and see how their products compare to both each other and the more established places. This is quite a sacrifice on my part being lactose intolerant, but I suffer for my curiosity and dedication of supporting small local businesses, not to mention sweet creamy treats.
Xanath I found to be delightful. They use Organic Streus cream and interesting fresh tasting flavors. I did feel that the flavors could have been a bit stronger although I am sometimes a fan of the subtle ice cream flavor where you can actually taste the quality of the cream. I had Match green tea and coffee, Hubby had fig, and baby girl had chocolate. They were all light and refreshing in flavor. A little quick to melt, it was a race against time for us to eat our treats before we lost it to our elbows, so a little firmer freeze might be in order; but all in all, the prices were reasonable. For two single scoops and a child scoop it was about $8, plus they gave us with our order two vanilla beans which in itself is worth $6, so it was quite a deal.
I want to go back to try their frozen yogurt. At $.99 for a 4oz serving I think it is worth the trip across the city.
Two words: Mexican Vanilla. Buy it. You will be happy. The end.
While walking down the street, I saw a sign shaped like a dismembered hand holding a dripping ice cream cone. The fingers of the hand were pointing towards Xanath, a store I had often passed by but had seldom given any thought to. Intrigued, I approached this strange sign, which was sitting behind a small bucket of water ("pet water," it proclaimed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to have a little doggy bucket in the middle of an urban sidewalk). The curiously-designed sign advertised 99 cent cups of vanilla or saffron frozen yogurt. Since I was in the market for a small cup of something cold and sweet (that wouldn't set me back $3+) and was curious about what saffron frozen yogurt really tasted like, I walked right in and got myself a cup to try.
I've never consumed saffron in large enough quanitities to be able to point out what it tasted like. Thus, I couldn't tell if the frozen yogurt that I got really tasted like saffron. It was very fragrant, and tasted vaguely of vanilla and lemons, but without the heady sweetness of vanilla beans or the bright tartness of lemon juice. It was quite refreshing, and, at 99 cents for a decently-sized cup, a pretty good deal. I didn't think a hoity-toity shop with a haughty name like Xanath, selling just a few gourmet products made from herbs and spices bought and sold many, many times the wages of the people who farmed and picked them, could possibly have "pretty good deals."
But they did. Four stars.
With artisanal ice cream shops on the up and up yet still somewhat rare, I am thrilled, thrilled! that Xanath is just a few short blocks over from my 'hood of Hayes Valley.
I have only tried one flavor, and one flavor is the only one I'll taste ever, and that is cardamom. It's exotic, and reminds me of the little cups of Arab coffee we used to take in Oman while sitting on the floor.
The peeps that work there are pretty cool, but they're not exactly the androgynous lovelies at Humphrey Slocombe that make me want to jump the counter and hump their designer denim clad leg.
No matter. Who needs eye candy when you've got the sweet stuff right there melting in your hand?
This ice-cream place was a nice pit stop while on a 3.5 mile stroll. I use the word stroll lightly! Ha. We were dying from thirst and the heat (in San Francisco? What in the world!?), and we needed something to cool us down!
I had the fig ice cream and my friends had the Mexican vanilla and the saffron. I liked the saffron though; it was more refreshing than my fig!
I'd recommend going to this place on a warm summer day/evening.
I rated this place about 2 weeks after they opened. They now need an update since they have added so many more things.
Initially their selection was a little limited (though all were tasty). I'm happy to say the huge ice cream freezer is now full with different flavors. My new favorite is fig, though the matcha green tea is pretty good too. Sad that they ran out of the red walnut chocolate. Hopefully it will be back soon.
The agave soft serve has improved in texture and....the benches have arrived! Nothing in life than to enjoy and ice cream while watching the world go by.
I've been curious about this place opening. Initially I was wondering what it was going to be. Then… Read more »
We went to Xanath ice cream to check it out. They sell Strauss Organic ice cream.
I tried Mexican vanilla & Tahitian vanilla. Both were fine - didn't get any this time.
1 scoop $2.99
2 scoop $3.99
children's cup $1.99
organic froyo
M $2.99
L $3.99
organic milkshake
M $3.99
L $4.99
topping .50
Hrs:
Su-Th 12-10p
F-Sat 12-11p
I prefer Bi-Rite, Mitchell's, or Humphry Slocombe for ice cream in the area.
You know how sometimes you walk into a party and the decor is off?
[The Xanath window filled with random items.]
You notice that too many people hosting the party have on green baseball caps?
[Huh? Xanath?]
the guys all look lame-o. As you tongue-test them out--gotta be done--you find they taste kinda sweet, but nothin at all like a party in your mouth.
[Spoon samplin' flavors till almost full.]
AND THEN...
[Cue music: http://www.youtube.com...]
...Here's the new Xanath lyrics. Sing along peoples!
You walked into the party like you were walking into my twat [what?]
Her scoop strategically dipped below your lid:
You're Vanilla AND Coconut!
Yes, in walks TAHITIAN VANILLA COCONUT.
Fine Fine All Mine.
The two sweet green-hat-wearin party hostesses--uh, ice cream servers--recommended Mexican Chocolate. But by then I had kissed that island flavah, and once you broke da mout--can't fix.
Sing us out peoples.
http://www.youtube.com...
I had one scoop in a small cup as I watched myself eat every drop
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and...
You're ice cream, you probably think this song's about ice cream
You eat ice cream, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? DON'T YOU?
As far as I'm concerned Xanath is a
Tahitian Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream Party In My Mouth Center
and that sweet one is the only one for my lips.
Bravo for excellent re-use of this space (it used to be used as storage for all kinds of dusty old crap, right up into the windows). Props to the ownership for seeing a need in the market along the Valencia Street Miracle Mile. Too far from Bombay Creamery, and too far from Mitchell's. Poof! Enter Xanath.
I LOVE the fig ice cream. Welcome to the hood!! ;-)
What a pleasure to stumble upon this relatively new ice cream shop! As a self-proclaimed ice cream connoisseur, it was great to find a new place with unusual flavors (and old favorites) done in a style that's light and refreshing in a way not found with other establishments' overly-cream-and-egg based (or worse, guar gum based (Mitchell's!)) delights. Granted, I don't know what Xanath's recipe is, but it just tastes different somehow.
So far I've tried the Dry Cherry (twice), the Fig and the Red Walnut Chocolate. All really good in a subtly flavorful way. As other reviews have mentioned, take advantage of the free samples to make sure you'll enjoy a whole scoop of something that's not familiar to you. And keep an eye out for the bin of free vanilla bean samples next to the register, while supplies last. Big thumbs-up to the store for using compostable spoons and to-go cups as well!!!
Xanath now has a larger variety of (interesting) flavors. On my most recent visits, I had the wild huckleberry and saffron ginger ice cream, both of which were fantastic!
I returned to Xanath and tried a scoop of the Madagascar Vanilla + Coconut ice cream, which I… Read more »
Do you know Juan? No, not Juan Valdez! Juan San Mames! The same gracious owner of Vanilla Saffron Imports brings his quality products to you in the form of excellent ice creams. If you read my review of his other business you already know the opinion I have of his products so far. And that is the problem. How do you step back and give a review that is true to yourself and the business without wearting rose colored glasses? The answer to that is YOU DON"T! And so it happened that on my return trip to from CycleGear SF I have to detour over to Xanath.
I arrived looking for a new location. That is precisely what I found. A new, open, cleanly appointed interior that was the perfect container for presenting some creative handmade taste treats. You probably guessing from the lines of his other business that Xanath offers Saffron ice cream and you would be right!. Xanath also offers several kinds of Vanilla, chocolate, and fruit flavors, as well as a vanilla yogurt.
To help you make your choice Xanath offers spoonfuls of each flavor. Their generosity is common for any ice cream shop but the people in Xanath certainly do their best to offer the sample with a smile. No matter how many samples you want to try. I suggest you try them all the first time in the shop. Being a Saffron fiend (I buy by the ounce) I was sure the Saffron ice cream was going to go down so easily. After trying the Saffron Ginger ice cream I suddenly knew that was going to be one of my choices for the visit.
In all my choice for this visit were:
+ Saffron Ginger ice cream. Delights your tongue while also playing with your nose in such a invigorating way!
+ Mexican Vanilla ice cream. Ah the smooth goodness of this treat. But it is not a boring vanilla. You can taste the life of the bean coming though.
+ Dutch Chocolate ice cream. Give your tastebuds a wake up call with the cacao flavor then slowly surrounds your tongue to squeeze like an anaconda.
+All of the flavors are backed up by and excellent hand made base to present the showcase ingredients in an artful manner.
By now you have probably run out the door in your quest you match the summer day with the Xanath's cool creations. If not, then you also need to know there are a few area to improve. The quality of the ingredients definitely shows and I WILL be back for more of everything. However, their creations are a little brutish in their execution they way they hit hard and strong. The ice cream itself is also a little too icy. I would like to feel a smother, more creamy texture in the future. Even with these small issues Xanath's products are definitely a step above just about every other ice cream you will have the chance to taste. I am sure a little time making more with provide a refinement to perfect their offerings.
As for the rest of the shop the owners did an excellent job. I felt better just walking in the place. The green and white color scheme was gleaming. The monitors in the store clear stated the prices and options. The second monitor showed what I think were some pictures the owner took on his trips to buy ingredients you are tasting in the ice cream. What other shop can boast such a direct and truthful claim to their origination of the flavors?
Juan you have done a great job job with Xanath so far. My mind was taken on a trip with your flavors. I suggest the rest of the Yelper's reading this review also take a mini flavor vacation at Xanath.
(see the pictures of my visit when i post them later tonight).
Oh Xanath! I really want to love you because you're ice cream and organic, but you did not wow me at all =(
Pros:
+ Friendly staff, patient with my wanting to taste things (I'm still so damn embarrassed to try more than 2 flavors!)
+ Generous scoops
+ You can have 2 flavors in the "1 scoop" size!
Cons:
- Texture was all wrong for me. Icy, not creamy and smooth like I need in an ice cream.
- Had the Tahitian Vanilla with Coconut and Blueberry. The flavors were too subtle for me. I had to keep doing that open-and-close-mouth-tongue thing to taste the flavor.
- Other than the different types of vanilla, the flavors were not adventurous.
- $3 for a scoop??? I guess that's what I get for living in the Bay.
Bottom Line: I won't be coming back. God I feel so evil for saying that about an ice cream place!!
Though I appreciate the effort to bring quality ice cream, Xanath is a far cry from Mitchell's, Bi-Rite, Humphry Slocombe, and even Three Twins. We stopped here on a food crawl for someone's birthday, and I'm glad to have tried it finally... though it's very likely I won't come back again.
To top it off, we got charged extra because the server accidentally made a larger size than we specified. Making me pay extra is a good way to permanently keep me away.
Fro-yo girl here. It looks like they started out as a vanilla & saffron importer (http://www.saffron.com) and now offer organic ice cream and fro-yo made with Straus Family Creamery dairy products. I wasn't expecting to see fro-yo here but they offered two kinds (soft serve), vanilla and chocolate. I counted about 13 kinds of ice cream and sorbets, including blueberry, dry cherry, Dutch chocolate, chocolate chip mint, etc. You can get your treats in a compostable cup or a cone. They also have milkshakes.
Ice cream:
* Saffron: lovely saffron flavor, creamy texture, sweeter than I like, could use more saffron
* Mexican vanilla: my favorite vanilla flavor, spicy, try it if you like vanilla because it has the most vanilla flavor
* Vanilla: solid/good but didn't stand out
* Tahitian vanilla: tastes completely different from the Mexican vanilla, more floral, also has coconut, it was okay
The vanilla fro-yo and chocolate fro-yo has a slightly sour, strong yogurt taste, and isn't as sweet as your traditional fro-yo. The texture was icy and soft. It tastes healthier but I found the flavors a little weak/bland. The toppings are weird - different types of raisins and walnuts (yuck and yuck again), granola and whipped cream. Cocoa and cinnamon are free.
The décor is very simple - one bench, a vanilla plant, vanilla extract and pods in the window and the freezers.
Fro-yo prices: Small ($1.99)/ Medium ($2.99)/Large ($3.99)/ toppings: 50 cents
1 scoop of ice cream is $2.99.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
The saffron-ginger ice cream is phenomenally good: rich, mellow, with just the right amount of spice.
The ladies behind the counter are friendly, enthusiastic, and generous with the samples.
The price is right.
The name is ... unfortunate. (Xanthan gum, anyone?)
But seriously, get the saffron-ginger and you'll go home happy.
Great tasting ice cream. Pretty good service. Decent selection. Will certainly be back. Sure beats the wait at Bi Rite and Mitchel's.
I can't believe I was thinking ice cream on a SF "summer" evening was a good idea. Wool coat wearing, teeth chattering and hair matted by the light fog mist that was rolling down Valencia, we ducked into Xanath to see what all of this vanilla hype was about.
Upon first glance, I was a bit confused as to who is the producer of the ice cream. Is it Strauss Creamery as the tubs of ice cream in the auxiliary freezer indicated or are they doing this in house?
After tasting three different varieties of vanilla, my husband settled on the Mexican version, which had a very strong vanilla flavor packed in every bite.
I opted for the fig, which was on the soft side, just like I like it and had a perfectly sweet fig flavor.
In true SF fashion they use eco-friendly spoons and cups. My advice to you? Go in September or October when the summer weather really comes to town.
To be situated where they are, at the epicenter of so many freaking amazing ice cream places, Xanath had to kick ass. My friend JT decided to try them recently, having been to Mitchells, Humphrey Slocombe and Birite 87 billion times each. We went, tried about 5 flavors, and none of them were particularly good. they were cloying, boring, and didn't do it for us. As well, they don't actually MAKE their own ice cream. They use a strauss ice cream base, and just flavor it, as opposed to the other ice cream places, that are all house made. fuck that. there's a *reason* there are lines at birite and humphrey slocombe. I won't be returning.
It's amazing how many people just don't get it. The Mexican vanilla ice cream is without a doubt the best vanilla ice cream I have ever had. The Tahitian Vanilla coconut is sublime. It's all organic and affordable which is a rare combination in gourmet San Francisco. This place is ahead of itself, vanilla is the new chocolate. Of course Bi-Rite is great and Mitchell's is an institution, but neither of those establishments' vanillas can hold vanilla scented candle to Xanath's. For a birthday party, go get a Kara's vanilla cupcake and put a scoop of Mexican vanilla ice cream on it and you'll never eat chocolate again.
Post script: just went back and gad the cocoa ice cream. I believe it is a single origin bean, I'm back on chocolate.
Let's review: 3 different vanillas , two luxurious chocolates, wild huckleberry, saffron-orange, a;; organic and affordable, and they're just getting started. This is called passion; it's what the slow food movement is all about and it's what California is all about.
Here's an update: On Sunday I had the fig ice cream and it's beyond luscious. I had to have it with a side of Mexican vanilla because I can't seem to not have that too. I was very pleased to see that you can buy pint sized amounts, now I can serve it with the tart tartin that I make; I just can't decide whether to serve with fig or Mexican vanilla; I guess I need both.
PS I actually had a conversation with the Xanath geneticist who was there one late evening, he explained all the different (breeds?) of vanilla.
I'm not allowed to go to LA without packing the Mexican vanilla in dry ice along with the lemon curd tart at Tartine.
Simple & Clean, but the flavors weren't completely to die for. Still, I like the concept of the place, and the friendly, patient service.
Xanath emphasizes the vanilla bean with the artsy window displays of organic vanilla extract (a HUGE bottle) and other decorations related to vanilla. The store features three different flavors of vanilla: Mexican Vanilla, Tahitian Vanilla (with coconut), and plain & simple Vanilla. Other flavors included Raspberry, Espresso, and Saffron. Everything is organic here, down to the spoons and the cups, made of recycled corn materials.
I sampled a few flavors, and, although they were different from the usual, I wasn't overly impressed by them either. I went with a single scoop of espresso, which I thought was creamiest and had the right amount of flavor. The Orange Pomegranate Sugar Sherbet was very sweet, but more on the refreshing side due to the fruit flavors.
Prices ranged from $1.99 to $4.99; they feature 11 ice cream flavors, 2-3 froyo flavors (the "3rd" flavor is just the swirl), and a mix of interesting toppings for $0.50 each. They also serve milkshakes.
The sizes were reasonable albeit not a completely good deal: a single scoop of ice cream is $2.99. The single scoop fits into a petite ~4 oz. cup; upgrade to a double scoop for $3.99 and it's a 6-8 oz. cup. So, if you want more value for your money (and you're hungry for a heaping bit of ice cream), go with the double scoop. There was also a tiny 2 oz. cup for children.
Service was bright; the workers were patient enough to allow for me to try out five different flavors before I could decide. I felt bad since there was a line forming behind me (I think me and Lolia S. brought in the crowd....). Still, the workers continued to give me samples until I made my decision.
The place itself is a little small: only room enough for one park bench. Their bathroom is currently out of service, but of course, that's probably only temporary.
Neat little place, and hoping for a good future ahead for them.
I was especially impressed with the staff at Xanath. The two girls who helped us were very friendly and patient. Though we were together, both girls scooped our ice cream and answered our questions, making us feel like they cared about their business and about their customers.
We both got a (very generous!) scoop of the Mexican vanilla and saffron. The flavors were delicious - I don't know what other reviewers are talking about when they say the flavors aren't creamy. Both flavors I tried were very creamy and flavorful. It's hard to convey the flavors in writing; suffice it to say that if you're looking for ice cream that is subtle, creamy, and different from the other offerings in the 'hood, this is a good place to start.
It is true that I would get little flakes of ice every few bites, which is why I deducted a star. I think Xanath is on to something with their flavors and excellent service, and if they can somehow perfect their texture, they'll definitely be 5-star worthy.
Damn! Being attracted by the 99 cent organic frozen yogurt deal, a couple of friends and I stumbled in here today. I ordered a swirled chocolate and vanilla cone (delicious!) but I sure was disappointed to find my friend's huckleberry ice cream to be the obvious winner in comparison. Only $1.99 for a child's scoop (made for a LARGE child) and everything is organic and tasty. I will be back!
These are good times to be an ice cream fan. Not only has the froyo explosion continued unabated, but recent months has also seen the opening of the outstanding Humphry Slocombe and Three Twins. Go secret breakfast at the former and stormy night at the latter.
Xanath continues the trend. I had a taste of the much hyped mexican vanilla bean, as well as the intriguing orange pomegranate sorbet. Both were exceptional, and props for using real spoons instead of plastic for sampling.
Joining me out the door was an organic froyo blend of chocolate and vanilla, and at $2 for a small, the price was just right.
With friendly service, very reasonable prices and an extensive array of ice cream goodness, Xanath gets my four stars and a very warm welcome to the neighborhood.
Friendly faces offering tastes of various flavors of your choosing. I was particularly impressed with the mouth feel of the ice cream. Not cloying and clean. I've tried the blackberry (quite refreshing), Mexican Vanilla (more floral and light than your average vanilla) and the espresso (not too strong but satisfying). I'm glad they are around becuase I would not want to have to wait in line at either Mitchell's or BiRite.
I will be back for more clean, refreshing flavors of ice cream here...
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