DINING OUT
7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Ice cream, $3-$10; coffee, $2.55-$4.40; ice cream and espresso treats, $6.25; baked goods and desserts, market price.
701 Highland Ave., Atlanta. 404-331-0807, queenofcream.com.
In late August, Queen of Cream opened its first ice cream parlor and coffee shop in a small storefront near the Beltline in Old Fourth Ward.
The company, which got its start in 2014 as a mobile ice cream cart, was co-founded by Cora Cotrim, who worked at Theo’s Bakery and Cacao Atlanta before becoming the head pastry chef at Paper Plane and Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur. Cotrim’s partner, Davis Sandling, oversees operations and sales.
The look: The cozy space is brightened by tall front windows and accented with white subway tiles, painted brick walls and pale wood tables. The daily ice cream menu is on display in freezer cases next to the order counter.
The scene: One sunny weekday afternoon, serious coffee drinkers with laptops occupied a row of window tables, while a giddy group of ice cream lovers queued up for a taste of the latest flavors, then spilled out to the sidewalk to savor their scoops.
The food: Cotrim makes her small batch, "handcrafted" ice cream using local, grass-fed and organic ingredients and adds some culinary twists. Right now, flavors such as roasted pistachio, summer figs, sorghum and bacon and whiskey brown butter are served up in cups or house-made sugar or waffle cones ($3-$6). Coming soon, look for ice cream sandwiches to go and pints ($10) hand-packed to order.
The drinks: The coffee menu ($2.55-$4.40) features beans from Birmingham-based Revelator Coffee roasters and includes espresso, pour-over, cold brew and iced latte, with caramel, chocolate and extra espresso add-ons. And there are caffeinated ice cream and espresso treats ($6.25), such as Italian affogato and coffee milkshakes.
The extras: Beyond the ice cream and coffee-making, there's an in-house bakery offering the likes of brownies, chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins with cinnamon oatmeal streusel. And for mobile ice cream fans, Queen of Cream is still running its carts around Atlanta and Decatur.
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