Kinrose Creamery

With a slew of Middle Eastern flavors and high-quality ingredients, this tiny Iranian-Egyptian creamery in Pasadena is serving some of the most unique, delicious ice cream we’ve had in a long, long time. Owners Maria Oveysi and Moe Kamal got their start at Smorgasburg (where they still pop up every Sunday), but you can also catch them at their new Old Town brick-and-mortar, where they serve a larger menu of flavors like sour cherry topped with Iranian fairy floss; a stretchy Egyptian-style mint chip; a crunchy, honey-sweet walnut baklava; and kunefe, also known as knafeh, which tops sweet cream with baked phyllo to mimic the traditional Middle Eastern dessert. Those who appreciate tangy desserts will appreciate the lavashak ice cream, which tops a blended tamarind-pomegranate base with strips of traditional Iranian fruit leather. For those driving to Kinrose, we recommend skipping the immediate parking lot (it’s quite pricey) for the dirt-cheap public garage at nearby 33 East Green Street.