Ruby Scoop and the “Essence of Ice Cream”
by Anne Jones 08.2021
Owner Ruby Kamara flanked by her co-workers.
Jonathan Gold, Giles Coren, Pete Wells - all famous food critics known to those who follow such matters. But when it comes to ice cream, they've got nothin' on me. Embarrassing truth be told, I've devoted a phenomenal number of hours of my life thinking about and savoring ice cream. There is much to consider–nuances of flavors, judgement of consistency, creaminess, spoonability, lickability, twirlability, richness. And rich isn't necessarily better; but sometimes it is, depending on the presentation and occasion. Milkshakes, for instance. I pick peaky chunks over ultra-smooth and creamy. But however you spoon it, lick it, slurp it or slice it, ice cream is simply the perfect food: cheery, comforting, refreshing, sweet, melt-in-your mouth deliciousness. "Ice cream, you see, is a way of life," says ice-cream historian and author Marilyn Powell.
Richmond has a pleasingly ice cream-rich history, starting in my lifetime with High's and the Clover Room, on through to Boyers, Gelati Celesti, and Charm School, just to name a random few personal bests. And now I've got a new one: Ruby Scoops. Ruby Kamara opened her Brookland Park ice-cream shop in November, mid-pandemic and under full-strength precautions. None of that put a damper on her fabulous hand-made ice cream and ice cream creations or her old-school ice cream parlor vibe.
With three visits in one week under my investigative journalist ever-expanding belt, I feel more than qualified to give Ruby an A+ for every treat my friends and I consumed. This is the real thing, handmade on-site. The flavors of ice cream and sorbet change every few days and that's part of the fun. There was strawberry and rhubarb sherbet, butter pecan, Big Spoon Coco-nut and five vegan sorbets like Guava Daiquiri, Mango, and Cardamon Blueberry Cobbler. First trip I stuck with the basics - chocolate and vanilla in a cup. Both flavors were pure and strong, with the perfect desired creaminess. My extremely discerning friend had this to say, "the best ice cream I've ever had in Richmond. Reminds me of Brickley’s up in Narragansett, Rhode Island. You could actually taste the cocoa in the chocolate." The milkshake on my second visit, despite its luscious creaminess and lack of chunks, was pure heaven with its lovely chocolate flavor, made slightly milder by the tasty vanilla addition requested by me. And on the third day Ruby created a mango sorbet that was as sweet and tart and refreshing as could be. My new goal is to try Scoop Flights for $8.50 - a little egg crate container filled with 6 different flavored scoops; that is just for one person, right?
Either way, I agree with Marilyn Powell: "Each spoonful settles in the mouth, half solid, half liquid, gently melting away - a reminder of the transitory nature of life and pleasure. This is the essence of ice cream..."
Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets
Tues-Fri, 3-8pm; Sat & Sun, 1-8pm
120 W Brookland Park Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23222
(804) 912-1320