When Yelp dropped its ranking of the 100 best ice cream shops in the country, two Portland spots were on the list: Doe Donuts came in at No. 95 and Cloud City Ice Cream at No. 33.
That means one of Portland’s ice cream shops is in the top 40 in the whole United States, which seems like a major accomplishment. So, why did Cloud City make the list and not, say, Salt & Straw, 50 Licks or Nico’s?
Probably because the ice cream is, well, really good.
First, Cloud City starts with handmade ice cream and mostly handmade or local mix-ins, including cookie dough, which you can purchase from the freezer if you want to eat it without ice cream getting in the way, chocolates and red velvet cake.
Next, the flavors. As one patron, who didn’t want to be named but was standing in line Tuesday soon after the store opened said, “The flavors are unique but not weird like Salt & Straw.”
Cloud City is definitely not Salt & Straw. Instead of a growing empire, the ice cream shop that might be Portland’s best is just one storefront tucked into a strip mall next to the Safeway in Woodstock. The only place you will get Cloud City Ice Cream is Cloud City, though if you want to take a pint home, you can grab one from the freezer with the cookie dough or ask them to pack you one of any flavor available. Or you can order deliver through Postmates or GrubHub.
The little ice cream shop has been in Woodstock for 10 years and is a neighborhood favorite. Even on a Tuesday, a line formed not long after the doors opened at noon. And with good reason. This ice cream is the kind that you think about hours later, the kind that makes you consider going back for a second trip.
On Tuesday, the case held 24 dairy flavors and eight vegan flavors. Those included staples that are almost always available like Sea Salt Caramel Dough (a customer favorite according to the scooper), Circus Friends (with frosted animal crackers), Sasquatch Tracks and Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel.
Then there are seasonal flavors, including a rotating Zodiac series, with ice creams based on star signs. The current offering is Cancer, a delicious peach cobbler ice cream.
In fact, all of the flavors we tasted were delicious, including the vegan options like Sunshine, a bright take on golden milk and Mango Lime Tajin.
Everyone knows the vessel for holding ice cream is nearly as important as the product itself and at Cloud City, ice cream can be piled into homemade waffle cones or sugar cones dipped in white chocolate and coated in sprinkles called “uni-cones.”
If you can, get a uni-cone. What’s better, really, than a crunchy sugar cone, dipped in sugar and then sprinkled with more sugar with some cold milk and sugar in the middle? Not much.
Yelpers, take note. The company will be hosting National Ice Cream Day events around the country on Saturday, July 16, when they will give out “free ice cream cones, scoops, and sundaes in communities.” According to its website, Yelp will host one such event at Cloud City.
Details: Cloud City Ice Cream, 4525 S.E. Woodstock Blvd., open daily noon to 10 p.m., cloudcityicecream.com
— Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052; lacker@oregonian.com; @lizzzyacker
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