Ices Plain & Fancy (824 N. Second)—the popular ice cream shop where the frozen dessert is flash-churned with liquid nitrogen—is expanding to St. Charles County.
The new shop will be located in St. Charles’ Frenchtown historic district and be slightly larger than the ice cream shop’s flagship in Shaw. The owners—operating manager Darla Crask and her brother, Max Crask, as well as Troika Brodsky, and Matthew Deutschmann—hope to open the new location by the end of summer.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
The St. Charles location will feature all of the flavors and styles of nitro ice cream that fans of the brand have come to know and love.
The owners are currently working with the city to obtain a liquor license, so the Frenchtown store can offer boozy ice cream selections, such as the Mrs. Marshall’s Old Fashioned (vanilla ice cream with Old Grandad whiskey, cherry liquor, bitters, Brick River cider, and a Luxardo cherry on top) and the Benjamin (butter pecan ice cream with Dickel whiskey topped with pralines).
In addition to the boozy offerings, there will be a selection of classic nitro ice creams, such as chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, mint chip, and rocky road. Seasonal flavors and non-dairy options will also be available.
The Atmosphere
Darla Crask says the neighborhood reminds her of Shaw when the ice cream shop first opened in South City more than a decade ago. “It’s got a lot of parallels,” she says. “There were construction dumpsters in the neighborhood, people were rebuilding, and it was super up-and-coming.”
Situated just north of historic Main Street in St. Charles, Frenchtown is a “community of creatives,” a place to find art, practice indoor rock climbing or yoga, and treasure hunt at antique shops. The neighborhood also boasts historic homes, beautiful architecture, and numerous food-and-drink establishments, such as Belle Vie Cafe, Course Coffee Roasters, and Good News Brewing. “I see people working at some of the empty storefronts, people are out walking their dogs, and people are choosing to raise their kids there,” she says. “I think it’s fabulous to be a part of that.”
Darla says the owners knew that St. Charles was the place they’d look when it came time to expand. “A lot of our clientele are from St. Charles, and they’re often making a special trip into the shop after they’ve visited the zoo or botanical gardens,” she says. “We kept hearing them ask us, ‘When are you going to come out to St. Charles?’”
Similar to the flagship, the St. Charles location will be located in a historic building, which previously housed antique store The French Connection. The ice cream shop will operate on the first floor of an 1800s-era two-story brick building on a corner. The building’s landlords, Deloris and Doug Barton, hope that Ices Plain & Fancy will become a neighborhood anchor point.
Plans call for the first floor to have a dining room, counter service area, office, and storage spaces. The interior has tin ceiling tiles, some exposed brick, natural woodwork, and hardwood flooring. There are also plans to add sidewalk seating, with an overhang providing cover.
It’s too soon to determine the seating capacity, but Darla anticipates the new location will offer more seating than the original location. With the larger space, the team is thinking about adding an option to rent part of the space for private events or meetings during the off-season, as well as utilizing it for educational opportunities. “I’d love to bring in scout troops for science demonstrations,” Darla says.
Similar to the flagship, the ice cream shop will be decorated with vintage-style tables and chairs, as well as the brand’s signature blue and pink tones. The counter will be set up in a similar fashion as well, so guests can see the liquid nitrogen smoke that billows from the mixing equipment as each ice cream is churned to order.
“We’ll still have what I call our Willy Wonka-meets-Beetlejuice aesthetic,” Darla says with a laugh. “We like it to feel like people are kind of stepping into a different world.”
Stay up to date on the reopening plans by following Ices Plain & Fancy on Facebook or Instagram.
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