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Soon-To-Open Park Cities Spot Baldo’s Ice Cream Plans To Stand Out From The Crowded Dallas Dessert Pack With Unique Flavors Like Coconut Basil And Cinnamon Cayenne.
Welcome to The Quickie, our new series featuring a short ‘n sweet, quick ‘n dirty interview with a local small business owner, chef or creator.
Ice cream during a Texas summer is a must have. You just can’t really battle our dry, triple-digit temperatures without enjoying some of that frozen goodness.
But in a city that’s always trying to find ways to beat the heat — be it with rolled ice cream or other delightful sweets — it can be tough to separate one spot’s offerings from the next. But Baldo’s Ice Cream is trying to make a name for itself by serving up a roster of flavors with some real personality — options like red velvet, five spice, chai tea and the trademark cinnamon cayenne.
And, so far, the plan seems to be working. Currently operating as a stand that serves the outdoor revelers at Klyde Warren Park each Wednesday through Sunday, Baldo’s plan to open the spot at 6401 Hillcrest Avenue by Labor Day.
That puts the Baldo’s team in an interesting position this summer of simultaneously trying to serve the masses while readying its storefront — a double-duty we recently emailed back-and-forth with co-founders Will Ammons and Schuyler Grey to learn more about.
Let’s start at the beginning! What is Baldo’s? Where’d you come from? What’s your background? What made you decide to get in the ice cream business?
Baldo’s is a new ice cream company that’s about to open our first scoop shop in Dallas. We’re former SMU students with backgrounds in food and beverage, real estate and sports. After graduation, we started working with food trucks and began learning the ins and outs of the food and beverage industry here in Dallas. Managing food trucks was a great learning experience, but we wanted to push the envelope on a bigger stage. So we decided to start a new company with the goal of opening a brick-and-mortar presence. We teamed up with a local chef, Aldo Sandoval, who has 12 years worth of experience in savory food and pastries at The Mansion, Boulevardier, Uchi and Top Knot, and decided to get into the ice cream business because we saw an opportunity in the market. Ice cream is a timeless dessert, and it surprised us that Dallas didn’t have too many prominent homemade ice cream shops. At our shop, Aldo combines his savory training with local suppliers to create truly unique flavors and textures.
(From left) Ammons, Sandoval and Grey.
What has you most excited about Baldo’s?
Baldo’s is going to be unlike any ice cream shop you’ve ever been to. In fact, labeling it an ice cream shop feels too narrow — it’s more of a hybrid café and scoop shop than anything. Our focus is ice cream, but we also plan on offering edible cookie dough, gourmet coffee, organic tea and pastries. We’re excited about opening our first shop in the University Park area because we see Baldo’s as a community-driven establishment. Our atmosphere will cater to college students and young adults, while the menu will cater to everyone — including families. We’re incorporating the best elements from New York dessert shops and San Francisco coffee shops with the most classic dessert of all time in ice cream. So comparable shops don’t exist – and we’re excited to introduce Dallasites to this new genre of scoop shop.
OK, so that all sounds great, but that stuff is available elsewhere around town. What makes your ice cream, cookie dough and/or coffee options different from everybody else’s?
We like to say that we’re anything but vanilla. Truly! You can’t get a spicy cinnamon cayenne or a mango goji berry sorbet at any other shop. Plus, where as other ice cream shops often have fluorescent lights and feel like a dentist’s office, Baldo’s is going to be the opposite. Our atmosphere is going to be warm and inviting — like a coffee shop. We also pride ourselves on making everything from scratch and using the highest quality ingredients. Our milk comes from the Miller farm in McGregor, Texas. Our tea comes from the Kai Organic Tea farm near Waco. Our coffee is roasted and cupped daily at Little City in Austin. We want to combine all of these quality products with a comfortable atmosphere that will encourage people to try our crazy flavors.
So what flavor at Baldo’s does everybody have to try, then?
Cinnamon cayenne! It starts out as a subtle spice — but, a couple seconds after tasting, it turns to a pleasant heat. And the reason why is science, really: The creamier an ice cream is, the longer it takes for a flavor to develop on your tongue. That’s why a sorbet will hit you with flavor almost immediately, while an ice cream takes a bit longer to develop.
Images courtesy of Baldo’s. Know another food business worth highlighting in this space? Get in touch with foodbitch! Like Like a good cover band, she takes requests.