Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

This gelato shop won't clean your clothes

But this summer a great time to love ice cream in San Diego

Ironing-board tables part of the "dry cleaner" theme at An's gelato and sorbet shop.
Ironing-board tables part of the "dry cleaner" theme at An's gelato and sorbet shop.

“Confused?” asks the web site for An’s Dry Cleaning. A fair question, considering An’s is an ice cream shop.

Place

An's Dry Cleaning

3017 Adams Avenue, San Diego

Better than that, it’s a small batch gelato and sorbet shop, devoted to local sourcing, freshness, creative recipes made in-house, and all such things the earnest eaters of North Park could hope for. So why the confusing name? As the site explains, it’s a nod to the previous occupant of this storefront, the An’s that really did offer dry cleaning service. It’s like the new gelato shop moved in, but kept the same stationery.

Get your gelato here! (It's not a dry cleaner any more.)

Bottom line is, don’t show up with a dirty suit or party dress; do show up with a craving for frozen desserts. As a first timer, you’ll be treated to sample spoonfuls of all ten or so rotating flavors, from fruity vegan sorbets to creamy gelatos. Continuing with the dry cleaner theme, each flavor is given the name of a fabric: for example, the pineapple basil sorbet is dubbed Linen. That part does get a little confusing, like when your scooper refers to Cashmere, and you don’t immediately connect it with the goat cheese and honey gelato.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Most of the flavors tend to pair distinct flavors along these lines. Caramel and salt is boring as it gets, and even that lives up to the velvety texture promised by its given fabric name, Velour. The gelato chef at work here plied his craft in Europe for a dozen years, and though his unique flavor combinations conspire to capture most of your attention, it’s clear he puts just as much focus on the texture and temperature of his creations.

On the dairy side, the incredible texture of the avocado and lemon flavor, Wool, struck me more as a luxurious Alpaca or Satin (the name Silk was already taken by an almond and sage flavor). Given the shop’s pledge to focus San Diego-sourced ingredients, I presume it was local avocado adding that extra dollop of creaminess, contrasted by chewable nibs of candied lemon. My guacamole loving self wonders, how the recipe might taste with a little chili pepper to spice it up? Ans openly accepts flavor ideas from its customers, so if I suggest it, maybe they’ll give the flavor a shot.

I’d hoped to try the Plaid, the most adventurous flavor on the board, made with chocolate, honey, cinnamon, and black pepper. But I was not alone in my curiosity; it had long sold out. Instead, I took respite from the hot afternoon to dig on the shop’s dairy-free sorbets. An's allows two flavors per $5 short or $7 tall order, so I ordered the pineapple basil and strawberry ginger. The fruits more than spices really shine through in these sorbets, even the watermelon mint flavor tasted strongly of real watermelon. All super refreshing.

But again, it’s the sorbets’ texture I remember most. Something lacking cream tasting this smooth and delicious is a huge win for vegan dessert fans, and An's Dry Cleaning looks like a great add to a San Diego suddenly brimming with awesome new ice cream options.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Hockey Dad brings UCSD vets and Australians to the Quartyard

Bending the stage barriers in East Village
Next Article

Hike off those holiday calories, Poinsettias are peaking

Winter Solstice is here and what is winter?
Ironing-board tables part of the "dry cleaner" theme at An's gelato and sorbet shop.
Ironing-board tables part of the "dry cleaner" theme at An's gelato and sorbet shop.

“Confused?” asks the web site for An’s Dry Cleaning. A fair question, considering An’s is an ice cream shop.

Place

An's Dry Cleaning

3017 Adams Avenue, San Diego

Better than that, it’s a small batch gelato and sorbet shop, devoted to local sourcing, freshness, creative recipes made in-house, and all such things the earnest eaters of North Park could hope for. So why the confusing name? As the site explains, it’s a nod to the previous occupant of this storefront, the An’s that really did offer dry cleaning service. It’s like the new gelato shop moved in, but kept the same stationery.

Get your gelato here! (It's not a dry cleaner any more.)

Bottom line is, don’t show up with a dirty suit or party dress; do show up with a craving for frozen desserts. As a first timer, you’ll be treated to sample spoonfuls of all ten or so rotating flavors, from fruity vegan sorbets to creamy gelatos. Continuing with the dry cleaner theme, each flavor is given the name of a fabric: for example, the pineapple basil sorbet is dubbed Linen. That part does get a little confusing, like when your scooper refers to Cashmere, and you don’t immediately connect it with the goat cheese and honey gelato.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Most of the flavors tend to pair distinct flavors along these lines. Caramel and salt is boring as it gets, and even that lives up to the velvety texture promised by its given fabric name, Velour. The gelato chef at work here plied his craft in Europe for a dozen years, and though his unique flavor combinations conspire to capture most of your attention, it’s clear he puts just as much focus on the texture and temperature of his creations.

On the dairy side, the incredible texture of the avocado and lemon flavor, Wool, struck me more as a luxurious Alpaca or Satin (the name Silk was already taken by an almond and sage flavor). Given the shop’s pledge to focus San Diego-sourced ingredients, I presume it was local avocado adding that extra dollop of creaminess, contrasted by chewable nibs of candied lemon. My guacamole loving self wonders, how the recipe might taste with a little chili pepper to spice it up? Ans openly accepts flavor ideas from its customers, so if I suggest it, maybe they’ll give the flavor a shot.

I’d hoped to try the Plaid, the most adventurous flavor on the board, made with chocolate, honey, cinnamon, and black pepper. But I was not alone in my curiosity; it had long sold out. Instead, I took respite from the hot afternoon to dig on the shop’s dairy-free sorbets. An's allows two flavors per $5 short or $7 tall order, so I ordered the pineapple basil and strawberry ginger. The fruits more than spices really shine through in these sorbets, even the watermelon mint flavor tasted strongly of real watermelon. All super refreshing.

But again, it’s the sorbets’ texture I remember most. Something lacking cream tasting this smooth and delicious is a huge win for vegan dessert fans, and An's Dry Cleaning looks like a great add to a San Diego suddenly brimming with awesome new ice cream options.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Rebecca Jade, Stoney B. Blues, Manzanita Blues, Blame Betty, Marujah

Holiday music, blues, rockabilly, and record releases in Carlsbad, San Carlos, Little Italy, downtown
Next Article

East San Diego County has only one bike lane

So you can get out of town – from Santee to Tierrasanta
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader