If you think John's working galoshes are kickin' (and we do), then you'd dig Chris' badass deep-freezer parka (not pictured).
(Credit: Jiyeon Yoo)
Fosselman’s is a storied L.A. institution.
I’m sure you know it’s a third generation ice cream company. My grandfather started it in 1919; my dad and his brothers ran it after that; and my brother [John] and I took it over about 18 years ago. We all lived in South Pasadena for forever. As a matter of fact, my grandfather, when he ran [the original] shop in Pasadena, lived on Stratford Ave. So that’s like 1900 in South Pasadena.
You’ve been at the current Alhambra location since 1941. How has the neighborhood changed?
Dramatically. Dramatically! When I was a kid, this was a really rundown area. This building had a common wall with a community hotel—it was pretty bad. The area itself has improved greatly; and of course, the quality of people. The demographic has changed.
So what sets Fosselman’s ice cream apart?
Our paramount concern is quality. We may not even give the best service sometimes because it’s so busy. But our main goal is quality. [It’s all about] the flavor. And it tastes great. Every time I make it I go, “That’s just why we’re busy.” There are very few flavors that aren’t perfect.
Really? So there isn’t a graveyard of good-in-theory flavors?
No, nothing goes down the drain. Everything sells here. It’s unbelievable. We’ve made avocado ice cream. I think it’s heinous (laughs)—but it sells. It sells!
How do you create a new flavor?
Lots of times, it’s what a chef would request for a restaurant. If we like it, we’ll keep it. Or, with the Asian-inspired flavors: people said why don’t you try to make taro ice cream? “I don’t know how to make it, show me how to make it.” Actual customers would tell us how to cook the taro. So we cook it down here. Red bean: we made that like five times and it was wrong every time. So we had to keep trying. We listened to people. They said you’re not cooking the bean long enough, it’s not soft enough. It’s always a work in progress until you get to a point where you’re happy with it and it stays.
How often do you change out flavors?
It’s pretty random. We switch stuff all the time just to have variety and to be seasonal. We put peach in during the summer and we take it out in September. Black walnut is going to come back, cinnamon comes back. Pumpkin. We do licorice only for October. Black licorice for Halloween.
That sounds gnarly.
It is. It tastes like licorice. It’s black. And it turns your mouth all black. The coloring is fine for you but…let’s just say that you’ll see it a few days later. (Laughs). You get it?
Oh…ew. Moving on. What’s your favorite flavor(s)?
Coffee and cookie-dough.
As a two-scoop?
No, no. That’s too much.
What do you think of this frozen yogurt craze?
It really didn’t do anything. It didn’t affect us at all. It seemed like it kind of came and went.
It’s kind of still around.
It’s still around, but it’s not a big deal. Look at the steakhouses: they’re bigger than ever. As a society, we’re still indulging.
So have you tried Pinkberry?
No, I haven’t. I’ve heard of it. Where are they?
Jiyeon Yoo is Restaurants editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
