Lil’ Dipper – University Town Center, La Jolla

Alright friends, we’ve got a special scoop on San Diego’s newest Ice Cream shop about to make waves across the county.  Meet Lil’ Dipper!

Darren and I had just finished up a great meal tonight at Un Mundo (review coming soon) when we noticed a sign across the street in the adjacent shopping center…. Lil’ Dipper.  Since I always have a second stomach for dessert, we decided to walk across to check it out.  (It was National Dessert Day after all!)

We were immediately greeted by two friendly woman, Barb (the President) and Susan (VP of Communications & Strategy) who welcomed us in with open arms, “Want to try some samples?”

YES!

We quickly learned that Lil’ Dippers just opened their doors a couple months ago.  They offer premium organic ice creams from DOUBLE RAINBOW® and GLACIER® which are delicious, and hard to come by in San Diego.  They also feature LE CHEF BAKERY® cookies which are baked onsite for optimal freshness.  Here’s their menu.

What immediately stuck me was how reasonable their prices are… especially for organic ice cream (checkout the mini for under $3)!  I was also elated to see they are open late (til midnight) which is perfect for the local UCSD students looking for the ultimate late night snack.

So, let’s get to the tasting, shall we?  First off we liked seeing the use of EcoTensils.  These little paper based spoons are perfect for eating ice cream and super environmentally friendly.  You simply fold the back ends together and whaalaa!  You’ve got a little spoon.

The first sample of the evening was their special pumpkin ice cream with just the right amount of spice!

Follow up quickly with the Coffee Blast.  And, it sure was!  If you like coffee, it’s strong, sweet, and creamy.

Here’s the salted caramel which was nice and rich.

The Green Tea – Nice and subtle towards the beginning, but quickly reveals itself towards the end.

I had to try the Ultra Chocolate – nice and rich!

And, this is the Huckleberry Heaven (an Oregon favorite) which was bright and fruity.

To round things out, I ended with a sample of their moosetracks – solid!

Now it was time for decisions to be made.  Hmmm….

Darren decided first and chose the special pumpkin ice cream coupled with the snickerdoodle cookie!  This is the mini which was perfect for us after eating a hearty meal at Un Mundo.  He definitely enjoyed this combo.

I ended up selecting the Coffee Blast ice cream, topped off with a warm Fudge Nut cookie.  (This is also a mini).  This was awesome and really hit my sweet spot.

One other really cool thing is you can purchase a “Growler” for $7.99 and fill it up with any ice cream of choice.  You take the container home with you and when you’re ready for a refill, just come back and it’s $5.99.  I’d definitely do this if I live closer!  (I really wish they were here back when I was at UCSD… darn)

Although there are similarities to Diddy Reese up in Westwood, we felt that Lil’ Dippers brought something new and fun here.  We had a wonderful time talking with Barb and Susan who both have true passion for quality ice cream.  We noticed customers would come and go in waves, but the reaction when leaving was always the same – a slow giddy grin of sweet satisfaction.

Lil’ Dipper was a nice little surprise tonight and a hidden gem (for now!).  Keep up the great work ladies and thank you for all the samples. 😉

Readers, check them out before there’s a line out the door and let us know what you think.  What’s your favorite flavor and cookie combination??