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Back in June, triumphant Olympic figure skater, gold medalist, and style icon Alysa Liu was welcomed back to Oakland by Fentons Creamery, the historic 105-year-old East Bay ice cream shop, with the sweetest congratulatory gift possible. Along with the promise of free ice cream for life, Fenton’s now offers a flavor styled after the local hero herself.
Alysa’s Gold is a smooth yet spunky blend of vanilla ice cream, caramel swirl, and golden Oreos—yes, color is meant to mimic her iconic blonde highlights from the Olympic competition—available at Fentons in Oakland and Vacaville. The flavor received a resounding stamp of approval when Liu visited the Oakland spot on Piedmont Avenue, just around the block from the 132-year-old business’s original location at 41st and Howe.
After all those years, Fentons remains a family-owned and -operated legacy, though it passed from the original Fenton family into that of third-generation Oaklander Scott Whidden, who purchased it in 1987 and remains dedicated to the tradition of producing small-batch ice cream onsite daily.
Melvin Fenton, grandson of Fentons’ founder E.S. Fenton, is credited with creating the shop’s most famous flavors—Toasted Almond, Swiss Milk Chocolate, and Rocky Road. But for me, Alysa’s Gold wins, well, the gold medal. Being the dedicated ice cream lover and consumer that I am, I tried the flavor months before Alysa stopped by. To put it plainly, it has become my favorite ice cream in the Bay Area. I will brave Fentons’ post-dinner line of energetic children, distracted parents, and groups of excited teens for a scoop or two—and force anyone who is with me to try it.
What’s most memorable about the ice cream is the delectable cakey-ness of the still mostly whole golden Oreos, softened by the vanilla ice cream, and the rich, custardy consistency of the vanilla base. The ripples of caramel provide a complimentary texture and sweetness that isn’t cloying, bringing greater depth to the frozen creation.
If you order at the counter, I recommend taking your tastebuds for a twirl at a wrought-iron table on the shop’s patio or walking around the neighborhood. If you choose to dine in, a server will seat you and take your order—and, if you ask nicely, might bring you an old school white paper boat hat to wear, just like their scoopers behind the counter. Personal-sized sundaes arrive in a glass parfait cup—for a tableful of friends, a massive serving will come out in a long dish, straight out of a 1950s ad.
