Even when the mercury dips below 32 degrees, there’s something irresistible about a frozen dessert — especially when the treat in question is something funky and exotic, like the Taiwan-inspired snow ice at new Ellicott City spot Snow Cafe.
Though the names — and the main ingredient — are similar, you won’t confuse snow ice with Baltimore’s hometown favorite, the snowball. Snowball ice is chunky and doused with iconic flavors like egg custard, while in snow ice desserts, the ice is shaved into very thin, fine sheets that look almost dry in the bowl but melt instantly in the mouth.
At Snow Cafe, we tried the coffee flavor. The ice was mixed with a sweet, appealing coffee-and-milk combo and topped with a variety of treats, including tiny, jiggly squares of coffee-flavored jelly, crunchy cereal flakes, banana slices, mocha syrup and a scattering of the Asian gummy candy mochi.
A single serving of the dessert was enormous but, thanks to the ice, delicate and not at all filling. In a paper bowl, it looked like the kind of dessert explosion that would send little kids to heaven. But the combination of textures, from crunchy to jellied, and the milky sweetness of the coffee imbued the dessert with more sophistication than you’d expect from a bowl of flavored ice and gummy candy. Other flavors, like matcha (green tea) and patbingsu, which includes red bean paste, sounded even more adventurous.
Snow Cafe has more to offer than just the sweets for which it’s named. The restaurant, which opened last summer, is located in the former home of Waffee Comzytime. Like the establishment that preceded it, Snow Cafe offers a range of waffles, available all day, plus sandwiches and snacks.
During our visit, the sandwiches were serviceable but the waffles packed a punch. A grilled cheese on white bread was simple and straightforward; the combination of cheddar, American and Muenster cheeses was a good one but not especially exciting.
The New York chicken sandwich — which really seemed inspired by California — piled bacon, pepper Jack cheese, avocado and alfalfa sprouts on a grilled chicken breast and kaiser roll. Like the grilled cheese, it was charming in its simplicity, but it would’ve been better with a heavier hand seasoning the chicken, or with a flavor-packed mustard or mayonnaise.
With both sandwiches, a side of kettle chips was a bonus; Snow Cafe carries a smart selection of locally made products, like Virginia’s Route 11 chips, which are displayed alongside boxes of tea that are pretty enough to double as decoration.
The sandwiches were lacking a bit of oomph, but the jalapeno chicken and waffles was a flavor bomb. A fluffy Belgian waffle, drizzled with syrup, was topped with sliced jalapenos, mixed greens and a fried chicken patty, covered with generous squiggles of spicy dressing.
The play between sweet syrup and spicy jalapeno was a good one; the unexpected waffle-lettuce mix worked well, too. But even heat lovers should be warned: This meal was very spicy. In fact, we pushed aside most of the jalapeno slices, and by the end of the meal we were ready for that next course — the snow ice.
With a dessert and gelato-laden counter, photos tacked on the walls and the menu neatly handwritten on enormous chalkboards, Snow Cafe has the appealing, casual look of a favorite neighborhood coffee shop. The faces behind the counter were friendly and helpful, chatting with both new and repeat customers as they ordered.
“We’ll see you soon!” says one customer as he walks out the door. Whether it’s for a quick lunch or a snowy dessert, so will we.