Pizzeria Lola has made it onto our list of best pizza places across America, but the pizza orders coming out of this restaurant in Minneapolis aren’t the only items that have visitors drooling. “We know it sounds weird, but trust us,” the business wrote on Instagram before promising that its unique dessert of olive oil and vanilla soft serve will surprise guests. They’re not wrong. The pairing of olive oil and ice cream can be a delicious one, and drizzling olive oil on top of a dish filled with your favorite cold treats can bring a new kind of luxurious decadence to your next dessert course.
Olive oil drizzled on top of ice cream is the kind of savory and sweet combination that has delighted some customers and left others not sure what to make of the curious topping. One skeptical diner was pleasantly surprised, writing on OpenTable that the combination may sound “gross,” but the dish was, in fact, delicious. Another Pizzeria Lola visitor gushed over the olive oil and salt-topped dessert, describing it as “interesting and good.” One Tripadvisor reviewer was less impressed with the topping but adored the ice cream, writing, “We tried the vanilla ice cream with sea salt and olive oil. Not my favorite combo but the homemade vanilla ice cream was amazing.”
Don’t knock it until you try it
Should you be in the area, Pizzeria Lola’s soft serve ice cream is listed for $8. The added extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of fleur de sel costs $2 more and can be used to top either vanilla ice cream or the featured flavor. For those not sure of the oily combination, caramel or chocolate sauce can also be drizzled on top of soft serve, or root beer floats can be ordered. Both ice cream customizations will bring the total price of the dessert dish to $10 for the treat.
For those who aren’t anywhere near Pizzeria Lola, this ice cream combo can be easily made and sampled at home. Know that different olive oils can present unique tasting profiles to your dish by offering a range of fruity or peppery notes. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt can help knock this treat out of the park by adding a touch of texture and helping turn up the dial of taste of your unique ice cream treat. Once you try this curious combination, the bowls of ice cream you serve may never be the same.
Dining and Cooking