As St. 香港三级片ans, we鈥檙e lucky enough to have a few iconic foods associated with our fair city: toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake, Mayfair salad dressing, St. Paul sandwiches 鈥 even our own pizza style. But one food 鈥 and brand 鈥 that鈥檚 also synonymous with St. 香港三级片? Clementine鈥檚 Naughty & Nice Ice Cream.听
Whether you choose a boozy 鈥渘aughty鈥 flavor like Pink Champagne Sorbet or a classic 鈥渘ice鈥 one like Italian Butter Cookie, this is some of the best ice cream around, period. And the cherry on top, so to speak, is Clementine鈥檚 vegan ice cream line.
With features in Forbes, Taste of Home, USA Today, Midwest Living, The Food Network and more, the St. 香港三级片-born ice microcreamery and its founder, Tamara Keefe, have much to celebrate 鈥 including a 10-year anniversary this year. The first shop opened in Lafayette Square in May 2015. 鈥淚t鈥檚 surreal,鈥 Keefe says. 鈥淪ome days, it feels like I just started making ice cream in my kitchen yesterday; other days, it鈥檚 like I鈥檝e been on this journey forever. But above all, it鈥檚 incredible to see Clementine鈥檚 become a true St. 香港三级片 institution.鈥 Ten years of Clementine鈥檚 means big changes are afoot: Keefe is currently making moves to expand across the state into Kansas City. The small-batch, handmade ice cream brand is poised to develop a new regional following.
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Despite its well-earned press, accolades and growth, Clementine鈥檚 stands out most for its flavors. In comparison to boozy best-sellers like a Manhattan-inspired ice cream to the alcohol-free, triple-dark chocolate Midnight Pleasures, Keefe鈥檚 vegan creations hold their own. They鈥檙e just as creamy, flavorful, decadent or punchy 鈥 so much so that in a blind taste test, you鈥檇 never guess which one was made sans dairy.
Keefe got into making vegan ice cream long ago. 鈥淥ne of my closest friends had chosen a vegan lifestyle, and she told me the one thing she truly missed was ice cream,鈥 Keefe says. 鈥淎t the time, there weren鈥檛 any great-tasting, plant-based options 鈥 so she begged me to make one.鈥 Keefe set out to make a plant-based ice cream so good, no one would know the difference, and upon opening in 2015, Clementine鈥檚 became the first ice cream company in the country to produce high-quality, non-dairy ice cream at scale in multiple flavors. Today, 25 percent of the menu is vegan, with the shop going all out each January for a 鈥淰eganuary鈥 takeover. Some vegan flavors 鈥 Coconut Fudge, Lemon Poppyseed, Tangerine Sorbet and the coveted Tahini Chocolate Chip 鈥 are permanent fixtures behind Clementine鈥檚 gleaming glass cases. Meanwhile, Keefe revives certain flavors and continually rotates seasonal ones, whether 鈥渘aughty,鈥 鈥渘ice鈥 or non-dairy.
The vegan lineup has made Clementine鈥檚 that much more successful, partially because it鈥檚 an inclusive nod to Keefe鈥檚 roots and her penchant for working hard to get things right. Growing up in an impoverished Irish Italian household, her family was unable to join other families at the ice cream parlor on Sundays after church. Clementine鈥檚 ice creams might taste great, but those early memories equated to diligence later on, especially because Keefe says the formulation process for vegan ice cream is a challenge. Still, she stuck with it. 鈥淚 was driven by the belief that ice cream should be for everyone; whether it鈥檚 a lifestyle choice or a dietary necessity, no one should have to miss out,鈥 she explains, noting that coconut milk and cream make for the best vegan ice cream bases. She鈥檚 experimented with a cashew base in the past as well. 鈥淭he key is knowing how different ingredients interact and how flavors complement one another,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what allows us to craft plant-based flavors that are every bit as indulgent as our dairy ones.鈥
Once Keefe nailed the formula 鈥 and figured out that making the best vegan ice cream meant mixing science and art with a splash of innovation 鈥 producing the plant-based Clementine鈥檚 flavors we all know and love became second-nature. 鈥淭rust me, we had plenty of trial and error before we got it right,鈥 Keefe recalls, adding that using the highest-quality ingredients and working with suppliers who provide consistent products is also important. All in all, Keefe is excited to embark on her next adventure, bringing everything she鈥檚 learned while uncovering 鈥渨hat makes Kansas City tick鈥 鈥 just as the spirit of St. 香港三级片 helped shape Clementine鈥檚 from the start. Now, an opportunity for new knowledge shines on the horizon. 鈥淲hat I love most is collaborating with local chefs and restaurants to create unique flavors that reflect the community,鈥 Keefe says. 鈥淛ust like in St. 香港三级片, we鈥檙e ready to earn our place 鈥 one scoop at a time.鈥
Clementine鈥檚 Naughty & Nice Ice Cream, multiple locations,
