Scoop! Smitten Ice Cream Opening a Shop in Hayes Valley

Tamara Palmer

Robyn Sue Goldman in Precita Park with "Kelvin," her liquid nitrogen-powered ice cream maker.

​Smitten Ice Cream is set to open its first shop in Hayes Valley in late August, a part of architecture firm Envelope A+D's forthcoming "proxy" project on Octavia Boulevard that's breaking ground this summer. It'll be a big step for the one-scoop-at-a-time artisan ice cream business, which currently appears on the streets and at private parties with the help of a Radio Flyer and "Kelvin," a portable ice cream maker that uses liquid nitrogen. It took several years for proprietor Robyn Sue Goldman and an engineering friend to create her unique machine.

Tamara Palmer

Smitten's salted caramel ice cream.

​"We will have four 'Kelvin' machines, and each one will be used to churn a different flavor," explained Goldman. "We will be featuring the freshest seasonal flavors and changing two flavors every week based on what's best at the market. Every scoop will be made to order, and visitors will even be able to order off the menu, based on the ingredients we have, if they think of something that better suits their taste buds."

While Envelope A+D's plans for Octavia include the eventual construction of pop-up eateries and retail stores, Smitten will be in what the developers call a "rooted container." It'll stick around for the duration of the project, expected to be two to three years. The shop, to be constructed out of recycled shipping containers, will be located on the corner of Octavia and Linden.