Meet the Maker: Lauren Wilson, Sweet Lo's Ice Cream

We think one of the best parts of living in Seattle is that it really is a no-frills kinda place. People are genuine, down-to-earth, and enjoy the little things more here. For our newest “Meet the Maker,” we got to know someone who completely embodies that kind of lifestyle (and lucky for us), she is an incredible baker and pours that authenticity and joy into creating simple and delicious ice cream for all! 

Sweet Lo’s Ice Cream is a young company operating out of a commercial kitchen in SoDo. Lauren Wilson and her partner, Cassidy Watt, create everything by hand with extra love. The company mission is to create a homemade, pure, and fresh product to allow people to taste ice cream the way it is truly meant to be – simple and delicious. After getting the chance to visit the kitchen and make some ice cream with Lauren, we are sold. This is the best ice cream in Seattle. 

So without further adieu, let us introduce you to Lauren Wilson of Sweet Lo’s Ice Cream. 

Where did your love of food come from? 

I grew up in the kitchen, baking and cooking. My dad worked the graveyard shift at the post office. I remember he would come home at 3AM and bake. He would wake my sister and I up to help him hold the pie crusts. I doubt our tiny hands were really much help. I think he just wanted the company and to pass his love of baking onto us.  

When did you first start making ice cream?

In 2013, I moved to Vermont and got a job at a small farm-to-table restaurant out there. They had a small ice cream maker, and I asked the owner if I could use it. She agreed, and I made my first batch of homemade ice cream with a recipe from one of her many cookbooks. 

That first flavor was Butter Pecan. The second I tasted homemade ice cream I wondered, “Why aren’t we all eating this??” I wanted everyone to experience what I felt in that moment. It’s such a pure, clean thing. You don’t need additives or stabilizers, you just need a few ingredients and you get this amazing, pure taste. I moved back to Seattle shortly after that, started Sweet Lo’s, and never looked back. 

What’s the process to make ice cream? How long does it take from start to finish?

The process is fairly simple. I blend the ingredients for the ice cream and then add them to the pasturizer that allows me to make 7.5 gallons at a time. From the pasteurizer, I put the mix into the ice cream maker where it becomes the ice cream you eat. After this I add any additional ingredients like Oreos, chocolate pieces, marshmallows, etc. Last, it has to sit overnight in the freezer and it’s good to go.  So, from start to finish a batch takes about 2 days. 

What makes your ice cream different?

I think making custom ice cream and the fact that everything is 100% homemade, super small batch, and made with love. It’s a simple recipe that tastes amazing. 

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor to create? Do you have a favorite way to eat it?

Well, our most popular flavor is our Lemon Bar, but I’m a classics girl so my favorite has to be Cookies and Cream or Rocky Road. We also do a really good strawberry shortcake. 

Have you ever experimented with a flavor that didn’t work out?

Oh, ya. I made a flavor once with red wine and it was ehhhhh. I think the wine and the cream curdled into something terrifying. Won’t be doing that again, although it might work as a sorbet.

Tell us about your ice cream subscription! What a neat idea. Where else can you find your ice cream?

We are now wholesaling seven flavors at stores around Seattle, but I wanted to stay true to where I started, which is the custom orders so I am rolling out a subscription service. The idea is that people can sign up and get three unique flavors every first Saturday of the month. This keeps us making fun, unique flavors for our customers.  

What’s next for Sweet Lo’s?

Eventually we want a brick and mortar store. I want to be the best, and I want people to think of Sweet Lo’s when they think Seattle Ice Cream.  

Lastly, we always love to hear food expert’s answer to this question: What are your favorite spots for food/dessert around Seattle?

Simply Dessert in Fremont for cake. They make legit homemade cake and you get it by the slice. And Fainting Goat for gelato in Wallingford. 

Beyond dessert we love to eat out in general. Café Turko has amazing food AND dessert. Uneeda Burger, Mammoth Sandwiches, St. Johns in Capitol Hill.  

Thanks, Lauren! We had such a great time making homemade ice cream with you. If you are interested in making your own ice cream at home, we found this article on Kitchenistic, which reviews The Best Ice Cream Makers In 2020 helpful.

On the Road: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is a small but extremely cute town with a lot of character and killer food. Aside from the food, it's probably most known for the plaza, which is a great (albeit expensive) place to get SW gifts and jewelry. Needless to say, there is also a ton to do in the surrounding city. We recommend renting a car and exploring as much as you can. Here are our recommendations:

Stay

Santa Fe Motel and Inn. This motel is extremely affordable and within walking distance from the plaza. The rooms are spacious and have many cute details all over the property; from the dried peppers in the above photo to little SW tiles hanging in the rooms. The breakfast is free and plentiful and served in a little SW decorated space with a burning fireplace to keep you warm on cool desert mornings.

Eat & Drink

New Mexico is home to quite a few vineyards. We recommend checking out the cute and quaint Estrella del Norte winery. We love their dessert mole wine. It's spicy and pairs perfectly with a little chocolate on the side.

Jambo Café, an African restaurant by head chef Ahmed Obo, is such a town highlight! Ahmed is so kind and humble and happy when people stop by and visit with him. We recommend ordering the combination plate (which includes chicken curry, goat stew, and coconut lentils) so you can try a bit of everything, which is all savory and delicious! 

Café Pasqual's is located by plaza shopping, so you can stop in while you are browsing the stores. It's the best place to get your SW food fix! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu although our insider advice would be to get the chicken breast sandwich.

The Shed is an extremely popular spot to visit while in Santa Fe. They serve some of the best red chili and margaritas in the city and the space is extremely cute with outdoor seating. It can be extremely busy so be prepared for a wait if you are arriving at a popular time. If you can't get in, try La Choza, its sister restaurant, which is equally good and less known by the tourists.

Do

Ojo Caliente Hot Springs is about 50 miles north of Santa Fe. You can stay here at it's hotel, but you can also just visit for the day. They have eleven different pools (with four different minerals!) all of varying temperatures and they even have a mud pool, where you cover yourself in mud, let it bake on you in the sun and then soak in a mud pool. It's wonderful and relaxing.

Bandelier National Monument is where you can see dwellings from the ancestral pueblo people dating back 11,000 years and a variety of their Petroglyphs (cave drawings). It is truly incredible and can easily be seen following a short hike.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks. This hike is fairly easy (it gets a little steep towards the end, but it's mostly flat) and takes your through unique slot canyons with views of the interesting cone-shaped rock formations. It's a must. We recommend going early to avoid the heat and crowds.

Giant Robot at Meow Wolf

Meow Wolf. It is hard to explain this place. It's part art installations and part mystery solving and the whole thing is just a trip. Go into this experience with an open mind and plenty of time to explore. The show changes from time to time, but regardless of what is currently there, it's worth a visit.

Take the Turquoise Trail south from Santa Fe to the cute town of Madrid. There is a small strip of road lined with the cutest art shops and restaurants. Check out Sugarman's Little Chocolate Shop for some amazing chocolate bark.

A petroglyph just outside of Santa Fe

5 Reasons Seattle is the Best City in the World

The City of Seattle is home to about 700,000 people. If you count all the surrounding areas the number swells to 4 million. During the last census we found out that we are the fastest growing city in the nation. And you know what? It all makes sense. Because Seattle is the greatest place on earth and the secret is out. 

1. We are diverse. 

Ethnic food of all variety!

Seattle is a place where everyone is welcome. Being surrounded by people of all shapes, sizes, colors, cultures, and sexualities is the number one reason it is so much fun to live here. We love going out to events and meeting people with different backgrounds than we have. It makes it interesting and exciting and educational. 

The diversity of individuals has manifested into a funky and unique city. We have mouthwatering restaurants that serve authentic food from around the world. We have music performances from all different genres. We have art museums with work from artists from all walks of life. Our neighborhoods are vibrant and change drastically depending on where you are. We have trolls living under our bridges and people handing out daffodils on street corners. Waking up in Seattle means waking up to a million interesting possibilities in the day ahead of you!

2. We have mountains, ocean, and so much green in between. 

Mt. Dickerman

We have everything when it comes to geology! You can be in a rainforest in the morning, next be on an island whale watching in the afternoon, and fall asleep that night in the mountains surrounded by stars and snow. You can also conveniently hop on a bus and be at one of the many lakes in and around our city. It is truly magical and we pinch ourselves all the time to remember that yes, this is a real place, not a dream world Walt Disney made up. 

3. Living a healthy life is a piece of cake. 

Jumping is a form of exercise

Seattle makes living a healthy and active life easy and fun. Because of those mountains, oceans and lakes you have a big adult playground at your fingertips and a crazy range of activities to keep you entertained for decades. Try to hike every beautiful trail, kayak on every lake, and bike every path. The moderate weather means walking around the city is easy.  There is no freezing snow or sweltering heat to keep you indoors. Queen Anne residents don't even have to enjoy hiking, they stay fit just from walking up their massive hill. Once you get done with your day just head into one of our many restaurants that serve local, organic, and fresh food. 

4. We are chill AF

The uniform of Seattle

You can wear flannel to 99.9% of the establishments around town and no one will bat an eyelash. You could walk into a 5 star restaurant in cycling gear and they will strike up a conversation about what you ride. We don't place emphasis on what brand you are wearing or how much money you spend at the salon every month. We are much more interested in your actions and how you contribute positively to the community. 

5. We set trends.

Kombucha is a thing and plentiful

You don't have to wait five years for Kombucha to be a thing. You'll never have to ask yourself, "What is virtual reality?" You don't have to wonder what good beer tastes like as you sip your Bud Light. And you don't have to worry about hiding your pot. Seattle is hip and cool and does things before other places, which makes you feel cool when you travel and know about stuff other people don't. Go ahead, ask us our stance on play-based education or the proper device to brew coffee with (obvi it's a Chemex). 

We count ourselves #blessed to live in our little corner of the world. What are some of your favorite things about Seattle? We would love to hear in the comments! 

Seattle Gems: Pike Place Fish Market

The crew of Pike Place Fish

We had a blast taking over the Pike Place Fish social media a few weeks ago. We got to spend a lot of time with the guys in preparation, and we learned a thing or two about what makes the shop tick, which skills are needed to be successful, and the stories behind two of the oldest employees. In case you missed it on Instagram and Facebook, here is a recap!

When does the day start?

Ryan sets up the crab display

A day in the life of a fishmonger officially starts at 6:30AM (not counting the early alarm followed by a drive into work and a strong coffee)! The first couple hours at the market are quiet as the guys shovel ice and arrange the product in the lovely layouts you see when you shop! All of the fish is set-up and taken down each day. The guys make it a goal to be entirely set up by 8am.

Why do they throw fish?

Fish throwing skillz!

When you hear the name Pike Place Fish, odds are you also picture a fish soaring through the air. These guys have been chucking fish behind the counter for over 30+ years and many think it’s just to draw a crowd, but it started back in the 80s as a more efficient way to sell product. The faster you get it to the guy behind the counter, the faster the guy in the front can move onto the next customer!

Insider fact: the fish you see flying over and over is actually not for sale. It’s a “stunt” salmon and is donated to the zoo to feed the bears.

Which employees have the best stories?

Meet Sam "The Boss" Samson

Sam is kind of a big deal. He is the oldest employee at Pike Place Fish with 31 years of experience under his belt. He is now the “big boss” though he had to work his way up from the bottom. When he first arrived in Seattle looking for work he asked about a job and the then boss, Derek, threw him a fish, asked him to fillet it on the spot and then, seeing he had the right chops, gave him a job. Sam’s favorite fish to cook at home is the Mackerel, which he keeps simple by salting and broiling.

Meet Jaison Scott

People joke Jaison was born in the market because his mom worked and raised him at Pike Place. He slept in a banana box under the ice as a baby and they put him to work making boxes when he was just 8 years old (this was before strict child labor laws), but he claims he was just goofing around. He has been doing “real work” at the fish market for 25 years now and loves his job. His favorite fish to cook at home is salmon. He adds a little bit of the shop’s essential seasoning and a little bit of NW seasoning and bakes it for 20 minutes.

What skills do you need to work there?

First and foremost you have to have a sparkling personality. These guys spend a lot of time together and are more like brothers than friends so positivity, love of the job, and a good sense of humor are essential to the job. As for technical skills, all eighteen guys know how to crack a crab, perfectly fillet a fish, and build out a beautiful display of salmon.

Insider fact: the worst fish to fillet is a Rough Eye, which apparently has thorns all over its head!

Is the fish they sell sustainable?

Yes! They made the switch in January 2011 after deciding as a group they needed to think long term and take a stand to protect the environment and species that gives them so much: a place to work and a nutritious food source.

How do you cook an octopus?

CJ and his octopus

We’ve always been intimidated by the octopus at the market, but apparently it isn’t too hard to cook into a delicious meal! Ryan Rector recommends “low and slow” when preparing octopus. Braise for 2 hours, chuck it on the grill to get some char on the tentacles, and then chop it up and throw it on top of some greens with cherry tomatoes and fennel sausage. YUM.

When does the shop close?

End of the night huddle

6:30pm means quittin' time for the boys. The guys huddle up at the end of every 12 hour shift to discuss how the day went and end with an all hands in chant of “heeeeeeeeeey-ya.” Which sounds way better in person than trying to imagine it here, but you get the point, these guys are a close knit group and support each other. 

If you are ever at Pike Place Market for a visit, be sure to look for the fish guys under the main clock! They are worth the visit, and you can pick up dinner as well!