Farbreng With The Kosher Gang: Getting the Scoop on LA’s Kosher Ice Cream
- David Greenberg
- Jun 12
- 7 min read
I was out buying wine for my Shavuot meals when someone stopped me. She told me she watched my TikToks and that if I wanted a pro-tip on a nice bottle of wine, I should go to Monsieur Marcel in the Farmers Market on Fairfax & 3rd. They have a kosher wine section with tons of hidden gems!
It was so good I actually debated gate-keeping that information, but I decided I had to at least let the Farbreng Gang readers in on the action.
It’s always nice to run into a reader or someone who watches my videos. The best part of the week, for sure was the spiritual ascent of the Chag!
For those of us who learned all night, I hope it was as rewarding for you as it was for me! We should continue to elevate ourselves and our surroundings with a renewed commitment to Torah, mitzvot, and our relationship with Hashem!
The cheesecake was pretty nice too, lol! I personally love a good dairy meal, so it was high vibes all around!
And after all that dairy? Naturally, there was really only one thing left to do: more dairy.
Speaking of which, what an amazing response we got from our Pizza Tournament! Thank you to everyone who read the article, to those of you who reached out and shared your opinions.
It was so fun to see the LA Jewish community engaging with our content! We want to keep the conversation going, so if you have an opinion on one of our opinions or you just want to share your own thoughts about LA’s kosher pizza game (or ice cream game!) in an upcoming article, send us an email at editor@thelajewishhome.com.
This week I’m joined by two good friends of mine, bochurim from Yeshiva Ohr Elchanon Chabad in La Brea: Mendel Geisinsky and Levi Goldman.
We’re starting off summer the coolest way we know how — by eating ice cream, of course! We’re hitting up Valley Swirl and Munchies to get the scoop on LA’s kosher ice cream. Mendel, how are you feeling about eating all of this ice cream?
“Coming out of Shavuot, you would think you’re done for ice cream. Nah! We’re always ready for ice cream. Especially the boys.”
Period. Ice cream is an elite food for me. The coldness scratches my brain in the best way possible. I recently read in the Shulchan Aruch that if you’re naturally a hot person, you should eat cold foods. Maybe that’s why I like ice cream so much.
Tens of thousands of viewers on my TikTok @WeWantMoschiachNow already know I recently took on Cholov Yisroel. In a video telling the story behind that decision, I divulged the #1 OU-D food I miss is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Right behind that is McConnell’s Ice Cream. So finding good Cholov Yisroel ice cream has been a top priority for me.
So kick back, cool off, and let’s eat some ice cream, gang!
Valley Swirl: Even the Bochurim Scream for This Ice Cream.
From the minute you step out of your car, Valley Swirl at 9516 W Pico Blvd is an absolute summer vibe. The aesthetic of the outdoor seating area has a very beachy hut-type energy that sets the tone for your whole experience. Mendel, are you ready for this ice cream, bro?
“It’s so hot right now, David.”
“Let’s do this! We have to be back at Yeshiva in 1 hour!”
This ice cream felt like it was made to be consumed in the summertime, and here’s the scoop. From what I gathered in my preliminary research, all of the soft serve in town is essentially prepackaged from the same brand no matter where you get it. The hard ice cream is generally homemade! Luckily, I’m a hard ice cream guy!
I also heard their waffle cones and bowls are made in-house, so we definitely all wanted one of those.
Two Farbreng with the Kosher Gang readers, Musya and Reesha Fine, recommended the bowl with the cotton candy topping, and I was curious how that worked. Mousya and Reesha — great call, though no cotton candy this time. Unfortunately, they were fresh out. We’ll be back for it. Instead, I went with a classic whipped cream topping on my single scoop of mint chip ice cream.
Not just my favorite flavor — but according to a survey of 20,000 Americans, mint chip is tied for 3rd behind chocolate and vanilla for America’s favorite flavor!
Levi G, what it do? What did you get over there?
“I got cookies & cream. Wow, it was fire!”
Mendel, how about you?
“I got a classic chocolate for the boys. I’m a bit of a chocolate critic. I feel there isn’t so much of a chocolatey vibe to this guy, but the bowl is crazy.”
I know there aren’t so many ice cream options in town, and I honestly think that makes this hit even harder. I told you guys — I am an ice cream lover! My standard is high. Valley Swirl is high quality; it wasn’t melting right away, which is a good sign. That means the fat content in the cream must be pretty high! What are you guys thinking in terms of score? Levi, have you decided where you want to go with this yet?
“Ice cream is the best. With the waffle cone, this is a 95 out of 100.”
Wow, that’s a massive score!
Mendel, how about you? What are you thinking?
“Based on the lack of chocolate in the chocolate, I’m gonna say 86 out of 100. The soft serve is way better.”
Wow, 86 is still really high! The waffle bowl is definitely making it happen for me too. Again, this is one of the very few kosher Cholov Yisroel places in LA. So with this kind of quality, I’m giving Valley Swirl a very well-deserved 91 out of 100.
I never need an excuse to eat ice cream. How about you, Mendel?
“Never. This was so refreshing on this hot day.”
For real! It really hit the spot, and the whipped cream was a nice touch. All in all, I’m really happy we’re all in the same ballpark — so for sure, it’s clearly very, very good.
Valley Swirl set a high bar, but our next stop is just a short walk away. Let’s see how these ice creams stack up!
Valley Swirl
@LeviGoldman Overall Score: 95 out of 100
@MendelGeisinsky Overall Score: 86 out of 100
@WeWantMoschiachNow Overall Score: 91 out of 100
The Munchies Hit Different on Pico.
Located at 8859 W Pico Blvd. This place is called Munchies, and even after eating ice cream moments ago, munchies were exactly what I had as soon as I walked through the door. This is a candy store of epic proportions. I’m gonna have to come back and review more of their offerings because, as a chocolate lover and a newly Cholov Yisroel keeper, this was like finding a small slice of Shamayim right here in LA.
I’m excited about this! It’s a day full of ice cream, and I’m loving it.
“It’s melting in the sun. It’s melting in the sun…”
Good catch, Mendel!
This is melting on the quicker side, but the texture tells me it’s very fresh, and the color of the vanilla screams high-quality ingredients. I would guess Munchies uses a reasonably high fat content in their cream that definitely makes this a premium ice cream.
If you didn’t know, ice cream is rated based on the fat content in the cream, with most commercial ice creams rated as Premium. Higher-end brands tend to rate as Super Premium, while homemade ice creams and artisanal brands generally make up the Ultra-Premium category.
The flavor selection at Munchies had all of us intrigued.
This time, we had to get more than one scoop because there were just too many enticing flavors to only try one. I got one scoop of salted caramel, one scoop of marshmallow caramel, and one scoop of my favorite: mint chip.
It’s such a different experience than I had earlier. I would honestly come here for different reasons and on different occasions. This is such a homemade vibe, and I love that about it.
The mint is more peppermint-esque, and I really like that. The ice cream has almost a sticky quality to it that I also really enjoy. The flavors pack a punch, and the variety would keep me coming back just so I can try everything! The marshmallow caramel was extremely good — I will have to get that again next time.
Yo guys, what do you think about this? Levi G?
“I got the same cookies and cream, some cookie dough, and the marshmallow caramel. It’s really good.”
The cookies and cream looked banging, by the way! Mendel, what are you thinking?
“It is different alright. I got the same chocolate, but this one’s actually way more chocolatey. So I guess LA can’t find a middle ground on the chocolate.”
This one’s too chocolatey, you’re saying?
“Yeah. I like the way it’s chocolatey, and the benefit of that is it stays in your mouth — and obviously with good food you want the flavor to remain.”
The ice cream really is very flavorful here. No doubt about it — it’s different, but not in a bad way at all.
“In a delicious way!”
That’s right, Levi! In a way that makes it something I would crave for its unique qualities.
The marshmallow caramel is actually crazy.
“I think I liked the other cookies and cream a little bit better. It’s a candy store, not an ice cream store.”
Nah, come on — it’s an ice cream store too! It’s very good. I rarely do this, but I’m giving Munchies a 90 out of 100. I don’t usually give a round score, but that’s just what it is — at least in terms of the ice cream. What about you, Mendel?
“I like the chocolate flavor, but I told you I’m a bit of a chocolate critic. Overall, the flavor is a bit ehh. So I’ll give it an 80 out of 100.”
Wow, okay — 80 is still pretty good. Definitely a fair score! Levi G, what are you thinking?
“David, 90 is very good. I think I’m going to give it an 88 out of 100.”
Again, that’s super solid! Munchies doesn’t play around! The ice cream game is serious here, and I will be back for the candy selection — also another scoop of that marshmallow caramel, lol.
Munchies
@LeviGoldman Overall Score: 88 out of 100
@MendelGeisinsky Overall Score: 80 out of 100
@WeWantMoschiachNow Overall Score: 90 out of 100
This was a thoroughly enjoyable week to be a food reviewer. I truly loved the ice cream from both places. That being said, I had some Valley Swirl left over in the car — even after 3 scoops at Munchies, it hadn’t melted so much, and I absolutely inhaled it. Density in ice cream is a big thing for me, so I think I found my new Cholov Yisroel ice cream fix! Stay tuned, because our summer adventures are just heating up. Until then, I think that’s a review.
David Greenberg is a music industry professional, songwriter, and content creator.
You can follow him @WeWantMoschiachNow on TikTok, IG, and Youtube.
Hear his kosher pop music at soundcloud.com/WeWantMoschiachNow.
For all inquiries: WeWantMoschiachNow@thelajewishhome.com
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