Earnest Ice Cream gets serious with chocolate

Earnest Ice Cream near the Olympic Village was hopping busy tonight.

That's to be expected when the thermometer reading gets high in our town.

But what was new, at least to me, was an expanded selection of sundaes. I spotted caramel and a seasonal offering on top of the regular hot fudge nut and vegan versions.

Last year, I only saw milk chocolate cones but this year, the Quebec Street location has ramped it up with a serious chocolate flavouring.

It's darker and denser and you can feel the chocolate throb in your mouth. That's in contrast to the flatter and blander milk chocolate of last year.

There was also a tasty raspberry cone this year, which I never saw in 2016 even though it's mentioned on the website.

Earlier this year, Earnest won the Georgia Straight Golden Plates Award for best ice cream. And it's since opened a new shop at 1485 Frances Street. If nothing else, the company's growth reflects the enduring popularity of artisanal ice cream.