Daytrip: Munnerlyn’s and More
Posted on June 3, 2010 – 7:29 AM | by OldManFoster
Story and photos by Dean Seavers
In Sacramento at least, ice cream parlor patronage is almost like a religious affiliation. Whether you are a Burrist, a Guntherite or a Vicsian, odds are that you are one of the “true believers” of the ice cream world. Being an avowed Guntherite, I must cop to the somewhat condescending attitude of harboring either pity or suspicion toward anyone who will gladly consume chain store ice cream. You must either be living in confectionary ignorance or you’re the ice cream version of those “spiritual, but not religious” types. I’ll light a candle for you.
When you’re a kid, ice cream is a lot like other people’s driving. Anyone who gets you from point A to point B in one piece seems to be an excellent driver, and any ice cream that’s cold and sweet (and not too “weird” of a flavor) qualifies as good ice cream. It’s only later in life that we come to realize what truly great ice cream is.
And speaking of driving, on the first sunny and warm Sunday afternoon of the season, my girlfriend and I found ourselves wanting to get outside and enjoy the weather via the time-honored tradition of the Sunday drive. While ice cream wasn’t the pure motivation for the trip, it was decided that it would be a part of it. It was too late in the day to point the car to the Bay Area (thus including a trip to Fenton’s in Oakland ) so we decided to head in another direction.
A quick Google search for “ice cream in Northern California” turned up some options. One that stood out was Munnerlyn’s Ice Creamery on Highway 88 in Pine Grove. I clicked on the Google map to find that it was about 56 miles out of Sacramento, and then called to see how late they were open, and everything checked out. So we hopped in the car and pointed it east to pick up the Jackson highway (aka highway 16) at Folsom Blvd and work our way to 88 via highway 49. While Munnerlyn’s was going to be the stop at our furthest point, there would be others along the way.
I lived in Placerville a few years ago and a common weekend activity was grabbing my son and aimlessly driving highway 49 and then exploring any side road or town that seemed interesting. I also found that whenever I had to go into Sacramento, if there was time I’d take the Jackson highway past Rancho Murieta and then veer off at Old Sacramento Road to head up via the back roads. It always amazed me how in that pocket, the landscape changed so dramatically. The rolling hills, tree lined roads that often times followed alongside streams, and the occasional tiny community, farm, or ranch provided a ready escape from the familiar. That it is a complete change of scenery so close to Sacramento, always made it a delightful diversion. When you spend most of your travel time on 50, 99, or 5, sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are other aspects to California.
Our first stop was in Amador City off of “old 49” which was the only 49 until the bypass that connects Drytown to Jackson was opened in 2007, skipping Amador City and Sutter Creek. You can’t miss it, because there is a big “Welcome to Amador City” sign at the old 49 turnoff. We were there to seek out Andrae’s Bakery and Cheese Shop based on a recommendation. Once we found the place, we were greeted with a cozy atmosphere and a line of happy patrons, eager to purchase the items that caught their fancy. In the tiny storefront, not only were there freshly baked breads, pastries, tarts, and cookies on offer, but we were also surrounded by shelves of cheese, sauces, meats, various wines, handmade sandwiches, and other food items both imported or locally produced. The small shop piques the same kind of curiosity that all the best delicatessens and food importers inspire. There is something kind of exciting about discovering the unfamiliar and being presented a whole slew of new options to try, with a potential new favorite “something” waiting to be discovered and savored. I perused while Chinatsu stood in line to buy. Rather than a major sale, we just opted for a few small taster items. So a cinnamon roll, coconut macaroon, and a small baguette were bought and sampled. The macaroon was the perfect amount of sweet without being overly so, and was delightfully chewy without being too dense. The bread also had great texture and taste- a nice crunch to the crust, but also seemed to melt in your mouth. We’ll definitely be returning in the future.
Heading onward to Jackson, I looked for a place to grab some food before we indulged ourselves at Munnerlyn’s – I knew that ice cream on a stomach that up to that point had only a mocha and part of a macaroon wouldn’t serve me well. In the town of Pine Grove is a burger stand called “88 Giant Burgers To Go” that is one of those Mom n’ Pop burger places that used to dot every community, and surprisingly still exist in many. It’s old, tiny, and has a lot of patina. So much so that I can never imagine that any of these places were ever truly new. I’m convinced they were all built using worn linoleum, weathered wood, and 50 coats of paint. They are the kinds of places with a basic menu and aim to serve a straightforward burger. The service is that kind of small town version of cordial without being particularly warm and personal- that’s reserved for locals and regulars only. As with the time-honored tradition of all Mom n’ Pop’s that use commercially available ingredients, the burgers serve as a placebo for the kind you’d cook at home, but still trumps any national chain. Plus they serve shakes and fries, which aren’t quite the same when made at home. Award winning? Probably not, but honest and satisfying burger stand food nonetheless.
So our next stop was our original destination: Munnerlyn’s. Owners Stewart and Stacey Munnerlyn opened their ice creamery in August of 2008 after moving to Pine Grove from the Bay Area and realizing that not only does it get hot in Amador County, but that Pine Grove didn’t have a proper ice cream establishment. Determined to remedy the situation, they enrolled in the ice cream courses at both Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison – both institutions renown for their ice cream and dairy programs. The Munnerlyns hand-craft their ice cream utilizing diary products that are hormone and antibiotic free, as well as a lot of organic and locally-grown fruits purchased at the farmer’s market. They also compost the rinds and peels, serve their ice cream using cups, bowls and utensils that are made from sugar cane and corn starch and are therefore bio-compostable, and have 75% of their energy needs met through solar panels. Impressive!
The mission of operating a business as green as possible is notable, but what about the ice cream itself?
In a word: exquisite. To date, the Munnerlyns have produced over 120 custom and often-unique flavors, (try their Chocolate Guinness Stout next St. Patricks day) although they only offer 16 at a time due to space, but it means that the ice cream is always fresh. After much deliberation, I ordered a scoop of Kit Carson Krunk, which is a coffee-flavored ice cream with toffee bits in it, while Chinatsu had a scoop of Strawberry. Their ice cream was dense and creamy without being particularly heavy or sickeningly sweet. It was rich, but not too rich, and the flavors were well-balanced and allowed to have their natural taste. So often the flavors of individual ingredients seem to get masked somehow when inserted in ice cream. That’s not the case here. The flavors managed to be smooth and robust at the same time. We enjoyed our scoops so much, that afterwards, we split a scoop of chocolate. A little gluttonous perhaps, but it was necessary given the circumstances. I’ve been back twice since, and I know I’ll be looking for excuses all summer to make the trek, even though my enthusiasm for Gunther’s remains intact.
While I’d highly recommend a trip up highway 88 for the ice cream alone, once you add in the bakery, the raviolis, and the burgers; coupled with the opportunity to explore the towns and the surrounding landscape, I’d say a day trip through Amador County is a refreshing enough treat that darn near feels like a vacation.
Andrae’s Bakery and cheese Shop, 14141 Highway 49, Amador City, (209) 267-1352
88 Giant Burgers to Go, 19845 Highway 88, Pine Grove, (209) 296-7277
Munnerlyn’s ice Creamery, 20145 Hwy 88, Pine Grove, (209) 296-4400
Tags: 88 Giant Burgers to Go, Amador County, Andrae's Bakery, daytrip, Highway 88, Munnerlyn's Ice Cream, Pine Grove