Hot and Cold: Neveux Artisan Creamery & Espresso Bar

On one of the coldest nights of the year last week, we were invited to sample the wares of Neveux Artisan Creamery & Espresso Baron Melrose. The creamery, which opened this past fall, is labor of love for owner Leo Neveux, who makes all of the ice cream on premises. (It's also served a few doors down at Chef Eric Greenspan's The Foundry on Melrose.)

Neveux half-jokingly told us that he opened the creamery to combat the proliferation of yogurt shops in LA. And after sampling the flavors, we'll take anything in his case—from the Coconut Curry Lemongrass to the Rosemary Butterscotch—over fro-yo-by-the-pound any day. No need to pile on the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Oreo Cookies to make these frozen treats more palatable.

The shop has a rotating menu of 25 sweet and savory flavors, with new ones being introduced seasonally. Much to our occasionally lactose intolerant stomach's chagrin, we sampled almost all of the flavors, and we can honestly say that we couldn't get enough of the Salted Caramel—a great balance of salt and sweet—and Caliente Cinnamon Chocolate—with a smooth, chocolatey start that finishes with a kick. The silky texture of the ice cream puts anything in our freezers to shame.

To complement the frozen treats, Neveux also serves up great espresso-based drinks with beans from Vancouver, Canada's 49th Parallel roasters. If you want the best of both worlds, the shop serves Affogato al Café—a shot of espresso poured over vanilla crème fraiche.

So if you're in the mood for a place that combines nontraditional ice cream flavors with hand-crafted care, check out Neveux—even on cold night, it's worth it.