The metro area has no shortage of ice cream shops, but one new addition is already gaining fans for its small-batch scoops with flavors that stand out in the scene. On January 19, as the arctic storm brought freezing temperatures to the metro area, a husband-and-wife team of longtime hospitality pros debuted their new venture, Darlene’s Ice Cream, in Aurora.
“We knew to be cautiously optimistic about a January opening date,” jokes Kyle Clark, who met his wife, pastry chef Joy Williams-Clark, over a decade ago, when they were both working as line cooks at ChoLon, the downtown restaurant known for its French onion soup dumplings. Most recently, Kyle was a chef at El Five, while Joy was the operations chef for its parent group, Edible Beats, which also includes Root Down, Linger and Vital Root.
“Given the timeline, we kind of needed to open,” Joy says. “On Monday, [January 19], all the kids were off school, and it was pleasantly busy all day, and then a steady flow the rest of the week. A handful of nights, we did far more than I expected with how cold it was.”…