A Tasty Treat at the End of the Street: It’s-It Andytown and Playland-at-the Beach
When I was approached about helping out with research and development (R&D) for It’s-It affogatos, my first thought was why? Not why would we do that, but why do we need to do R&D, that sounds delicious already! But of course, there is more to this R&D than just flavor alone! Join me on this delicious journey to hear about how we prepared to get this tasty treat in your hands, and learn about some It’s-It history from Kevin Tran, Retail Success Manager.
What Goes Into an It’s-It Affogato?
The first detail we ironed out was the vessel in which the affogatos would be served. Kevin ordered several options for to-go, compostable bowls. This was an easy decision for us. We wanted a bowl that was easy to fit in one hand, so the other was available for consuming the affogato, but that was large enough to fit both halves of an It’s-It and a shot of espresso without being crowded.
Once we decided on a bowl, we got to taste the affogato. The It’s-It is cut in half, and a shot of espresso was slowly poured over the entire ice cream sandwich. The warm espresso soaked into the oatmeal cookie, and ever so slightly melted the outer chocolate coating and the vanilla ice cream center. Visually, it was stunning: two halves of an It’s-It, you can see where the espresso was poured, with a pool of a creamy espresso-ice cream mixture at the bottom. Originally we didn’t think a spoon was going to be necessary to use, but because the espresso soaked into the cookie, it served as a useful tool for getting a balanced bit of cookie, ice cream, and espresso. Needless to say, it was a wonderful flavor combination. The intensity of the espresso was balanced and enhanced by the sweetness of the ice cream.
Testing It’s-It Affogatos in different vessels and measuring how long the ice-cream sandwich maintains its structural integrity. We had stomach aches after this.
One addition we considered was topping the affogatos with our in-house made whipped cream. This seemed like a no-brainer since we have espresso con pannas on our menu, which are affogato adjacent but use whipped cream instead of ice cream. So, we topped an affogato with a dollop of whip and got to tasting. The result was unexpected. The It’s-It already provided a lot of creaminess, so adding the whipped cream made the texture of the affogato unbalanced. Our whipped cream also has a hint of sea salt for added complexity. Since we don’t want to detract from the sweetness the It’s-It brings to the affogato experience we decided not to include the whipped cream–but it’s always available to be added on for you to decide for yourselves!
Our final presentation for an It’s-It Affogato in a to-go cup
It’s-It at Playland-at -the-Beach
Kevin here! As I was being introduced to this project–I couldn’t help but take a deep dive into the historical significance of this location and how it’s all tied together with the introduction of this product!
The It’s-It storefront at Playland-at-the-Beach
On this very street, Great Highway, is where the “It’s-it” had been born! This classic San Franciscan treat is created originally in 1928 by George Whitney, who was the eventual general manager of Playland-at-the-Beach, a once seaside amusement park on Ocean Beach! It’s-its were made up of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two old fashioned oatmeal cookies that's then dipped in a thin layer of chocolate. Back then, this ice cream sandwich was described to be made to order with warm cookies that's freshly dipped in dark chocolate and served within a napkin to catch any melted ice cream that may run off.
It’s-its were served exclusively at Playland-at-the-Beach for over four decades until 1972 and was noted to be the first thing people flocked to when they arrived. It felt like a ritual for folks; to grab this tasty treat before immersing themselves in the local attractions, or racing themselves home so that they can catch their favorite program on television with their treat. These parallels are indisputable to me in our current times.
A busy day at Playland-at-the Beach. Can you find the It’s-It sign?
I adore what It’s-it had brought to the community while it was at Playland. It felt like a grand attractor, where the community can meet, a place to unwind and a gateway to this edge of the city. We at Andytown took notice of this and wanted to continue the joy of looking forward to a treat to your day. Although the thrills and cheers from Playland are of a distant memory–we still have pieces of history to appreciate and many more moments to make.
Come try our It’s-it affogato, appreciate the fog or sun, and enjoy the walk on the beach! Best enjoyed with friends, family, or a bird.
