Melt: Ice Cream Among the Arts

The Dish: Cookie Monster Ice Cream
The Place: Melt
The Location: 910 N 5th St Phoenix, AZ 85004

By: Clayton Porter

The monsoon rain has just stopped falling in downtown Phoenix. You can still feel the electricity and moisture in the air as people emerge from their various shelters. Many are vendors setting up tables and booths for Phoenix’s First Friday Art Walk. Known for its unique characters, food trucks and display of local artists this monthly event can be very entertaining. But for my brother and I, we are here for some ice cream.

Located in the heart of the arts district is Melt. The shop resides on 5th street, in the front of a house and among a row of art studios and a coffee shop. Even with a psychedelic pink paint pattern on the outside, you just might miss it if it wasn’t for a large “Ice Cream” sign on the ground by the side walk.

The shop’s main focus is on the flavors of its ice cream and sorbets rather than a large offering in choice of toppings. You have your classic chocolate, vanilla, butter pecan and mango sorbet. Then the joint gets a little fancy with flavors such as horchata, fruity pebble and blueberry cheesecake. It wouldn’t be right not to sample one or two or three different options before picking your flavor. In the end my brother goes with a scoop of horchata ice cream and I pick a very bright cookie monster ice cream. A single scoop in a Chinese takeout container with a fortune cookie on top is passed over the counter.

Normally at Melt you would take your order outside to the patio area where wooden tables fill the yard surrounding a large palm tree. But with the rain soaking the wooden seats, we decide to walk around a little. Exploring the art displays and exhibits as well as stopping to people watch from time to time. The cookie monster ice cream hits the spot. It has a sweet cream taste mixed with chunks of cookie and large chocolate chips. The rich blue color makes me feel like a kid eating something strange yet delightful. It’s good to the last spoonful.

Melt proves to be a hidden gem in the middle of an artists hideaway. Open till midnight everyday of the week, the perfect spot for a late night treat.