Ted Drewes, Clementine’s and Andy’s: all household names when it comes to dessert in the Lou. As delightful as these destinations are, repeat visits can eventually grow monotonous. Luckily for the sweet-toothed among us, these familiar establishments are far from the only ones fulfilling St. Louisans’ sugar fixes. But do these dessert hidden gems hit the mark?

Ices Plain and Fancy

Nestled in the residential Shaw neighborhood, near the Missouri Botanical Garden, Ices Plain and Fancy is a spot of vibrancy compared to its otherwise placid surroundings. It’s not a large ice cream parlor, with only enough space for four small tables inside and a handful more outdoors. This certainly didn’t dissuade customers, and the seating was packed with families enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon. 

Ices Plain and Fancy is known for its unique Nitro-Ice Cream. The ice cream ingredients are mixed, and the base is frozen with liquid nitrogen. This offers an interesting experience where, after ordering, we watched a row of machines churn out fresh ice cream relatively quickly. 

The menu offers more than a dozen non-alcoholic flavors, including unique blends such as Dreamsicle and

Sump Coffee. It also features non-dairy options, boozy specials and seasonal specials. However, they only have two options for serving sizes: regular and large, costing $8 and $12. Despite this high price point, we found a lack of customization regarding toppings, but the number of flavors made up for it. 

Compared to your average ice cream, Ices Plain and Fancy’s fare is much smoother, resembling frozen custard in texture. The Rocky Road blended decadent chocolate, velvety caramel and the occasional nuts for crunch. The Cookies and Cream was a mix of fresh Oreo cookies and a classic vanilla base. 

Overall, the service was incredibly friendly. After ordering, we sat at a table with a neighborhood view. While we were waiting, the combination of customer chatter and roaring ice cream machines made for a noisy experience; when the machines weren’t operating, we were instead treated to a standard rotation of pop music. While the environment wasn’t conducive to conversation, the service was quick, and a server brought the ice cream to our table. 

With its unique ice cream texture and bustling environment, Ices Plain and Fancy is an establishment we would visit again to try new flavors and explore the area. However, if you want to visit, they only have street-side parking, making accessing the business difficult on busy days. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays but are available from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. 

Tous les Jours

Located on St. Louis’ famous Delmar Loop, Tous Les Jours is a branch of the internationally acclaimed Korean French bakery based in South Korea. With a grand opening on Feb. 21, we visited the establishment to see the average occupancy, which did not disappoint. 

Formerly a Jimmy John’s, Tous Les Jours has been completely renovated inside. The minimalist aesthetic allows the rows of delicious pastries and cakes to take center stage, and the large windows bring in some very welcome afternoon sunlight. Though the proximity of the counters to the door creates some awkward shuffling around when customers enter, Tous Les Jours is spacious enough to enjoy a sweet treat at leisure.

Many customers treated Tous Les Jours as a study spot, having their laptops open and headphones on while eating their tasty dessert. Therefore, it may not be the best spot for those wanting a lively and loud experience, as the almost-academic atmosphere lends itself much more to quiet conversation than raucous laughter. We found it a great place to bring a couple of friends to get work done, if someone else didn’t get the best seats first. 

Tous Les Jours offers a broad selection of drinks and desserts. It serves coffee, tea and smoothies. Nevertheless, the range of desserts is truly impressive. They display bread, cake and pastries, some in the French classic style and many with a Korean flavorful twist. 

With clear signs adorning the wall, ordering and eating at Tous Les Jours was simple. At the bakery’s doorway, we grabbed a tray and tongs. Then, we followed the aisle with pastries and bread organized in an illuminated glass case. Once we decided, we opened the case and used the tongs to place the dessert on our tray. Next to the cashier, there were cases featuring cakes with slices ready to go. 

Although the place had a constant rush of entering customers, there was more than enough room for us to find seating. We sat comfortably on bar stools next to the window in view of the construction of new apartment buildings across the street. The other seating areas included coupled couches across a table, a mix of couches and chairs across the wall, and in the back, there were long tables with lamps. 

With low-volume pop music playing from the speakers, we first tried the Strawberry Croissant, a regular croissant cut into slices containing fresh strawberries and a creamy, muted vanilla filling priced at $4.50. We also tasted the Vanilla Cream Donut, which, unlike the Strawberry Croissant, had vanilla beans in its filling and was encased by soft dough, priced at $3.50, with delicious embellishments like a chocolate tag saying Tous Les Jours; it was worth it. Finally, we tasted a Yuzu Pie, similar to a croissant, except for its rectangular shape. The pastry was light and flaky, and the citrus filling was a delightful blend of sweet and tangy. For $4.50, this was a well-priced and well-portioned afternoon snack: filling but not overly so. 

We recommend this location to those looking to hang out or study with friends. With its hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, it’s an establishment for a snack after work or dessert after dinner on the loop. Once the street-side parking is full, there is also a free parking lot within walking distance, making the place easily accessible. 

Both Ices Plain and Fancy and Tous Les Jours take a unique approach to dessert and, ultimately, we see them becoming permanent joints for St. Louisans to bring friends and family. All year round, these establishments offer new flavors and, thus, new reasons to visit. However, we recommend you take your treats on the go and tour the lovely neighborhood surrounding Ices Plain and Fancy or the famous Loop, where Tous Les Jours is located. After all, bustling conversation is the best topping for your dessert.