Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.

As D.C. continues to become a food lover’s paradise, the brick-and-mortar options for one treat remain slim: Ice cream.

With the closure of Max’s Best Ice Cream in Glover Park, D.C. proper was left with less than a handful of locally-owned places to grab a cone or cup not filled with gelato or (shudder) frozen yogurt. That will change for the better on Saturday when Ice Cream Jubilee opens its first permanent location next to Yards Park.

Victoria Lai, the former attorney who founded Ice Cream Jubilee, said she first came to the Capitol Riverfront about a year ago while she was still practicing law. “I wasn’t thinking about leaving my job,” she said at a media preview Wednesday. “But I saw the river and the green space and the fountains, and it just felt like the weekend.”

There’s a decent chance you’ve already sampled Lai’s creations. She began making and selling ice cream three years ago, both at retail outlets and out of a cart. With the opening of the shop on Water Street SE, her unique flavors have a bright and airy home directly next to one of the best green spaces in the city. Her flavors includes Thai Iced Tea (perhaps the best ice cream DCist sampled), Cookies ‘n’ Cookie Dough, Blueberry Pie and a simple but strong Vanilla. There are also sorbets on the menu, including an extremely refreshing Gin and Tonic flavor.

“At this point, I understand ice cream a lot better than when I started three years ago,” Lai said when asked about how she creates the flavors. “You only make a certain mistake once or twice, and then you drink the soupy ice cream.”

After the basic formulas are figured out, Lai said the fun begins. “Rarely does anything taste awful,” she said. “It’s mostly about getting from tasty to awesome.”

The store is staffed by Lai, three managers — general, production and social media/events — and part-time scoopers. In addition to ice cream and sorbet, the shop will serve coffee from Zeke’s, the Baltimore roaster that opened a shop in Woodridge last year.

A grand opening is planned for Saturday at 10 a.m. If you just can’t wait, Ice Cream Jubilee will be open from 11 a.m.t o 6 p.m. today for a pay-what-you-want soft opening.

Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.