If you’re looking for a reason to try Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, the Maine-based import that opened in Mount Pleasant early last month, ask Obama. The former president gave the artisanal scoops his stamp of approval back in 2010 at one of the Bar Harbor locations, pronouncing the toasted coconut “terrific.”
The former First Family hasn’t visited the District’s location—yet—but first-time business owners Brian Lowit and Melissa Quinley are ready for it.
“We didn’t want to reach out while we were still getting our act together,” Quinley says. “If he ever strolls in, we want it to be perfect.”
Lowit and Quinley are major players in the local punk rock music scene. They both work at Dischord Records, a D.C.-based label. Quinley is in the band Soccer Team, and Lowit has his own independent record label. But they’d always talked about opening up a business together, and on annual trips to Maine with friends, they became huge fans of Mount Desert Island’s ice cream. After striking up a friendship with the company’s founder, Linda Parker, they spent time trying to convince her to bring the ice cream to them.
Parker suggested they open a shop themselves. She told the Mount Desert Islander newspaper in 2016 that she’s always had her eye on the District because her mother was from Chevy Chase, and wanted the store to be a sort of tribute to her. The former web developer started making the small-batch ice cream in 2005 and runs three other shops—two in Bar Harbor and one in Portland, Maine. In addition to Obama’s praise, Food and Wine named Mount Desert Island among America’s top 25 ice cream parlors.
Lowit and Quinley spent weeks training with Parker, learning the rhythms and recipes to replicate her vision as closely as possible. The D.C. shop’s flavors are identical to its coastline locations, but the ice cream is made on-site with local ingredients and dairy from Pennsylvania farms. The menu has 24 options, including several vegan-friendly sorbets and flavors churned with soy, almond, and coconut milk. Scoops (a single is $5.40) range from classics like strawberry and cookies and cream to more experimental flavors—coriander streusel with berries, spicy Thai chili coconut, and a blueberry sour cream crumble. One of the most popular is the Girl Scout-inspired Thin Mints flavor, with Callebaut chocolate and mint cookies baked on site.
Several seasonal flavors will be on rotation, starting with pumpkin, chai tea, and honey-baked apple in the fall. In addition to waffle and sugar cones, the ice cream is available in milkshake, float, and sundae form with sauces and toppings. For those who can’t decide, a flight of flavors is $8. Mount Desert also serves coffee and plans to have an espresso drink and hot chocolate in the fall.
Lowit and Quinley hope to infuse their love of music into the shop, too. While plans are still pending, Lowit says they have “a bunch of fun ideas” for pairing special ice cream flavors with album releases and playing or hosting small pop-up shows as space allows.
The two say many of their customers are repeats who’ve been to the Maine shops and are thrilled they don’t have to drive all the way up the East Coast. Several times a week, the line has been out the door and down the block.
“I always loved going to the shop because it’s the best ice cream I’ve ever had,” Quinley says. “It’s not gimmicky. There’s a lot of thought put into the flavors. We wanted to open something that would help bring people together.”
Mount Desert Island Ice Cream is located at 3110 Mount Pleasant Street NW. Summer hours are Sundays through Thursdays from noon-9 p.m.; Fridays from noon-10 p.m.; and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
