For a long time pastry chef Joy Williams-Clark knew she wanted to own an ice cream shop, and with the opening of Darlene’s Ice Cream in Aurora last week, the dream has become a reality.
“There’s something so happy about ice cream,” said Williams-Clark over the phone. “It’s a successful outing and it can continue a great day, or make a not-so-great day better.”
Williams-Clark opened the 12-seat ice cream parlour along with her husband, Kyle Clark, starting with 16 rotating flavors of ice cream and sorbet. Because they both come from the restaurant world, you’ll find unique options such as Roasted Strawberry Jam, Brown Butter Pecan, and Mango Chili.
“We both wanted to honor the ice cream shops everyone knows and loves, but utilize the experiences we have with international cuisines and the things we have learned under amazing chefs in our career,” she explained. Overall, they wanted to create “approachable flavors that are craft-oriented and more technical.”
For Williams-Clark that meant taking inspiration from her time cooking with Cholon Restaurant Group, TAG Restaurant Group, and Edible Beats, which runs Vital Root, Root Down, El Five, and Linger. Her career overlapped with her husband’s, who used to be head chef of Cholon and spent the last four years at El Five. When the couple decided to leave the restaurants to pursue their personal dreams, the ice cream shop was top of the list.
“There was always something in me that wanted to come back to something that was ours and make a positive impact,” said Williams-Clark. “We wanted a happy place for us to put in our talents and care.”
Lucky for them, the opening of Darlene’s proved serendipitous, said Williams-Clark. For starters, the space housing the ice cream shop was mostly outfitted to be just that. Plus, it was close to their house, which meant not only could they open a community-driven business, but it would be in their own neighborhood.
“As things started lining up it almost felt like the universe was saying ‘now is the time,’” she added. “We have two girls and love having [Darlene’s] be a piece of the neighborhood for them and their friends.”
The name Darlene’s hails from Williams-Clark’s grandmother, who also inspired the chef’s own middle name. Darlene, she explained, is the kind of person who, once you meet, feels like someone you have known forever. She wanted the ice cream shop to have the same familiarity. Almost, she added, as if you’re coming home.
Soon Darlene’s will have more treats to choose from including ice cream cakes, fresh pastries, and brownies. All the cookies for the ice cream sandwiches get made in house, and options will continue to expand as the weather warms up. For now, enjoy toasted sesame ice cream with red miso caramel, a scoop of vegan dark chocolate, or a plain vanilla cone. When it comes to ice cream, there are no wrong answers, only joy.
Visit Darlene’s Ice Cream daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 3105 S. Peoria St. Unit A, Aurora, darlenesicecream.com
