Quenelle

Ice cream has always been pretty cool.

When an award-winning pastry chef–one who's worked at Lukshon, Father's Office and Water Grill–opens his own ice cream shop in Burbank? Well, that's ice cold. "There's so much you can do with frozen desserts—and they always make people happy," says John Park, who runs Quenelle with his wife, Christina.

That happiness may spring from Quenelle's nostalgic desserts, which include mango-lemongrass "push-up pops" ($5), cider popsicles made from fresh-pressed apples ($3), and a silky "Thin Mint" ice cream bar ($5), which comes dipped in dark chocolate.

Inside the tiny storefront off Magnolia Boulevard, a colorful chalkboard lists the ice cream flavors, which change daily based on Park's creative inspirations.

During our visit we sampled double scoops ($3.50) of caramelized pineapple, peanut butter and jelly, and, curiously enough, the tropical fruit soursop–all of which tasted remarkably similar to their namesake ingredients.

But the most whimsical items are yet to come: Park plans to sell ice cream sandwiches made with Nutella cookies, colorful bonbons and "Drumstick-inspired" waffle cones, which he assures us will have a little bit of chocolate at the bottom, just like the ones from our childhood.

That's enough to make anyone's inner child smile.