{"id":361279,"date":"2026-06-15T11:37:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T11:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/361279\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T11:37:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T11:37:37","slug":"oak-park-ice-cream-parlor-with-whimsical-award-winning-flavors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/361279\/","title":{"rendered":"Oak Park ice cream parlor with whimsical, award-winning flavors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacramento is an ice cream-loving town. From our beloved classic hangouts Gunther\u2019s<\/a> and Vic\u2019s<\/a> to more modern options like the vegan scoops at Babes Ice Cream & Donuts<\/a>, there\u2019s no shortage of places to grab a cup or cone.<\/p>\n

In a way, ice cream parlors are the perfect anchor tenants for a neighborhood, each a place that draws people in and encourages engagement with the area. For Oak Park, that place is Licked<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Susan Stewart and her partner Darcie Weinberg run the shop, which sits across the street from their flagship business, the home and gift store Strapping<\/a>, which has been in Oak Park for nine years. Stewart opened Licked in 2024, after the space became available.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be Conscious Creamery<\/a>, which was a vegan gelateria. It was sitting empty for about eight months, and you could see how the businesses surrounding it were struggling, everyone on that side of the block, they weren\u2019t having the walking traffic,\u201d she said,<\/p>\n

\"Susan Susan Stewart, owner of Licked, stands behind the counter of her ice cream shop located in Sacramento\u2019s Oak Park neighborhood on Thursday, June 11, 2026. LIBBY SIMPSON libby.simpson@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

\u201cI love Oak Park so much. It\u2019s my community, it means so much to me. I just wanted to have a spot that was fun, kept businesses open, kept people walking around the neighborhood and strolling with our ice cream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keeping with the whimsical tone of Strapping\u2019s product mix, Stewart chose the tongue-in-cheek name Licked, complete with its double entendre.<\/p>\n

Unlike Gunther\u2019s and Vic\u2019s, Licked does not produce its own ice cream. Stewart sources it from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream in Madison, Wisconsin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super premium ice cream, which means it\u2019s low air, high butter fat. I just thought, if I\u2019m going to compete with Gunther\u2019s, being less than a mile away, I needed to have something that was spectacular,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of my parents were chefs, and they both kind of instilled in me, if you\u2019re ever going to do a food business, that you have to have the best food. I chose something really good, because I\u2019m not a chef, I can\u2019t make anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Susan Susan Stewart, owner of Licked, scoops out a portion of Superhuman, a cherry, vanilla and fruit loop cereal milk flavored ice cream, at her shop in Sacramento on Thursday, June 11, 2026. LIBBY SIMPSON libby.simpson@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Stewart was drawn to Chocolate Shoppe\u2019s ice cream because its ice creams are highly decorated, having won multiple awards in competitions across the country, but what matters most is how it tastes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing that sold me on it was their Zanzibar chocolate ice cream. It\u2019s super rich and yummy. It\u2019s almost like frozen brownie batter,\u201d she said. Indeed, the ice cream is super dark and fudgy.<\/p>\n

Many of the flavors are as light-hearted as Stewart herself. Best sellers include Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, cheesecake ice cream with raspberry and Oreo, and Fat Elvis, which is banana ice cream with chocolate and peanut butter flakes.<\/p>\n

A longtime buyer in resorts and golf destinations, she initially started Strapping as a line of masculine clothing for women. She evolved to the home and gift concept when the business opened in Oak Park.<\/p>\n

\"Tubs Tubs of ice cream on display at Licked, a ice cream shop located in Sacramento\u2019s Oak Park neighborhood, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. Licked serves 16 rotating flavors including Kitty Kitty Bang Bang and Coconut Almond Bliss. LIBBY SIMPSON libby.simpson@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Strapping\u2019s product mix is equal parts practical and playful, from tasteful housewares to apparel and linens with sassy sayings. The store has an undeniably queer bent, but Stewart\u2019s buying instincts make sure there\u2019s something for everyone.<\/p>\n

The store, like Licked, acts as something of a community hub beyond sales. It recently hosted a comedy night called Pride & Punchlines, and holds periodic dinner events called Sage Table, where queer people of all ages can connect and converse. The couple\u2019s diminutive chihuahua, Willow, has also become something of a local celebrity.<\/p>\n

By bringing people together, Strapping and Licked create a sense of belonging in a neighborhood that is otherwise not overtly queer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOak Park\u2019s been very welcoming. I do have occasional people that have harassed me, and I do have a bully that likes to call me once a week and give me the business,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But as a whole, as my customer base, I have every walk of person coming through the door, and they all are very welcoming and loving. No one\u2019s ever been deterred by my rainbows, and honestly, I think we need more of that in Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ice Ice cream cones sit on a counter inside of Licked, an ice cream shop located in Sacramento\u2019s Oak Park neighborhood, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. LIBBY SIMPSON libby.simpson@sacbee.com
\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Sean Timberlake<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Sean Timberlake is the food and dining reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He has been writing professionally about food for over 20 years.\n <\/p>\n