First Look: This New Ice Cream and Coffee Shop Has a Secret Menu Item — Spaghettieis

What: Eiskaffee

Where: 1112 Broadway

When: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

For more info: Visit eiskaffee.co
What we saw: With a view of busy Broadway from the open, airy, recently renovated lobby of the 11th Avenue Hostel, the second location of Eiskaffee which opened June 23 is a treat for those staying at the hotel as well as anyone in need of a sugar or caffeine fix — or both at once.

The concept, from Erika Thomas and Chad Stutz, the husband-and-wife team behind High Point Creamery, made its debut inside Grange Hall in Greenwood Village last September, but the idea was hatched long before then. Stutz, whose family is German, was inspired by the traditional eiskaffees he had there while visiting the country with his family.

The drink, $6.95, is a combination of coffee and ice cream topped with whipped cream (made here with nitro cold brew from Kaladi Coffee Roasters and served with a waffle cone cookie). It's like an extra-large affogato, or an espresso with ice cream (which is also on the menu, made with beans from Novo for $6.45). Beyond being delicious, it perfectly combines Thomas's love for ice cream and Stutz's passion for coffee. Thus the Eiskaffee brand was born.

Along with adding coffee to their repertoire, Thomas and Stutz have expanded the pastry program that began with High Point. The counter at Eiskaffee is stocked with such items as brownies, a vegan oat bar and the kouign amann that, as at High Point, can be loaded with ice cream for a super-indulgent take on an ice cream sandwich ($7.95).

Thomas also developed new flavors especially for the Eiskaffee brand, leaning into the European theme. Among others, there's Honey Bergamot Orange (which tastes surprisingly like Fruity Pebbles cereal milk), Belgian Chocolate, Hazelnut (perfect in those affogatos), Scotch Pudding and Bavarian Cream — Thomas's go-to in the eiskaffee, which is traditionally made with vanilla. "It's like the inside of an éclair. It's just so tasty and good," she says.

Also on the menu: waffle shots, a product Thomas ran across at a food show years ago. At Eiskaffee, the small, chocolate-coated cones are filled with espresso for a completely edible caffeine boost for $5.25.

You can also enjoy your ice cream by the scoop in a cup or cone, as a milkshake or malt, and in a root beer float. Pints are available for purchase, too.
What surprised us: Spaghettieis, or spaghetti ice cream — which was a surprise for Thomas, too. "I don't really like foods that look like other foods," she admits, but spaghetti ice cream is a beloved novelty in Germany. After opening in Grange Hall, the Eiskaffee staff kept getting requests for it, so just two days before opening at the 11th Avenue Hostel, Thomas tested the method — and it worked.

The Bavarian Cream ice cream is pressed through a potato ricer to create the noodle effect. It's then topped with strawberry sauce and shaved white chocolate to mimic Parmesan cheese. While you won't find it listed on the menu, Eiskaffee will be serving it for $6.95.

Also a shocker: the fact that Eiskaffee's prices remain super-reasonable despite the increase in cost for some of the ingredients used to make its main product. Butterfat has gone up around 30 percent, Thomas says. Blackberries, too, have jumped in price because of heavy rains in Oregon last year. Oh, and a worldwide paper shortage is causing difficulty in sourcing pint containers. But all of that is nothing compared to the price of vanilla extract, which has jumped from $200 per gallon eight years ago to $2,000 per gallon now. In part, that increase can be tracked back to more hurricanes hitting the few spots in the world that produce vanilla, particularly Madagascar.

Despite the challenges, Thomas is looking forward to expanding the Eiskaffee brand. "It's probably about a year away, but our next thing probably is franchising," she says.