A variety of handcrafted, small-batch ice creams and a selection of savory items are on the menu at a longtime Centre County chef’s newest venture in Bellefonte.
The Parlor had a limited soft opening last weekend at 167 S. Potter St., in the former Good Intent Cider tasting room building.
All of The Parlor’s hand-dipped ice cream and dessert sauces are made from scratch in-house, owner Justin Leiter said, noting that he sources dairy from Vale Wood Farms in Loretto.
Just one example of The Parlor’s from-scratch ethos is the strawberry pretzel cheesecake ice cream.
“I make a whole cheesecake, and the ice cream’s got chunks of that whole cheesecake in it,” Leiter said.
Other ice cream flavors range from the more traditional, like chocolate, French vanilla bean and butter pecan, to double thin mint, chocolate espresso martini and white tea ginger brown butter peach.
“So, it’s a little outside the box, but nothing too, too crazy,” Leiter said. “I’m going to kind of see how they sell, but I’m hoping to establish a kind of core menu, if you will, and then I have plans to do seasonal rotating flavors.”
Leiter has also created what he calls “The Parlor Sundae.” It starts with a cake bomb — cake with a ganache center — that’s deep fried and served with a choice of ice cream and toppings.
“It gives you a nice kind of hot, gooey, molten element to the ice cream,” he said.
The Parlor isn’t only a dessert shop, though. It’s also serving up a menu of appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches.
Among the offerings are The Parlor Burger with a Happy Valley Wagyu patty and choice of cheese; the Dutton Burger topped with bacon, house-smoked brisket, roasted poblano jam and adobe mayo; a Buffalo chicken meatball sub featuring house-made chicken meatballs tossed in homemade Buffalo sauce and topped with arugula, tomato, red onion and bleu cheese or ranch dressing; and grilled eggplant topped with grilled peppers and onions, arugula, provolone and roasted tomato mayo.
Starters include soft pretzel sticks served with Cooper cheese crab dip and roasted red pepper whipped feta dip served with balsamic glaze and toasted naan. An Asian salad, meanwhile, comes with a choice of grilled shrimp or steak tips.
Roasted fingerling potato salad, roasted Brussel sprouts with sweet chili vinaigrette and fresh fruit are available as sides; and a kids menu offers cheeseburger sliders and grilled cheese.
Some of the menu items are new to The Parlor, while a few are favorites from Leiter’s extensive experience in Centre County kitchens.
A Bellefonte native, Leiter was a chef at the Gamble Mill for a decade before it was sold in 2008. After a brief stint in California, he was executive chef at Carnegie House, then owned the Red Horse Tavern in Pleasant Gap for 10 years.
After moving on from the Red Horse Tavern and some time operating the in-house food partner at Axemann Brewery, Leiter focused on Belle City Bites, a food truck that evolved into also offering a prepared meal service. While the food truck operation will be on hold as The Parlor gets its footing, the prepared meal service is continuing.
Leiter said he was missing the feeling of having a brick-and-mortar space, and that the location fit with his interest in making ice cream.
“I feel like this allows me to have something a little more consistent,” Leiter said. “And my go-to dessert is ice cream. I’ve been wanting to do this for a few years now, just kind of waiting for the right time and place. So I knew this location was going to be available last year… I just, at home, started messing with recipes and bases, and just tweaking things until I felt like I was confident it was something I could sell.”
The Parlor has not yet established regular hours. Leiter said he intends to be open 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday — but customers should check The Parlor’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for current days and hours.
Leiter anticipates The Parlor will be open year-round, and he expects to offer private rentals for small events like birthday parties and showers with food and ice cream from the shop.
