My first stop on Warren Street is always Culture Cream. After hours on the train, there’s nothing that hits quite as well as a scoop of kefir based ice cream.

Culture Cream began as a market stand doing the festival circuit in the region, and then a little ice cream shack behind Back Bar just up the street. In 2021, it set up its current sherbet-hued storefront that feels like a perpetual summer patio in a sunny destination.

Owner Katiushka Melo has garnered a loyal customer base for the unique flavors of kefir and kombucha based frozen desserts. The kefir makes for a creamy rich base that holds up to a full fat ice cream, while the kombucha adds a sharp and refreshing brightness as a sorbet base. Of course, the innovation hardly stops at the base: the flavors are as bold as they come. Think: miso and roasted strawberries, vegan choco cardamom, campari turmeric sorbet. The flavors change with the whims of Melo’s experiments, so you’re sure to be surprised and delighted on every subsequent visit. It’s the perfect retreat from sticky summer humidity. But I imagine it is just as good any time of year.