During a recent Sunday afternoon excursion in downtown Omaha, Bridget and I visited the Coneflower Creamery location in the Millwork Commons development.
The ice cream shop is one of three locations in the metro area. The other Coneflower storefronts are located in the Blackstone District in Midtown Omaha and in Elkhorn along the historic Main Street corridor.
We hadn’t been to any of the locations before, but were interested in trying it out (the popular destination is known for long lines during warm-weather months.)
As I mentioned, the downtown Coneflower Creamery is located in the Millwork Commons development in the Ashton building. Millwork Commons is part of the “NoDo” area nestled around Creighton University, Charles Schwab Field, and the CHI Health Center.
(No one in Omaha really refers to the area as “NoDo,” but it is the moniker given to the various developments making up the urban renewal efforts the past two decades, so I figured I should reference it.)
On the afternoon of our visit, I had just finished filming a walk at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge for my Walk Nebraska YouTube channel (peaceful, first-person P.O.V. walks featuring ambient and natural sounds for relaxation.)
It was a mild August afternoon with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s. We weren’t particularly warm after the walk, but we were definitely ready for a cool snack after the 40-minute trek to Council Bluffs and back.
Since Millwork Commons is about a mile from the bridge, we decided to drive over and check it out.
Coneflower Creamery is advertised as offering “farm to table” ice cream. The marketing materials use words like “artisanal” and “heirloom” to describe the ingredients and menu offerings.
It has proven to be a popular destination for Omahans looking for sweet treats that land more on the “fresh, pure” end of the food spectrum.
There is construction currently going on around Millwork Commons (so be prepared!), but it wasn’t an issue on this particular afternoon.
We found a parking spot in front of the Mastercraft building (just north of Coneflower Creamery).
It was nice to see the Mastercraft building (a low-slung structure — the length of three football fields — that used to house a furniture factory) being put to good use as a home for various entrepreneurial ventures and non-profits.
Traffic inside of Coneflower Creamery was light as we walked through the doors. We soon discovered all sorts of tempting treats on the chalkboard menu.
Bridget and I decided to try two of the sundaes.
I ordered the S’mores Sundae; Bridge had the Tin Roof Sundae.
My order featured a homemade, toasted marshmallow. It required the use of a blowtorch to get the desired effect. Impressive.
The sundae also featured vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and two graham crackers.
The graham crackers appeared to be homemade, and had a rich texture — something akin to a shortbread cookie. They were delicious. (Bridget was a BIG fan of the graham crackers.)
Bridget’s Tin Roof Sundae featured vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, Spanish peanuts, and a cherry on top.
She opted not to get the Spanish peanuts.
The Tin Roof Sundae was actually invented in 1932 in Potter, Nebraska, at The Potter Sundry soda shop. (It is still in operation!)
Considering the historical context of this concoction, it seemed only fitting that we were sampling the sundae at one of Nebraska’s newest ice cream emporiums.
Coneflower Creamery is the brainchild of co-owners Brian Langbehn and Katie Arant Chapman.
According to the Coneflower Creamery website, the “coneflower” in the name was chosen because it evokes the “Midwest, open prairies, and summer” (a number of coneflower species are native to Nebraska prairies).
I look forward to returning to Coneflower Creamery in the future. There are a number of flavors I want to sample (“Grandma Minnie’s Lemon Bar” sounds intriguing!) and desserts I’d like to try.
Coneflower sells standalone pints of ice cream as well as a unique selection of beverages.
It is neat to see the continuing urban renewal efforts going on in the north part of downtown.
If you haven’t seen how things are developing in the area, it is definitely worth checking out.
And get a tasty treat at Coneflower Creamery while you are at it!
>> Check out my walking video filmed at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge:
