March 16, 2018

We All Scream for The Silver Lining Creamery

Later this spring, the corner of Broadway and 2^nd Avenue in downtown Fargo will welcome The Silver Lining Creamery. The creamery specializes in creating on-site premium, small batch ice cream in unique and fresh flavors, and has been featured in editorials like Midwest Living Magazine as the “Best Dessert in South Dakota,” Thrillist as one of the “Best Ice Cream Shops in the Midwest” and more. This will be their second location, with the original shop located in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota on Main Street Square.

The Silver Lining Creamery scoop shops are a family owned and operated business. Michelle Pulling and her sons, Ian Pulling and Jeremy Pulling are entering their 5^th summer in the ice cream industry. Ian operates the Rapid City location. Michelle recently moved to Fargo to open and operate the Fargo scoop shop.

In 2006, Michelle began her career as a business owner by opening Alternative Fuel Coffee House in downtown Rapid City. After moving the business to Main Street Square, she was presented the opportunity to open another business next-door to the coffee shop. Downtown Rapid City, with Main Street Square being a local community and tourist destination, had a strong want of ice cream, so she attended the Frozen Dessert Institute in St. Louis, and opened up The Silver Lining Creamery.

After falling in love with the ice cream industry and wholesaling their ice cream throughout SD and into Nebraska, the family began contemplating the idea of expansion.  Rachel Pulling, Jeremy’s wife and Michelle’s daughter in-law, sent Michelle and Ian a news station video clip of the proposed Downtown Fargo Plaza. They had already fallen in love with downtown Fargo, which became a favorite place to hang out when visiting Jeremey and Rachel. Having Alternative Fuel Coffee House and The Silver Lining Creamery be a part of downtown Rapid City during its revitalization, Michelle and her family knew how exciting and beneficial it would be for downtown Fargo to build the plaza, and they wanted to be a part of it.  The Silver Lining Creamery family loves downtowns, and has consistently been impressed with the kindness of the Fargo community, so they decided this was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.

What kind of sweet treats will you be able to find at The Silver Lining Creamery? The shop touts itself as a “pure scoop shop,” so the team likes to focus on their 14% premium butter fat ice creams. They also offer a non-dairy sorbet option, their signature Mason Jar Sundaes, and frozen dog treats. All products are made in-house using fresh and, when available, local ingredients. Transferring the ice cream directly from the batch machine to their blast freezer preserves its creaminess, which is unique to freshly made ice cream. The products are flavorful, but not too sweet, and their menu usually includes many fun and unique flavors, such as Dill Pickle, Lavender Honey (which they plan to make with local honey), and a hot and spicy option. When developing new flavors, Michelle and her team like to take inspiration not only from local foods and culture, but from travel as well. For example, they were enchanted by Brown Bread ice cream while visiting Dingle, Ireland, and soon after Ian created their own version to add to The Silver Lining Creamery lineup.

Some of the creamery’s most popular flavors include Signature Vanilla (made with a pure vanilla made just for the creamery), Cotton Candy, Lavender Honey, Rose Water, Maple Candied Bacon (available seasonally), and their hot and spicy flavors. Michelle also recommends trying her personal favorites, which are Brown Bread, of course, and Sage, which she says pairs well with chocolate.

The name of the creamery is based on Michelle’s and her family’s belief that everyone needs a little silver lining in life. Sometimes, ice cream is that silver lining. They hope to bring that sense of happiness to downtown Fargo when they open in late spring.

Keep an eye on the creamery’s Facebook page for updates and more information.

By Katie Spokely