Paysanne
Boonville’s Tiny Ice Cream Shop Serves Up Real Sweet Things
by Addia Williams
Anderson Valley locals tend to refer to Paysanne as “the ice cream shop” more than anything else, since the location has seen multiple ice cream shops in that space over the years. True to tradition, ice cream has been Paysanne’s hot ticket item since it opened in 2010. Melinda Ellis had recently moved with her family from the coast to Anderson Valley to take a management position at The Boonville Hotel, and she reopened the tiny ice cream shop as a side project. With training in French pastry and a love of un-fussy, down-to-earth baking, she named the venture Paysanne, French for “country woman.”
For the first three years, the shop was independently run by Melinda, with her two young daughters running in and out and readily volunteering as quality control officers. Local high-schoolers scooped ice cream and hand-drew the signs for the flavors, and Melinda’s artistic niece adhered whimsical gold leaf stars to the midnight blue ceiling. Even a small business is a lot for one part-time owner to manage, though, so in 2013 Paysanne merged with The Boonville Hotel, allowing the two operations to share kitchen resources and administration costs, as well as creative cross-pollination.
Ten years into the partnership, Paysanne remains small but mighty. Last winter, the shop was given a fresh layout to welcome the shop into its teen years. The quaint space still features the same wall-to-wall windows and gold-leaf stars on the ceiling, but now has new counters and cabinetry, as well as a shiny new espresso machine that brings the coffee and drinks menu to a whole new level. With coffee beans from Black Oak Coffee Roasters out of Ukiah combined with organic milk options, customers can choose between a plethora of drinks to satisfy their caffeine cravings.
As of this summer, all of Paysanne’s ice cream is made in-house. The hotel’s executive chef, Perry Hoffman—known for never backing down from a culinary challenge—began experimenting with ice cream recipes last summer. He uses Clover organic milk and incorporates the best produce of the moment, be it strawberries, blackberries, or basil. In addition to classics like chocolate and vanilla, ice cream flavors such as orange cardamom or pomegranate ice come and go as the seasons roll along. The younger clientele gravitate toward organic cones, while many adults cannot resist an affogato assembled with espresso and a scoop of whichever ice cream strikes their fancy. There are also nostalgic options like root beer floats and milkshakes for folks seeking a more vintage ice cream experience.
Paysanne also sells a variety of (mostly) sweet baked goods, all made by hand. The best sellers include chocolate chip walnut cookies, ginger snaps, caneles, coffee cake, brownies, and the chocolate lover’s deluxe—chocolate sea salt cookies. Paysanne’s bakers incorporate seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients into menu items that alter daily, such as galettes, quiches, and tartlets. Favorites can sell out, so stop by early for maximum options. On Saturdays, another local baker sells whole loaves of fresh baked bread out of the shop.
Paysanne’s style is a combination of country charm and artistic whimsy. A few retail items by local artisans are on offer, and hot drinks are served in a locally-crafted, hand painted mug and matching saucer made by Ukiah ceramacist, Jan Hoyman. An oft-instagrammed feature is a bike rack made of antique bike seats, created by The Boonville Hotel owner and designer, John Schmitt.
On sunny weekends, a group of locals often gathers on the outside deck to play their instruments and sing folk music, while young children run around with ice cream. Area high-schoolers and young adults work behind the counter, and when their friends drop by, it adds a dash of young energy to the scene. Taken altogether, Paysanne serves as an ad hoc multi-generational community hub. Melinda shares, “We’ve hired the local teens throughout the years, starting at the ice cream shop, some moving on to work at the hotel, who have then gone out into the world to do their creative work. Littles who once couldn’t reach the counter have since worked as ice cream scoopers in their teens, and are now about to go out into the world. It’s been a joy to see the generations of our kids grow up and have part of their youth be at Paysanne.”
Looking to the future, The Boonville Hotel aims to continue expanding the pastry offerings at Paysanne while incorporating popular family recipes such as buttermilk milkshakes, which were originally served at Sally Schmitt’s Vintage Cafe in Yountville back in the 1970s. And as the sweets shop is directly next to Offspring, a wood-fired pizza restaurant also owned by the hotel, the crew plans to extend Paysanne’s hours to create a one-stop dinner and dessert spot for locals and tourists alike, its own take on “pizza and a pint”—of the ice cream variety.
As a crowd-pleasing purveyor of “real sweet things” for over a decade, Paysanne is more than just a quick stop for a pick-me-up. The ice cream shop is where kids grow up, friends and family gather, and community comes together, with good treats and good people at the heart of it all.
Paysanne
14111 Highway 128, Boonville
(707) 895-2210 | SweetPaysanne.com
See instagram for hours: @sweetpaysanne
Addia Williams is a graduate of Mendocino High School. She works at Paysanne and enjoys writing, volleyball, and spending time with her friends and family.