Matthew Kenney and Eclipse Foods Launch Non-Dairy Cannoli Ice Cream

Chef Matthew Kenney is propelling plant-based ice cream into the world of fine dining. Kenny’s plant-based Italian restaurant Baia in San Francisco, CA orchestrates a complex and exciting menu, giving Italian food lovers a top-notch meat-free dining experience. Kenney revealed recently that the restaurant is set to expand its dessert menu by adding dairy-free Cannoli and Budino ice cream flavors.

Baia teamed up with San Francisco food technology start-up Eclipse Foods to produce these fresh new flavors. Eclipse Foods creates plant-based milk that it calls “udderly indistinguishable from cow’s milk," made with cassava and ancient corn. The company explains that the similarities of this milk alternative mirror cow-derived dairy on a molecular level, meaning that the opportunities to explore non-dairy products are unlimited.

“Our intention was, of course, to stay true to the Baia concept, our food, and our overall style,” Baia’s Chef Jameson Poll said. “Within that framework, we also wanted to be creative, and give our culinary team an opportunity to express nostalgic flavors from childhood. All of our mix-ins are made in-house, always in small batches, spun, and handpicked fresh daily. We are excited to be working with Eclipse to bring these incredible flavors to the community.”

Baia’s plant-based menu gives people a taste of authentic Italian inspired comfort food without the animal products often used in Italian cooking. The sustainable menu has everything from plant-based lasagna and garlic knots to a rigatoni pasta and Margherita pizza. Baia's offerings are stacked with comforting delicacies that will leave you full, and with these new ice cream flavors, the menu will no longer stop at dinner to keep you satisfied.

The Cannoli and Budino flavors will be featured on the menu and made available for pickup and delivery for $15 per pint. The Cannoli flavor features a classic Sicilian pistachio base, accented with vegan ricotta cheese. The ice cream is then topped with cherries as the finishing touch. The Bundino flavor is made with an espresso ice cream sprinkled with chocolate and turron, a European nougat.

The company behind the ice cream is the brainchild of Aylon Steinhart and Thomas Bowman, two food-technology experts. The company launched its first plant-based ice cream in 2019, starting in New York City, then quickly expanding its distribution to other areas of the US. The company's flagship release occurred at Oddfellows in NYC with Miso Cherry and Olive Oil Plum flavors. In San Francisco, Eclipse Foods introduced a Mexican Hot Chocolate Flavor at Humphry Slocombe. With a multitude of flavors under the company’s belt, there’s no sign of slowing down. Now that Eclipse moved into upscale dining territory, the bounds seem endless, and soon, Eclipse’s “udderly indistinguishable” ice cream will be distinguished nationwide.