Sweet Summers at Bresca & the Honeybee at Outlet Beach

On warm summer days in New Gloucester, families drift in from Sabbathday Lake, towels slung over sunscreen-slicked shoulders, as they make their way to the walk-up window at Bresca & the Honeybee. This small, cash-only ice cream shop at Outlet Beach is beloved for its sweet, savory (and often, surprising) scoops, with ever-changing flavors displayed on a handwritten menu. 

Behind it is Krista Kern Desjarlais, a chef whose path to this lakeside outpost has been anything but ordinary. Her career has taken her through high-profile kitchens in Las Vegas, Aspen, New York and beyond, garnering James Beard recognition along the way. While she built her reputation in fine dining, her ice cream shop embodies something more elemental: a place where food, landscape and a sense of community intersect.

“Living and working in Maine has brought me closer to working within our seasons and what Maine has to offer for fruit and vegetables,” Desjarlais says. “…obviously, blueberries, but also quince, kelp and potatoes,” which she explains can be used as the base ice cream flavor or as a  mix-in, ripple or caramel. 

Travel, too, finds its way into the mix.

“New flavors come about mostly from memories from travels or a desire to highlight certain flavors for a season,” she says. “This year, espresso will be explored in new ways for us with a tiramisu sundae and fresh-brewed espresso over fior di latte ice cream, as well a vegan version of affogato with marzipan ice cream.”

A recent trip to Rome left its mark, inspiring her deeper exploration of espresso and a lineup of Italian-influenced fruit ices and sorbets. But even as global ideas filter in, they’re translated through a Maine lens—seasonal, locally sourced and eternally inventive. A summer tomato might become a bright, savory-sweet element. Kelp lends a subtle brininess. Even the humble Maine-grown potato finds its role. At any given time, Bresca & the Honeybee offers somewhere around a dozen or two varieties, including dairy-based ice cream, vegan flavors and sorbet. The result is a menu that feels rooted in place but open to playful possibilities. 

Desjarlais also sees a growing openness among her customers.

“Trends I’m seeing are the acceptance of more vegetable-based ice cream, like our artichoke ice cream with candied citrus,” she says. “It’s always nice to see people trying things out of their comfort zones like many of our more creative flavors.”

Still, for all the creativity, what sets Bresca & the Honeybee apart is something less tangible. The shop sits on a privately owned, recreational waterfront property, where swimming, boating and picnicking are part of the draw. Maine-made ice cream is just one piece of a larger experience, one that unfolds over seasons, years and even generations.

Some of Desjarlais’ most rewarding moments come from “watching infants grow up over the years and seeing their parents and grandparents teaching them to swim and hold birthday parties and find favorite ice cream flavors,” she reflects. “This place matters as a place for generational memories.”

As the ice cream shack opens for another season, running from Memorial Day through Labor Day, it remains a place where time seems to slow down and the best things in life are joyously, deliciously savored.