Donated cat portraits cover a wall at Black Cat Ice Cream’s downtown shop. (Photo: Kendra Esau) By Kendra Esau Nearly 10 years after serving its first scoops in downtown Des Moines, Black Cat Ice Cream has come full circle. It’s just a couple of blocks away from where the business started, in a little window next to the former Gas Lamp on 15th Street. These days, the local favorite has settled into the former Ritual Cafe space at 1301 Locust St., where owner Alex Carter welcomed customers back in December. The shop has a familiar feel, with dozens of framed photos of black cats lining the walls, friendly faces behind the counter and a rotating lineup of inventive flavors. The return to downtown wasn’t part of the plan. After Black Cat’s Drake neighborhood location was forced to close last summer, Carter found himself searching for a new home while navigating one of the most difficult seasons of his life. His friend and business partner, Dave Boelman, was hospitalized with cancer and died in November, just weeks before the downtown shop opened. “I needed to find an existing restaurant space that we could move into quickly,” Carter said. “Very luckily, Ritual Cafe was winding down.” The move has reunited Black Cat with longtime fans while introducing it to plenty of new ones. “Our fans have followed us downtown, and we’ve also got new customers. Late-night ice cream is very popular downtown,” Carter said. Both locations, downtown and in Valley Junction, are open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. So if you’re strolling a farmers’ market or simply looking for a way to cool off this summer, Black Cat is an easy stop. Brown Butter Cookie Dough remains one of the shop’s most popular flavors, along with Dubai Chocolate, while Bomb Pop Sorbet has become a seasonal favorite. And yes, Carter said, the Grilled Glizzy — a roasted hot dog ice cream — found plenty of adventurous fans, too. Contributor Kendra Esau is a copywriter in Des Moines. When she’s not writing you can often find her at a thrift store or checking out new businesses around the city. ...read more read less