food
Nice Dream Ices: Plant-Based Scoops & Psychedelic Cocktails Coming Soon in Yucca Valley
From Brooklyn Streets to High Desert Dreams
Coral and her partner, Trevor, met in Brooklyn in 2017 and, like many New Yorkers, ran hard on the city’s carousel—work, subway, repeat—until 2020 forced a pause. The pivot wasn’t only about the pandemic; it was about seeking a pace where a day could include a climb, a conversation, and a meal that didn’t demand an entire paycheck. They bought a house in Joshua Tree sight unseen, drove across the country, and started figuring out life far from bodegas and brownstones.
Food became a safe language during a strange, socially distant year. At the Joshua Tree Farmers Market, Kaity from TD Farms handed them sweet potatoes. Coral turned those into ice cream, brought a pint back, and a small exchange—tuber for scoop—made the desert feel like home. That’s the origin story of Nice Dream Ices: a hyper-local, non-dairy ice cream project born from a neighborly loop of gratitude.
- Coral Lee, Founder
Rooted in Community: The Joshua Tree Farmers Market Beginning
Before any brick and mortar, Nice Dream Ices built a following under a tent in downtown Joshua Tree on Saturdays, where the certified farmers market runs 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. year-round.
The team talks about joy the way a baker talks about flour—basic, essential. At the market, scoops served as connection points: a reason to try an unfamiliar vegetable, to sit and catch up with a friend, to take a breather in a week that asked for too much.
Relationships formed organically. Kaity at TD Farms supplied those formative sweet potatoes. Customers like Dana became friends. The booth turned into a listening post for what the community wanted: delight, inspiration, and a place where food felt like a shared project rather than a commodity.
That market feedback loop shaped the vision for the next step—somewhere you could linger, not just line up.
- Coral Lee, Founder
Crafting Plant-Based Delights with a Local Touch
Nice Dream’s frozen desserts are non-dairy by design: Trevor is allergic to dairy, so early recipe testing was a solo act until Coral developed coconut- and oat-milk bases that met the bar for texture, flavor, and joy. Today, offerings are largely vegan and gluten-free, with occasional flourishes like egg-white marshmallow or cake crumble when the flavor demands it.
Menus are dictated by the market, not the other way around. If the peaches are singing, sorbet leads. If citrus is flush, creams go brighter. Ingredients come first from Joshua Tree Farmers Market vendors; for items not available locally, Nice Dream partners with mission-driven producers like Moka Origins for chocolate, folding ethics into the supply chain as intentionally as sea salt into fudge.
The broader context matters, too. The High Desert food scene has ripened over the last few years; there are more small producers, more pop-ups, more options. A friend once told the team you know a small town has “made it” when there are two great choices for everything—two coffee shops, two bakeries, two wine bars. The Nice Dream crew sees abundance as a rising tide rather than a turf war, a stance that tends to keep ideas—and collaborations—flowing.
Beyond Ice Cream: A Multi-Use Space for Gathering and Creativity
The new shop sits at 56778 Twentynine Palms Highway, roughly 500 feet east of Grand Avenue—easy to spot along Highway 62.
The Town of Yucca Valley approved a site plan review and conditional use permit on October 11, 2023, allowing the 3,936-square-foot building to be renovated for an ice cream shop, retail space, café, bakery, and cocktail bar. Construction has been progressing since, with the owners targeting an opening in early 2026.
Planning Your Visit: What to Expect at Nice Dream Ices
- Anticipated opening: TBD 2026, pending final inspections and finishing touches.
- Address: 56778 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, roughly 500 feet east of Grand Avenue along Highway 62.
- Daytime offerings: vegan and gluten-free non-dairy ice creams and fruit sorbets; espresso and matcha beverages; pastries; and a Japanese seasonal cooking menu for lunchtime.
- Evenings: Sugar Water, a creative and “psychedelic” cocktail and non-alcoholic bar experience directed by Jesse Ditson; reservations recommended at launch.
- Before they open: Try Nice Dream Ices at the Joshua Tree Farmers Market on Saturdays, 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., in downtown Joshua Tree. It’s an easy way to taste the season and see what might land on opening menus.
Watch for the doors to open soon on Twentynine Palms Highway, stop by the Saturday market to taste what’s in season now, and keep an eye on Chef Residency and Sugar Water announcements. The counter is nearly polished; the scoops are coming soon.
