Trendy Treats

P

Josh Charlip has been

serving up custom-made

ice cream sandwiches at

the Bagel Factory and

area events since July.

Jackie Headapohl
Managing Editor

C

upcakes and popcorn are so "last
year," according to Josh Charlip,
longtime owner of the Bagel
Factory on 12 Mile in Southfield. The new-
est trend? Custom ice cream sandwiches.
Charlip launched Eskimo Jacks this sum-
mer to serve up the tasty treats inside the
Bagel Factory and at events throughout
Metro Detroit.
Charlip hit upon the idea for Eskimo
Jacks after hearing about a family-owned
ice cream sandwich shop in California.
"Nobody else around here is offering

you first bite into it."
This summer, Charlip took Eskimo Jacks
on the road. He has a custom-made cart,
which has appeared at 25 bar mitzvahs,
the ORT Rub a Dub and Camp Hermelin
events, CommunityNEXT's Pitch 4 Detroit,
graduation parties and weddings. One local
law firm rents the cart every month or so
for a treat for employees.
prefers eating socks to ice cream, so he's not
The custom-made ice cream sandwiches
a good "spokesdog" for the brand.
have been a big hit at events. "The kids run
Charlip, 45, and his dog live with wife Jill,
up right away;) says Charlip, "but the adults
6-month-old daughter Emeri and siblings
are right behind them! I've
Jade, Chase and Landon in
seen the grown-ups order
Farmington Hills. The fam-
triple-deckers — three cook-
ily belongs to Temple Israel.
ies and two scoops of ice
Charlip, who grew up in
cream.'
West Bloomfield, attended
According to the com-
Hillel Day School and then
pany's brochure, if you're not
the University of Michigan.
satisfied with your ice cream
He earned a master's
sandwich, you can get an
degree in psychology, but
"autographed picture of
Jackson, after whom the
fell in love with the food
Jackson (the dog), which is
business after his first job company was named.
pretty hard for him to do
at a bagel shop, now one of
with no opposable thumbs."
his main competitors. He bought the Bagel
Charlip admits that the story of Eskimo
Factory 18 years ago and is really excited
Jack is a little implausible.
about his foray into the world of desserts.
"But our commitment to quality is not':
"They really are a gourmet yet affordable
he says. Li
treat',' he says. (They are only $2.95 at the
Bagel Factory.) "There is almost an artistic
For more information, call (248) 352-5695 or
quality about creating your own ice cream
visit www.eskimojacks.com .
sandwich. It's a magical experience when

Eskimo Jacks serves up
custom-made
ice cream sandwiches.

custom-ordered ice cream
sandwiches, so I decided
to launch my own version
here,' he says.
Here's how it works:
Customers create their own
flavor combinations from
a selection of 11 cookies
baked fresh daily (chocolate chip, peanut
butter and white chocolate macadamia nut
are a few of the offerings) and more than a
dozen flavors of Ashby's Sterling ice cream.
Charlip named the company for his
2-year-old "labradoodle" Jackson, and invent-
ed a "legend" around the brand. According to
the company's brochure, Jackson's long-ago
forebear, Eskimo Jack, was at an Alaskan out-
post in a blizzard and managed to make his
way safely to a store for supplies — where
he found only cookies and ice cream. "Its a
good thing it wasn't broccoli and crackers,
or the story wouldn't have led to the greatest
invention on Earth."
In actuality, Charlip quips, his spoiled dog

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October 13 • 2011

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