(7-

as Blueberry Pie and Egg Nog. They
have a machine that makes 10 gallons
in eight minutes. Two freezers - one
set at 20 degrees below zero - store
the ice cream.
Dave Jones of Huntington Woods
and his son, Ezra, come to Ray's about
every couple of weeks.
"It's a nice place to hang out; it has
a great atmosphere,"Jones says. "The
indoor seating is really good, too."
Inside, Ray's has the feel of a 1950s ice
cream parlor, complete with counter
seating on stools.
Ezra says he thinks Superman is the
best flavor because "it tastes good,
and it has lots of colors:'

;

,

•

Ray's Ice Cream, 4233 Coolidge High-
way, Royal Oak. (888) 549-5256.

Head for the best' ice cream places in
Metro Detroit for a cool treat this summer.

By Marielle Temkin

I

he beginning of summer heralds
a season filled with barbecues,
s'mores and an omnipresence of
ice cream. As the temperature rises, so
does the craving for the cold, delicious
treat. Fortunately, Metro Detroit offers
many options, from upscale ice cream
boutiques, to frozen custard shops to
mom-and-pop classics. Here are a few
to get you started.

Take Erma's Frozen Custard in
Shelby Township, founded in 1942.
Manager Colleen Gilginas says, "Erma's
is a great community, and we have a
lot of regulars. People just love it here."
On this day, Gina and Jay Odren
and their boys Ethan, Aiden and Evan
were indulging in a favorite summer
tradition. According to Gina, "Erma's is
the best-kept secret with the best ice
cream in town."
Ethan focuses on the best strategy
for eating his ice cream: "I eat all my
sprinkles first, so I can get to the ice
cream easier," he says wisely.
On Sunday nights, the line to buy

www.redthreadmagazine.com

Erma's delights can stretch into the
parking lot. So, perhaps Erma's isn't
exactly a secret in Shelby Township,
but it's certainly a tradition that keeps
growing through the generations.
Note: Special flavors at Erma's
change each week. A seasonal favor-
ite is the pumpkin custard, served
throughout October.

Erma's Frozen Custard, 6457 Auburn
Road in Shelby Township. (586) 275-
2447.

While Erma's is a family affair among
its customers, Ray's Ice Cream in
Royal Oak is all about family on the
business side. Current owner Dale
Stevens is the son of original owners,
Raymond and Bernice Stevens. Keep-
ing up the family tradition, Dale says
four of his grandchildren are involved
in the making, delivery and serving of
Ray's ice cream. "It's truly a family busi-
ness," he says.
Ray's offers 37 regular flavors (popu-
lar flavors include Cinnamon and But-
ter Pecan), plus seasonal favorites such

Treat Dreams, 22965 Woodward Ave.,
Ferndale. (248) 544-3440.

Jay and Gina Odren with boys Aiden, Ethan
and Evan enjoy a treat at Erma's.

Pho tos by Ka thry n Clop p iso n

Looking for an ice cream boutique?
Try Treat Dreams in Ferndale. The
store, which opened two years ago,
is known for its unique creations. The
flavors, which change weekly, are
like nothing you can find elsewhere.
For example, when we visited, they
were serving Tennessee Breakfast
(bourbon ice cream with cornflakes),
Krispy Kream (which had actual
donuts crushed into the ice cream)
and Kooky Monster (a blue vanilla ice
cream with cookie dough and Oreo
pieces). They also offer vegan options
made with rice milk.
Luke Desnoyer, there with parents
Mark and Trisha and younger brother
Wyatt, explained why Kooky Monster
is the best: "There are so many cook-
ies, and it's blue!"
The Desnoyers walk there about
twice a month. "We like that it's inde-
pendently owned," Mark says. Trisha
adds, "Their culinary creations are
incredible."
If the weekly flavors don't suit a
customer's desires, they can look in
a freezer stocked with pints of past
flavors. One of particular interest was
Michigan Salad, a blue cheese ice
cream mixed with walnuts.
Manager Lindsey Johns of Warren
says more than 300 flavors have been
created in two years. Favorites are Red
Velvet Cupcake, Raspberry Lemon Bar
and Honey Lavender.
At the back of the store, custom-
ers can leave requests for flavors they
want to be brought back and ideas
for new flavors. One customer, a child,
judging by the handwriting, wrote
"Dear Treat Dreams, Thank you for
doing a duty in our community. I love
your ice cream. Love, Alex."
Treat Dreams also sells brownies,
cookies, cake pops, popsicles and
coffee.

Owner of Ray's Ice Cream Dale Stevens and
his grandson Peter Shimshock, left fore-
ground, along with other young staff

Luke, Trisha, Mark and Wyatt Desnoyer love
coming to Treat Dreams.

Before reading Alex's note, I was not
aware that ice cream shops were fulfill-
ing a duty to their communities, but
now that I think about it, where else
can you find a perfectly crafted cone
that balances just right, despite the
weight of a giant scoop? It takes years
of practice to hone the skills needed to
produce the ice cream these businesses
serve, and without them, summer just
wouldn't be the same. RT

Other stores of note are Ritter's
Frozen Custard in Livonia, Brighton
and Rochester Hills; Guernsey Farm
Dairy in Northville; Dairy Deluxe in
Birmingham; Clark's Ice Cream and
Yogurt in Berkley; Calder Brothers
Dairy in Lincoln Park; and Twist
Frozen Custard and Yogurt on
Haggerty in West Bloomfield.

RED TM) I July 2012 35