34 | JANUARY 2 • 2020 

This venture is the result of my 
whole family and good friends 
coming together.

— JODIE POLK

know Jim’
s story. His chef’
s hat 
is the bakery’
s logo. 
“Our cousins (in commercial 
real estate) said they wanted 
to see our dream of opening a 
bakery come true,
” Polk said. 
“This venture is the result of 
my whole family and good 
friends coming together. I do 
believe Jim has a hand in this 
from above. He is our inspira-
tion.
”
After completing a degree in 
finance from Walsh College, 
Polk enrolled in culinary 
school at Oakland College for 
Culinary Arts. There she met 
Jim, who was a corporate pas-
try chef. After a few years of 
marriage, they started Culinary 
Combo in 1989 and juggled 
the business with taking care 
of their family. Originally 
concentrating on catering 
and pastries, the company 
soon expanded the business 
to include gift baskets. 
As Culinary Combo grew, 
Barris baked beside her par-
ents, especially during the bus-
iest times of the year between 
Thanksgiving and New Year’
s, 
fulfilling online orders to local 
customers as well as those in 
New York and Chicago. 
For Barris, watching her par-
ents run a business together is 
all she knows; she is excited to 
pick up the reins with this new 
venture. 
“People ask me all the time, 
do I like to bake?” said Barris, a 
trained product photographer 

who will also incorporate her 
marketing and social media 
savvy into promoting the busi-
ness. “It truly is all I’
ve ever 
known. When my dad died, I 
did not want the family busi-
ness to die. I watched my par-
ents work like this my entire 
life. Now, at 26, I love our 
family business and I couldn’
t 
imagine doing anything else.
”
Getting down to baking, 
Polk and Barris will be offering 
their most requested items 
from their online efforts. This 
includes cupcakes, chocolate 
chip cookies, rugelach, s’
more 
bars, biscotti or “mandel 
bread,
” butter horns, cheese-
cakes, pies and tortes. Though 
the bakery is not certified 
kosher, menu offerings will 
change with special gift basket 
offerings during Purim, Rosh 
Hashanah and Chanukah. 
There will be some gluten-free 
and sugar-free offerings upon 
request. All items can be given 
as gifts in decorative baskets.
But the favorite and most-
asked-for item in Culinary 
Combo’
s wheelhouse has got to 
be its brownie, Barris said. 
“It is by far the fudgiest 
brownie you’
ll ever eat.
”
When Culinary Combo 
opens, there will be about five 
tables set up so those lured by 
the aroma can stop in for a 
scone or muffin and a hot cup 
of coffee. Eventually, they hope 
to offer baking classes on the 
premises. 

Nosh

eats | drinks | sweets

continued from page 33

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