 NOVEMBER 5 • 2020 | 37

NOSH

EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS

T

he recently opened Culinary 
Combo Bakery in Southfield not 
only puts the talents of a Metro area 
mother and daughter on display, but the 
business venture is also bringing healing to 
their family.
Bakery partner Jodie Polk, 56, of 
Commerce Township formerly operated 
a catering company, Culinary Combo, 
with her late husband, Jim Polk. They 
met at the Oakland Community College 
Culinary Studies Institute. A professional 
baker, Jodie was a pastry chef with Muer 
Corp. before joining forces in 1988 with 
Chef Jim. She gradually moved their busi-
ness toward filling gift baskets with baked 
goods. 
Following the example of her mother, 
the late Rosalind Weisberg, Jodie intro-
duced the Polk children, Jessica and Justin, 
to cooking and baking as children.
“Some of my best childhood memories 
are of helping my parents make dough or 
putting together baskets during the holiday 
season,” said Jessica Barris, 26, who lives 
in Berkley with her husband, Neil Barris. 
Jessica recalled how three generations of 
her family would “put on our aprons and 
roll up our sleeves to get thousands of 
cookies baked and baskets assembled.”
After Jim passed away two years ago 
from pancreatic cancer, Jodie questioned 
whether she could continue Culinary 

Combo. Then cousins in commercial real 
estate and other friends provided support 
for her to start the bakery — the Polks’
 
longtime dream.
“Jessica stepped forward to say, ‘
Mom, 
I want to be your partner,’
” said Jodie. 
“Truthfully, I never realized she had any 
interest in the business, but I could not 
pass up the opportunity to work side-by-
side with my daughter.”
Open since Oct. 27, Culinary Combo 
Bakery is on the reverse side of the 
Claymoor Apartments’
 entrance. The loca-
tion on Franklin Road, near Northwestern 
Highway, is close to Jodie’
s former business 
clientele. 
Starting with its reputation for creat-
ing decorative and unique gift baskets, 
Culinary Combo Bakery offers made-
from-scratch baked goods. The Claymoor, 
an oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips 
and toffee bits, and fudgy brownies, are 
delicious specialties. Keto-friendly and 
nut-free and gluten-free options are avail-
able, although everything is made in a 
facility utilizing dairy, eggs, soy, gluten and 
nuts. The bakery caters to Jewish tastes 
with rugaleh but isn’
t certified kosher.
In addition to baking, Jessica, a trained 
product photographer, also manages mar-
keting, social media and photography for 
the business.
She, Neil and Jodie, are members 

of West Bloomfield’
s Temple Israel. 
Jodie sends out tributes for the temple’
s 
Sisterhood. Since Jim’
s passing, the family 
has been involved with Pancreatic Cancer 
Action Network, and Jodie attended a 
spousal bereavement group at Gilda’
s Club 
in Royal Oak. 
Working closely with her daughter at the 
bakery, Jodie said they “truly enjoy collab-
orating with one another and at this point, 
as we are finally seeing the dream through, 
neither of us can imagine doing this with 
anyone else.” 

Culinary Combo Bakery now open.

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sweet Treats

C li
C
b
B k
C li
C
b
B k
Sweet Treats

A sample of the treats 

available at Culinary 

Combo Bakery

Jodie Polk and her 

daughter Jessica Barris

Bakery hours are 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-
Friday, and until 1 p.m. Saturday. Local 
delivery is available for $12 with 24 hours’ 
notice.

Culinary Combo Bakery
29260 Franklin Road
Southfield
(248) 624-9594
theculinarycombo.com 

