via Sebastian Joe's
three people eating melting ice cream cones
1. Henry Lake likes ice cream, probably way more than anyone. The WCCO Radio host has been going to Sebastian Joe's for decades. Even when he lived in Kansas City, he would come to the Twin Cities and make the ice cream shop his last stop before getting in the car and driving back. You can often find him on Sunday nights at the Lowry Hill location, waiting in line like the rest of us.
2. The only thing he likes more than ice cream, is finding ways to support the community. The new flavor he's created with the shop, Henry By The Lake, is a fundraiser for the University of MN Masonic Children's Hospital. "I've had a relationship with them for about 12 years," Lake told me, "It's such an amazing place and it's a special place because even though it's a hospital it has a really different atmosphere. When you see the smiles on the kids that are going through some very tough times, it just means everything to be there."
3. This ice cream may have magical powers to bring people together. It all started with Lake creating a special cookie to support Bolder Options last year with Tina Rexing of T. Rex Cookies. He loved it so much that he thought it would make a great ice cream, so be brought the idea to Mike Pellizzer, one of the brothers who own SJ. "Tina is great, she helped us get into the football stadium," Pellizzer told me, "They asked her what would be great to have next to her cookie stand, and she said us! So we got the invite, and now we're in a couple locations there." So now, Pellizzer buys the Henry Lake cookie from Rexing and puts it into this new ice cream, supporting her small business as he's supporting Lake's cause.
5. The ice cream is not just doing good, it's actually good. "We all worked together to bring the flavors of the cookie out in the ice cream," Lake said. So what we have here is a caramel based ice cream with coconut, cookie chunks, and chocolate bits. It's smooth and delicious, the cookie has Bailey's Irish Cream flavors in it, but the ice cream is clearly kid-friendly and booze free. I'm not even a coconut chooser, and you might have your Nicollet Avenue Pothole or Pavarotti favorites, but I can honestly say this deserves a moment on your roster.
6. There are some firsts here. This is the first time Sebastian Joe's has created a custom pint for charity, but it probably won't be the last. Pellizzer says this collaboration opened his eyes to what the 30 year old shop could be doing. This is also the first time he's mixed coconut with a caramel ice cream, which seems crazy to Pellizzer. "Every time you think you've run out of creativity, done all the flavors, something opens your eyes!" It works! I can't tell you that I finished my own pint, but that's because I'm shy.
7. Pints are the path to good karma. They just are. Buy a pint of this July-only ice cream and proceeds go help sick kids, it's that simple. If you're having your company picnic you can go online and order a bunch of pints, or maybe you want to woo your workers back into the office: ice cream social is the move, hear me. But even if you're only up for a scoop or two (does anyone actually do single scoops?) you'll be supporting a cool collaboration, a good cause, and perhaps inspiring another flavor and more charity in this world.
