June News

Ice cream is fun, but I’m committed to ensuring that Bartleby’s contributes more to its community than just sweet treats (and I’m hardly the first ice cream business owner to think this way). That’s why, as the economic crisis continues indefinitely, I’ve pledged to donate 10% of the business’s profits each month to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Too many Chicagoans can’t afford to buy groceries, let alone ice cream. Thanks to your incredible support of the business since our reopening in May, I was able to make a first donation of $390 last week.

Our hearts are torn by the unending cycle of police brutality against black people in this country, and by the thousands of injustices that black people experience in their daily lives. Bartleby’s stand with the protesters demanding change to the racist systems and structures that have defined America for far too long. As just one effort toward raising up the black members of our community, this month we’re highlighting our partnerships with two black-owned business that we’ve come to know and love through sharing space at the Hatchery.

Proud Partnerships

Do Well, owned by Michael and Malaika Wells, sells hand-crafted lemonades flavored with real fruit and fresh herbs. Their flavors are amazing—the perfect bridge between adult sophistication and all-ages deliciousness (my kids are wild about their Strawberry Basil and Peach Rosemary). When Do Well and Bartleby’s both worked in the shared kitchen at The Hatchery, we’d always trade them our blondies and cookies for tastes of their lemonade, and now we’re bringing these treats together for you! Visit our menu to order a gallon of any flavor lemonade with a 12-pack of Bartleby’s baked goods, and toss in a pint of ice cream if you’re feeling extra. Or go directly to their website to purchase their incredible lemonades, cocktail kits, mixers, and gift cards.

Taylor’s Tacos is a two-woman powerhouse turning out creative, flavorful, gourmet tacos and more. Taylor and Maya just released a wide-ranging new menu available for pickup or delivery on Tuesdays and Fridays, and it includes an exclusive dessert from Bartleby’s! We developed an Horchata ice cream, steeped with rice, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla beans, to complement their Mexican flavors. The ice cream is sandwiched between two slices of our chewy butterscotch blondies for a delicious treat that you can’t get anywhere else. And trust me, your life will be better after you eat these tacos, so get yourself to their online menu for dinner and dessert this Taco Tuesday! (We’re also working on a vegan option to go with their mouthwatering sweet potato and asparagus tacos!)

Cakes of the Month

Every month, we’ll be featuring two new ice cream cakes with our recommended combinations of ice cream, baked good, and decorations. Check out our features for the rest of June:

The Queen Rho is the creation of our customer relations guru, Rhonda. It combines Toasted Coconut and Sugar Cone Crunch ice creams, layers of brownies AND blondies, vanilla whipped cream, caramel sauce, and mini cones. In addition to being the most helpful and friendliest person you could ever hope to talk to, Rhonda has impeccable taste!

The vegan cake of the month does not have a classy name, but it does have classic flavors: vegan Vanilla and Chocolate ice creams, our new vegan chocolate chip cookies, coconut whipped cream, chopped sandwich cookies, and rainbow sprinkles. We’re out to prove that vegan desserts can be delicious, and this just might be the cake that convinces you.

Plus, our dairy cake of the month for May—our customers’ favorite combination since we first started—was so popular that we’re keeping it around permanently!

Father’s Day Flavor

This June we again raise our glass to fathers throughout Chicago with our limited-time Brandy Alexander ice cream. Our sweet cream ice cream is blended with a splash of brandy, a slosh of crème de cacao, and a sprinkling of freshly ground nutmeg for a frozen take on the classic cocktail. This flavor is available to order in custom cakes, sandwiches, pints, and quarts—in both dairy and vegan versions—but only through the end of June!

Order Early (and Often)

Thank you for keeping us so busy with your cake orders since our reopening! We’re cranking out the ice cream (not literally, we’re a notch more high-tech than that) as fast as we can, but with our limited capacity, most dates have been selling out well in advance. So don’t wait—order now!

Remember, we’re delivering only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for the time being. We can’t wait to get back to full-time operation so we can make even more ice cream for you. We have some very exciting expansion plans in the works. Meanwhile, please take care of yourselves and each other.

Love, Rachel