Chicago Brick Ice Cream

Hi all!
It's rare I find Chicago Brick ice cream anymore. Does anyone know of an ice cream parlor where you can buy a scoop?

Jewel is showing Dean's Dairy Pure Chicago Brick on their website.

Pie Lady wrote:Hi all!
It's rare I find Chicago Brick ice cream anymore. Does anyone know of an ice cream parlor where you can buy a scoop?

Since you like it and know what it is about, could you describe it? I never heard about it until yesterday and did a little reading. Clearly you are fan, please share what you know.

Regards,

Sure. It's a triple-flavor ice cream, divided into sections, like Neapolitan. But instead of vanilla-chocolate-strawberry, it's vanilla-caramel-orange sherbet. It's a delight. I have seen Dean's at Jewel, but it's not reliably there or at all locations. Plus, I would like something better than Dean's if it's available.

Katie wrote:Ben&Jerry's...

Odd. I think they have at least two versions, too.

Have you tried Mariano's? They have a lot of interesting brands, and I seem to recall seeing coffee. They also have a gelato counter so they can pack it up for you.

The "Friendly's" brand from the east coast has a pretty good coffee variety. I've seen it regularly at Jewel.

As mentioned above by others, Dean's is the only brand of Chicago Brick I've seen in recent years. A further descriptor for those unfamiliar with the flavor; its appearance, in terms of color, if not its flavor profile, is reflective of the "Chicago Mix" offered by Garrett's Popcorn and others. White for the vanilla/buttered flavor, brown for the caramel, and orange for the orange/cheese flavor. In both forms, the unlikely flavor combination works rather well.

Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:...its appearance, in terms of color, if not its flavor profile, is reflective of the "Chicago Mix" offered by Garrett's Popcorn and others. White for the vanilla/buttered flavor, brown for the caramel, and orange for the orange/cheese flavor.

Wow, I had no idea! Nifty!

Hi,

I really never knew this Chicago brick ice cream existed.

My German grandmother always bought the half-chocolate and half-vanilla brick ice cream. The Irish side was devoted to Neapolitan, especially if it was ice-milk and not ice-cream. I don't know if ice-milk is still available, but it was the late 60's equivalent of heart-healthy ice cream. It had a limp feel on the tongue.

My favored ice cream is fudge ripple. I learn recently this style of was invented and patented by the founder of Andrea's ice cream parlor in Kenosha. He had another name for it: New Fudge.

Regards,

I don't know if ice-milk is still available, but it was the late 60's equivalent of heart-healthy ice cream.

According to Wikipedia, the FDA changed the rules in 1994 and ice milk can now be called low-fat ice cream. Learn something every day.

Saw Dean's Chicago Brick ice cream at Mariono's (New City) this morning, on sale for $3.50/half gallon. They also had a coffee ice cream by Ruth and Phil's Gourmet Ice Cream, pretty expensive at $7.99/pint.

Edit: Dean's ice creams are in 1.5 quart containers, not 1/2 gallon.

Pie Lady wrote:It's rare I find Chicago Brick ice cream anymore. Does anyone know of an ice cream parlor where you can buy a scoop?

Even though I'm not much of an ice cream eater (and I actively dislike orange sherbet!), I've become interested in this topic. Might the name Chicago Brick have been created by Dean's? I'd like to hear any recollections about this ice cream. Do you remember other supermarket brands? Did you get it at ice cream parlors? I'm especially interested in names and dates, but any vague memories or speculation would be welcome too.

Katie wrote:Don't want to hijack this thread, but if a similar question is permissible, and then back to Chicago brick -- does anyone know where to get/brands that have coffee ice cream? I've been craving it ever since my first glass of iced coffee this summer. I thought it would be easier to find, but I haven't been able to find it among the Deans, Edy's, Ben&Jerry's, and other usual grocery store offerings.

I think you need to try some different grocery stores. My local Treasure Island doesn't have a particularly large ice cream section, but they carry coffee (or coffee variant) ice cream (or frozen yogurt or gelato) from Häagen-Dazs (four varieties and multiple sizes), Edy's (three varieties), Graeter's, Stonyfield, Gelato Fiasco, and McConnell's. I probably missed some.

Rene G wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:It's rare I find Chicago Brick ice cream anymore. Does anyone know of an ice cream parlor where you can buy a scoop?

Even though I'm not much of an ice cream eater (and I actively dislike orange sherbet!), I've become interested in this topic. Might the name Chicago Brick have been created by Dean's? I'd like to hear any recollections about this ice cream. Do you remember other supermarket brands? Did you get it at ice cream parlors? I'm especially interested in names and dates, but any vague memories or speculation would be welcome too.

I'm not a fan of most orange-flavored things other than sodie pop, but I love the combination. I have no idea where the name came from, but with Buddy's comment above I'm thinking maybe so. I recall getting it in square paper containers when I was a wee tot, that always ripped when you tried to get them open. I think a few brands made it, but mostly off-brands. I'll try to think of what they were. For awhile, we couldn't find it in local stores, and stumbled upon it at Logli's in Janesville or Rockford. We never found it at ice cream parlors. The more I think about it, the more I want to make the whole shebang myself, even divide it into equal sections of a tupperware container.

No worries! I'll be watching yours too. I don't want to miss anything during ice cream season.

We picked up a carton of Dean's Chicago Brick. I like the combo, but this is not a great ice cream: sherbet was too icy, and a lot harder than the other two, vanilla was uninspired. Assuming it isn't a trademark, there would definitely be a market for an upscale version. Might have to settle for a triple scoop sundae of those flavors somewhere.

JoelF wrote:We picked up a carton of Dean's Chicago Brick. I like the combo, but this is not a great ice cream: sherbet was too icy, and a lot harder than the other two, vanilla was uninspired. Assuming it isn't a trademark, there would definitely be a market for an upscale version. Might have to settle for a triple scoop sundae of those flavors somewhere.

I searched the U.S Patent and Trademark Office database, Chicago Brick does not appear to be trademarked.

Katie wrote:I agree, and I apologize for not starting a separate thread, or better yet, searching first to find out that there is an existing coffee ice cream thread. If I could spare the moderators the work of moving the relevant posts to that thread and do it myself, I would.

Consider it done.

Unearthing that carton we bought last July to help sooth a sore throat (yay stabilizers! a premium ice cream never would have held up to freezer burn), I have discovered that the orange sherbet, vanilla and caramel are the perfect combination for a ginger ale float.

Chicago ice cream of old, back in the day was made by Walgreens. Walgreens had their own brand of ice cream and there was even a jingle they used to advertise it. We liked New York Cherry and Chicago. Chicago was orange sherbet, vanilla and maple. It was not caramel but maybe some thought that's what it was.

Rene G wrote:Even though I'm not much of an ice cream eater (and I actively dislike orange sherbet!), I've become interested in this topic. Might the name Chicago Brick have been created by Dean's? I'd like to hear any recollections about this ice cream. Do you remember other supermarket brands? Did you get it at ice cream parlors? I'm especially interested in names and dates, but any vague memories or speculation would be welcome too.

toria wrote:Chicago ice cream of old, back in the day was made by Walgreens. Walgreens had their own brand of ice cream and there was even a jingle they used to advertise it. We liked New York Cherry and Chicago. Chicago was orange sherbet, vanilla and maple. It was not caramel but maybe some thought that's what it was.

Interesting information, thanks. Any idea how many years back the Walgreens version goes? I'm far from finished looking into the story, but I'm quite confident Chicago Brick – consisting of layers of vanilla and caramel ice cream, with orange sherbet in between – was popular before World War II.

toria wrote: Walgreens had their own brand of ice cream and there was even a jingle they used to advertise it.

I remember that jingle:

Some Ad Guy Back in the 50's wrote:
You better get going for ice cream
For ice cream at Walgreens
You better get going for ice cream
At your Walgreens drug store
Good, is it good! Your choice of flavors
Boy, oh boy, a real money saver
You better get going for ice cream
At your Walgreens drug store