At a time like this, we could all use something sweet in our lives and Rockwood Dairy Bar has just the thing–starting this weekend, they’ll be selling grab-and-go, fresh-made, pre-packaged ice cream pints and quarts.Owner, Stephanie Rosse, intended to open Rockwood Dairy Bar to the public in mid-March, but the Coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into those plans. So, Stephanie has had to do what everyone else has–quickly pivot to to-go options.
“The idea is to slowly build and to let people taste my passion,” she shares. “There are reduced hours and menu, but as with everything I do, I’m not afraid of flavor!”Stephanie grew up in Orange County and went to Carolina, but she kept quitting to work in restaurants. “My parents had enough of that and sent me to France for three years to go through the French system (my mother is French) for a Hotel/Restaurant Culinary degree. When I got home, I was working at Magnolia Grill during the week and waiting tables at Nana’s on the weekends,” she says. “This was 1993.”
There was a lot of back-and-forth since after that as she worked for Scott at Nana’s Chop House and again at Nana’s in 2007 before heading to Wilmington to run a food truck and business. Upon her return to the area, she worked as Executive Pastry Chef for six years. Last year, she was at The Washington Duke Inn. In anticipation of opening her own shop, she recently been working again at Nana’s and doing desserts for Deeluxe.
When it does finally open, Rockwood Dairy Bar (which takes its name from the old place that was originally across the street where Q Shack is now) will be an old-fashioned ice cream/soda shop with new twists.
Front and center will be a 1930’s soda fountain with all kinds of cool syrups for Italian sodas, and sauces for ice creams, shakes, and sundaes! There will be funky ice cream sandwiches, like banana pudding snickerdoodle. The shop will also feature French pastries like beignets and macarons, along with espresso.
“I’ve put together a tart tatin with beignet crust, salted calvados caramel, and vanilla ice cream for Nana’s, and a Dulce de Leche Tiramisu that will make a reappearance at Rockwood Dairy Bar,” Stephanie shares.Luckily, we won’t have to wait for the shop to open in full to try some of Stephanie’s original flavors, which are $5 a pint and $10 a quart (get a deal with two quarts for $9 each). This week’s flavors include vanilla bean, Belgian chocolate, fresh strawberry white chocolate, mint truffle swirl, banana puddin’, lemon meringue, cappuccino, Nutella crunch, salted dulce de leche, and a couple sorbets (vegan and gluten-free): Mango Key Lime and Watermelon.RDB’s pre-packaged ice cream will be available for pick up Friday-Sunday from 12-6pm. To order, you can email or grab and go from their brand new storefront at 2514 University Drive (next to Nana’s restaurant).
Photos courtesy of Rockwood Dairy Bar
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