The Baked Bear

I'll start this post off by saying that I'm not a sweets person. 

Say wha?

That's right.. given a choice between salty and sweet,

I'll choose something savory 98% of the time. 

That's just how I roll. 

But there is that 2%..

And once that rare craving comes over me, 

I now know where I'll be heading. 

The Baked Bear, 

an artisan cookie and ice cream sandwich parlor, 

is hitting San Diego on Saturday, May 4, 2013 with a grand opening celebration, 

bringing customizable desserts to beach-goers and locals all year long.

The brainchild of a lifelong ambition between San Diego natives and best friends Shane Stanger and Rob Robbins, 

 The Baked Bear offers a modern take on an old-fashioned ice cream sandwich with made-to-order combinations of baked in-house gourmet cookies and California-crafted ice cream flavors. 

 Waffle and brownie ice cream sandwiches, creamy milkshakes and chocolate dipped bananas are also on the menu. 

 I had an opportunity to try out a yummy combo for myself, 

when I dropped by the ice cream shop last week to chat with Rob and Shane. 

 I can tell you first hand that these sandwiches are delish! 

 I had the boys concoct me a combo from a tutti-frutti and snicker doodle cookies, 

held together with strawberry cheesecake ice-cream. 

 It was a perfect treat to take along for a walk on the boardwalk on a sunny San Diego day.

The grand opening celebration is Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 

the store will remain open for normal business hours, until 2 a.m. 

The event will allow guests to sample scrumptious confections as they benefit the Drew Kurtzman Foundation, 

 a nonprofit organization formed to help those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. 

 This foundation was started in honor of Robbins and Stanger's close friend who suffered from this disease before passing away in 2010 at the age of 20. 

 A portion of the proceeds from the opening weekend will be donated to this organization that was founded in San Diego. 

 So mark your calendars boys and girls! 

 Hit the beach this Saturday and be sure to treat yourself for a good cause.