Nedley’s Ice Cream has been in business in Perrysburg for just over eight years, humbly beginning selling Hershey’s Ice Cream. The shop has expanded, scoop by scoop, upgrading to Toft’s Ice Cream and other frozen desserts, including soft serve and creative ice cream cakes. A barista’s list of coffee favorites also populate the menu.
Working on a sundae
Most recently, owner and manager Ellen Wisniewski, decided it was time to expand again, with pastries and baked goodies.
“We were thinking too small. We wanted something exciting that would get us through the slower winter months,” Ellen said. A sweet, serendipitous moment came in October, when Nedley’s paired with Mary Anne Zukowski, pastry chef and graduate from Orlando, Florida’s Notter School of Pastry Arts.
“It was divine intervention,” said Ellen. “We were looking for a pastry chef and she was looking for work. We told her she could make whatever she wants!”
Zukowski has worked as a pastry chef in fine restaurants, including Emeril Lagasse’s Tchoup Chop Restaurant at Universal Orlando’s Royal Pacific Hotel, as well as working as a cake decorator and sugar artist.
“I was trying to find a job as a pastry chef in Toledo, but there weren’t many opportunities. When I came to Nedley’s I saw it as a chance to show people new desserts they may not have [tried before].“
And now, something completely different
Zukowski’s dessert case boasts strudels, tarts, macarons (light and crispy baked meringue cookies, not to be confused with the popular coconut cake macaROONS), and ganache covered “Nosh Cakes”. Nedley’s also plans to feature savoury options— when Ellen Wisniewski’s talks about Zukowski’s caramelized onion, feta, pear and gorgonzola cheese tart, her eyes go dreamy.
I asked Zukowski if the two sides of the cafe will ever join forces— whether or not she could see the future of pastries and ice cream coming together. She answered by opening the freezer door to show me a colorful display of ice cream cupcakes. I tried the Buckeye Bullseye cupcake: a rich chocolate ganache and peanut butter frosting covering chocolate cake with a thick layer of ice cream.
“We want to make ice cream cream puffs next,” Zukowski said, beaming.
We’re looking forward to that.
Hours: 11am-9pm, daily
Nedley’s Ice Cream & Coffee Cafe, 200 E. South Broadway St., Perrysburg
419-874-1178 | facebook.com/nedleysicecreamandbakery
