Dewey’s Bakery, a nearly 100-year-old staple of Winston-Salem, is introducing a “new-to-us” concept at their Thruway Shopping Center and Reynolda Road locations. I say “new” to us because they did the concept in Greensboro, as a standalone store, but the ‘Boro folks demanded a real Dewey’s, and Dewey’s acquiesced to their request.

So, Tim, jeez o’pete! Get on with it already. What is this new concept?

The Man Who Ate the Town noshing a Dewzy

This is called the DEWZY.

It’s a delightful, layered dessert that starts with Dewey’s famous cake (several flavors) as a base, then ice cream, fillings, whipped cream, and sugar cookie.

Okay, but what is it!?!?

Several years back, Dewey’s bought Blue Ridge Ice Cream and while they have kept the BRIC dream alive, they have modified the ice cream a bit. I don’t like hard ice cream, and soft serve is sometimes too iffy. Dewey’s Ice Cream is all the goodness from BRIC but in a medium-textured frozen treat. It’s closer to the soft serve but with more body and more oomph. The flavors are really good, as well. I’ll get to that in a bit.

So, if you like jelly or custard or pudding-filled things (like doughnuts), then Dewey’s has the accouterments for you. I know. I know! Settle down. I’m just laying out the components.

Let’s get to this Dewzy.

Take the thing that people think of first when they think of Dewey’s – at least what I think of first – and that’s the cake.  Which cake flavor you ask? Well, that depends on the Dewzy you choose. Vanilla and chocolate are mostly in the pre-conceived recipes, but, c’mon, it’s Dewey’s. They may have some pink lemonade or other faves lying about. I’d ask first, don’t quote me on that!

Boston Cream Pie Dewzy

The ice cream flavors do rotate, but they have some standards. Vanilla, chocolate, honey latte, butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, and more.

But, here’s where the fun starts. The fillings, fillers, and toppings. Banana pudding, bananas, buttercream icing, chocolate shavings, hot fudge, pecans, caramel, lemon custard, mocha chips, chocolate mint candy, peanut butter cups, peanut sauce, and the list grows. Top this creation with a fluffy, velvety whipped cream, and top it with another thing Dewey’s is known for… a Moravian sugar cookie.

Think of it as a modified trifle. A trifle is a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element, custard, and whipped cream layered in that order in a glass dish. We have to take away the alcoholic elements of course, but the idea is very similar.

I got to try three different versions of Dewzies when I visited the store.

The first one I had was the Boston Cream one. One of Stephanie’s and my favorite trips was to Boston. We stayed at the Omni Parker House, which isn’t just where the Parker House roll came from, it’s where the Boston Cream Pie came from. Custard runs over and through the vanilla cake, with vanilla ice cream and just enough fudge sauce to round out the fillings before you put on the whipped goodness and Moravian essential, the sugar cookie. A solid “A” for this one.

Peanut Butter Cup Dewzy

Up next, is the Peanut Butter Cup. Y’all. A certain, orange-wrapped peanut butter cup is one of my favorite dessert treats ever. This isn’t that, so don’t get silly. But, it isn’t far from it. Chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate, and peanut sauces swirled over those, with chunks of peanut butter candies (or broken cups) topped with the whippy cream yumminess and the sugar cookie. I have to say it was a bit too cold for these rich flavors to come out at first, but as I let it warm up a bit, the flavors started to make their way to the stage. Another solid “A.”

The final sample (and by sample, I mean full-sized “small” (which are 9oz cups)) was my favorite of the three, the Coffee Break. So, here we have vanilla cake with espresso-soaked custard, honey latte ice cream with mocha chips, then topped with whipped cream and the sugar cookie. Man, the coffee-flavored ice cream with the vanilla cake and the espresso custard? My eyes are rolling back in my head thinking of it. It was so good. It was robust, to say the least. I won’t get stupid with the rating, so let’s stay with “A+,” although I could add a few extra “+++” to it.

Other pre-determined menu items are (each includes the whipped cream and cookie):

Banana Pudding – sweet banana-creamy pudding, vanilla cake, vanilla ice cream, and of course, more bananas!
Birthday Party – Vanilla cake, white buttercream icing, vanilla ice cream, and sprinkles.
Black Forest Cherry – Cherries that are a little sweet and a little tart, with fudge, chocolate cake, and twisty chocolate shavings.
Caramel Turtle – just like a Turtle Sundae with pecans, caramel AND fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream on top of BOTH chocolate and vanilla cake.
Lemon Bar – Mouth-puckering lemon curd filling, vanilla ice cream, vanilla cake.
Mint Chocolate – Dewey’s mint choco-chip ice cream with chunks of chocolate mint candies, chocolate cake, and fudge sauce.
Ultimate Chocolate – Chocolate everything. Cake, ice cream, shavings, fudge sauce, kitchen sink, kitchen utensils, er… okay not the sink and utensils, but if there is something chocolate you can think of, chances are, it’s in this.

Coffee Break Dewzy

Now, this menu of dessert heaven should have something for just about everyone, but if you’re one of those who just have to have it your way, then, you’re in luck. Every single Dewzy is made-to-order, so leave something off (I’m not sure about adding things) if you want. But, if you’re really trying to satiate your creative juices, then you can make your own with just about any dessert offering in the building (within reason). Let’s put it this way… you are your own Picasso when it comes to your masterpiece.

So, when is this happening?
The Thruway Shopping Center launch is August 13 (262 S. Stratford Rd) from 11a-7p.
The Reynolda Road launch is September 9 (2876 Reynolda Rd) from 11a-7p.

I think this is a good thing. Dewey’s Bakery is stepping out and expanding its sweet horizons. I’m going to have to go back for more. I really want to try the Lemon Bar, the Birthday Party, and Black Forest Cherry. When you go, and I know you will, tell them that The Man Who Ate the Town sent you!!!!

The price points are $6 for a 9oz cup. $9 for a 20oz cup. $15 for a 32oz cup. They need a T-shirt competition for that big one.