Making Curds and Her Way in Paoli

Missy Shaw spent twenty years traipsing around the country, but never lost the longing for her favorite tastes of home. Now the transplanted Wisconsinite is sharing her love of smooth and creamy custard, curds, brats and beef with the Upper Main Line.

Jake's Frozen Custard shop in Paoli Village Shoppes was was born of Shaw's love for Wisconsin dairy specialties and a desire to bring those flavors to families in her adopted hometown of Paoli. Judging by the smiles on the faces of  her customers, locals are loving the cheesy choices and fanciful flavors she's serving up.

Before opening the shop last September, Shaw says she had grown weary of the extensive travel  required for her job at a Malvern-based pharmaceutical company. No matter where she went she found herself missing the tasty treats of her Wisconsin childhood.

So in the middle of a recession, Shaw decided to bring the tastes she loved about growing up in the Dairy State to the place she loves to live. She said the timing for delicious treats and comfort food seemed right. "There's no better time to go and get a custard then when you're feeling down. It's a nice way to cheer yourself up, and I see the smiles on people's faces and it makes me happy as well."

It's hard not to smile when you walk into Jake's. Shaw has worked hard to make it a fun and cheerful place for anyone who wants a refreshing respite from the daily grind or the everyday grab and go eatery, from the purple floor to the rainbow of custard colors in the freezer.  "The guys at Sherwin-Williams I think thought I had a few screws loose when I picked out the color scheme. Purple is the main state color of Jake's so I've got a purple floor.  I wanted it to be unique and memorable and I don't know that there's any other shop on the Mainline  shop that's this colorfully decorated."

Memories are a big influence in Shaw's shop, specifically fond memories of growing up in Wisconsin and of her grandfather Jake, for whom she named her store. "He and I had a very special bond,"she explains while getting a little choked up. "I decided I wanted to name it after him because he was just a really great guy and I think about him every day now that I'm here at Jake's."

She also thinks about food and custard and bringing something unique to the local food scene. Brats are imported from the Midwest as are the cheese curds and custard mixes she serves.  "I tell customers there are four Wisconsin-signature items at Jake's: custard, brats, cheese curds and me."

The custard is thick and creamy. Shaw explains that pasteurized egg yolks and a low percentage of air in the mix make her custard different than ice cream. "You can get custard in a twist, which people know as soft serve, and that's 80% air, that's why you get the pretty twist. The (custard blending)  machine I use, which is made in Wisconsin, just like me, actually only puts 20 percent air in. So it's a much denser, creamier product which is why we scoop it.

With summer and warmer temperatures coming, Shaw expects to scoop even more custard. She and her father, who is visiting from-you guessed it-Wisconsin, spent much of this weekend putting together the tables and chairs for Jake's newly opened patio seating area.

And with a rotating roster of old stand-bys and original flavors, ice cream, make that custard-lovers, will never get bored. "The flavors change on a daily basis. I always have vanilla and chocolate, I always have some kind of a coffee flavor. Dulce de Leche is very popular, and then, whatever you're looking for. Today I have Black Raspberry, Marbled Chashew, Blue Moon, which is a Wisconsin favorite that everybody thinks tastes different. I also have Mint Oreo. You tell me what you're favorite flavor is, chances are I can make it for you."

And chances are you will be charmed by the Midwest hospitality and good humor that's not on the menu, but is in the air at Jake's.