Nicole Curtis Checks out new Water Ice Shop on Woodward

HGTV Rehab Addict Nicole Curtis took a break from work on Brush Park's Ransom Gillis house to enjoy a frozen treat at the grand opening of the Detroit Water Ice Factory yesterday. Water ice, a popular desert in New Jersey and Philadelphia, is a bit like an Italian ice, though the recipe for the stuff sold at Detroit Water Ice has less sugar and more fruit than the more familiar icy confection. The new shop, located at 1014 Woodward Ave downtown, gave out free scoops to the first 300 customers on hand for the ribbon-cutting. The Detroit Water Ice Factory is the brainchild of Detroit author and Free Press columnist Mitch Albom and his S.A.Y. Detroit charities. The non-profit will receive all the new shop's profits, and will draw its employees from Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit's youth training programs as well as graduates of other S.A.Y. affiliates.

In addition to Curtis, other luminaries on hand for the event included Detroit born-and-raised singer songwriter KEM and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Detroit Water Ice currently offers 17 flavors. Not only will proceeds benefit S.A.Y. programs that offer food, shelter and medical treatment to those in need regardless of age, the building's co-owners, Bedrock Real Estate Services and Meridian Health, are lending a hand to S.A.Y. by dishing up some of the city's choicest commercial space rent free. Another key donation—the recipes used at the Detroit Water Ice Factory—came from Jon and Adriana Adams, who own and operate New Jersey's Primo Water Ice.

The Detroit Water Ice Factory is open seven days a week. Flavors of the frozen treat store proprietors call "D-Ice" include Motown Mint, Corktown Cotton Candy and Woodward Watermelon. While D-Ice is non-dairy and fat free, you can add both dairy and fat if you order a Motown Twist—water ice swirled with chocolate or vanilla soft serve. No word on Curtis' selection. Perhaps Detroit Water Ice should come up with Brush Park Banana or Ransom Gillis Raspberry?

·Albom's new Water Ice Factory makes treats for charity [Detroit Free Press]
·Detroit Water Ice Factory's Twitter page [Twitter]
·Primo Water Ice Homepage [Primo Water Ice]
·S.A.Y. Detroit [Mitch Albom Charities]