Island Vibes June 2025

When Jeff and Danielle Perera moved to Central Florida from New York, they searched for the perfect bagel but couldn’t find one that met their standards. After Jeff faced a layoff during COVID-19, he had spare time on his hands, so he set to work concocting a formula to make the desired dough. Having accomplished the goal, he initiated a “bagel run,” personally delivering freshly baked “always boiled, never toasted” bagels door-to-door to friends, neighbors and local businesses. The response was overwhelming, and demand quickly outpaced supply. Fueled by the enthusiasm of their community, Jeff’s Bagel Run evolved from a humble home kitchen operation to a thriving business. Since The Outpost was renovated in 2023, the team has been toying with the concept of incorporating an ice cream bar, according to General Manager Scott Toole. When asked what the catalyst was to finally install it now, Toole responded, “Summer was coming up, so we decided it was prime time to quit talking about it and get the job done. Plus, we already had the space, so no Behind the (Ice Cream) Bar The Outpost sells scoops by the seashore By Sarah Rose 21 IslandVibesIOP.com major work was required. We just cut a hole in the counter and painted red and white stripes on the front side, which gives the feeling of a traditional ice cream shop.” Toole added that there is a science behind ice cream and an art to delivering the perfect scoop. “It’s definitely a more elaborate process than I imagined,” he said. “Thankfully Jonathan Ruman, our supplier who owns the local brand Wholly Cow ice cream, has been very helpful in getting us going by teaching our staff how to maintain the product and serve it. We have to make sure we keep the temperature at 6 degrees Fahrenheit, which is cold enough so it’s easy to scoop but not too frozen so that it won’t pack into a cup or cone.” Ruman said that of equal importance to regulating the temperature is using the right liquid-filled scoop, along with a specific rolling technique so that the ice cream spins onto itself. The best flavor, he said, is the Charleston Sea Turtle, which is arguably his top seller due to its sprinkling of mini milk chocolate caramel candies shaped like turtles and Himalayan pink sea salt. Behind the bar, eleven other delicious options include cookie dough, double Oreo, Southern praline, cappuccino chip, chocolate, islands of joy, vanilla, strawberry cheesecake and birthday cake, as well as raspberry sorbet and mango sorbet. If mixing flavors, Ruman suggested that it’s best to ask for two separate scoops so that one side isn’t heavier than the other. The ice cream bar also offers a full array of toppings, including rainbow and chocolate sprinkles, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream and cherries. Toole said The Outpost will be expanding these choices down the road and will soon be introducing additional ice cream-based variations, such as floats, sundaes, homemade cookie ice cream sandwiches and deep-fried ice cream. Additionally, dogs will have the opportunity to get their paws on a chilly, tasty treat. “Adults are as equally excited about this new addition as the kids are,” said Toole. When two high school friends from Maine, Dave Ketchen and Chad Morang, invited Liz Mulkeen to run with them in the Eugene Marathon in Oregon, she was up for the challenge. The Eugene Marathon is the Pacific Northwest’s largest marathon and takes place each spring on the last Sunday of April. For the first 20 miles of the race, Mulkeen felt good mentally, but she said the last 6 miles were the hardest. What kept her going was knowing that everyone at the Dinghy, where she bartends, was livestreaming and cheering her on. She also had the support of her best friend of 15 years and bartending co-worker, Rachel Antognioni, and Antognioni’s son Riggs, who flew out to Oregon with her. Amongst 15,000 other runners, Mulkeen’s finish time was four hours and 16 minutes and she averaged 9:47 per mile. With zero to little training, she was pleased with her results. “If you put your mind to something, you can achieve it,” she said. “You’re stronger than you think you are.” Dinghy bartender ‘Marathon Liz’ makes big strides By Sarah Rose Dinghy bartender Liz Mulkeen completed the Eugene Marathon in Oregon this past April In June 2021, the Perera’s realized their dream of opening the first Jeff’s Bagel Run brick-and-mortar location in Ocoee, Florida. Danielle left her corporate job and joined Jeff in the business endeavor. The rapidly-expanding franchise has since opened five locations throughout the Lowcountry. Stores can be found in Cainhoy, West Ashley, James Island, Mount Pleasant and now the Isle of Palms, which has the bagel shop’s first drive-through opening in June. Local Franchise Operations Manager Jordan Smith said, “We are passionate about becoming part of people’s morning routines and look forward to engaging with this tight-knit neighborhood.” He added that the company’s core values are to “Bake fresh, bring joy New Fare Jeff’s Bagel Run spreads fresh flavors to IOP By Sarah Rose and build community.” Hot out of the oven, their assortment of bagels includes asiago, asiago everything, blueberry, cacio e pepe, cinnamon raisin, cinnamon sugar, everything, garlic, rosemary salt, jalapeno cheddar, poppy seed or plain. Alternatively, customers can enjoy a special “bagel of the day.” No bagel experience would be complete without the selection of cream cheese and spreads that are also made in-house from scratch. Choose from banana pudding, brown sugar cinnamon, cake batter, cannoli, chive and onion, cookies and cream, hot sauce, plain, roasted jalapeno, strawberry, vegetable, vegan plain, vegan sugar cinnamon, vegan chive and onion, whipped butter, whipped butter with cinnamon honey or whipped butter with garlic and herbs. Enhance the bagel run by ordering a beverage from the drink menu. Options range from simple hot or iced coffees, either of which can be infused with flavors such as banana bread or cinnamon vanilla. Traditional brews such as Americano, espresso, cappuccino, latte and tea are also available, as are flavored lemonades and “dirty sodas." FOOD & BEV

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