WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS FILES:

Irvine Robbins, 90; co-founder of the Baskin- Robbins ice cream empire (Valerie J. Nelson, 5/06/08, Los Angeles Times)

Irvine Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins whose penchant for creating unusual ice-cream flavors helped push post-World War II America far beyond its chocolate-vanilla-strawberry tastes, has died. He was 90.

Robbins, who opened his first ice-cream shop in 1945 in Glendale, died Monday of complications related to old age at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, said his daughter, Marsha Veit.

With his brother-in-law and partner, Burton Baskin, Robbins displayed a keen sense of fun and a flair for marketing that helped turn some of their frozen treats into cultural touchstones.

The man was a genius….especially the invention of Jamoca Almond Fudge and Pralines and Cream. His only misstep was Pink Bubblegum….I worked at a B&R one summer, and my job mostly consisted of scraping the bubblegum off the floor after kids would spit it out…

Posted by Glenn Dryfoos at May 6, 2008 8:07 PM