Here's The Scoop On Ice-Cream Rival

Could this be what is meant by trying to cream the competition?

Marbletop Creamery, a chain of ice-cream parlors in Seattle, says it can top Baskin-Robbins' 31 flavors by the hundreds.

It does so with a variety of mix-ins to five base flavors of ice cream and yogurt - vanilla, chocolate, cheesecake, sweet cream and espresso. There are 50 mix-ins in all - from fruits, nuts and brownies to fudge, caramel and nonfat cookie dough.

Co-owner Chris Hageseth says Marbletop custom designs its flavors like this: It takes a scoop of ice cream or yogurt and plops it on a frozen marble top, then flattens the scoop out. It spreads the nuts or fruits on top, then folds the ice cream over like an omelet. Then it chops the concoction up into a blend.

Marbletop's first parlor in the University District opened in January 1995. Its second location, on Greenlake Way Northeast, opened in August.