Ice Cream Sundaes

Going out for ice cream, most commonly a hot fudge sundae, used to be a much more frequent treat than it has in recent years.  It was a destination in its own right.  Huff's of childhood, or Howard Johnson's.  Steve's of Sommerville.  A place where we vacationed.  The Charcoal Pit or Friendly's near home.  Largely undone by Adam Smith's correlation with price and demand.  Carton ice cream often went on sale.  I could whip my own whipped cream.  Ben & Jerry's brought premium ice cream home.  And the ice cream shop prices exceeded my willingness to indulge.  No hot fudge sundaes.  Milkshakes, which I could also make at home though with bothersome cleanup, went from those scooped and whirred to some fast food premix recipes at a lower price.  And even those largely disappeared, again price the main driver, though with some health concerns considered as well.

While gathering for a sundae offered a culinary treat, we rarely did it alone, except maybe a car stop at Dairy Queen.  It was an outing, a special treat with my fiancee-->new wife that had a ritual of a significant walk together then a long line then seeing what Steve made that day.  With kids, watching them choose at the Charcoal Pit.  The inflated price of the food balanced with the investment in togetherness.

With Pesach approaching, I have used up as much prohibited food as possible, shopped for what I can eat and serve to guests, and focused on cleaning the eating areas of my house.  Spring arrives at about the same time, though premature to exchange winter clothing in the closet for summer clothing in temporary storage.  Thought I'd go out for a sundae with my wife.  Not done this in ages.  Charcoal Pit is the local classic destination, so that's where we went.  A bit more expensive that expected from their online menu.  It' a favorite of Pres Joe, who recommended the place to his boss Obama during a Presidential visit to our area.  Photo of Obama on the wall at a table with his daughter and bending down to talk to a toddler at another table.  Must be a schmendrik.  Nobody goes to the Charcoal Pit wearing a tie, not even Joe whose picture hung adjacent to Obama's, with his arm wrapped around a guy, I presume an employee, who looked like somebody Joe's Presidential predecessor would have tried to deport.

Hardly anyone there at 8PM on a Sunday evening though Sweet Nel's ice cream shop across the street, where I've not been, had its parking area surrounded by cars.  It was a small but decent sundae, hot fudge as has been our custom.  They still have multiperson options named after local high schools on their dessert menu.  They used to tout Breyer's ice cream.  Ours seemed more dense than that.  Good whipped cream, likely commercial, generous hot fudge but not all that hot.  The purpose was respite and companionship, as most ice cream sundae outings.  That part accomplished.