Ice Cream Anyone?

  I woke up this morning after dreaming of soda fountains, the 50's and Happy Days.  Remember seeing that show with Al's Diner?  I realized there are not that many places that offer the escapism to another time.

I don't know if you've ever visited Main Street at Disney land (either Florida or California).  Did you stop by the eatery on Main Street near the entrance?  It served soda's and ice cream goodies.

The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is built to take you back to a time in the past where a boy might take his lady love to for a date.  They might share a float or an ice cream sundae.  I've eaten there before and remember pigging out on the divine creations they made.

I have wondered where the term Sundae came from.  Apparently back in 1881, a customer of an ice cream shop asked the owner to pour chocolate syrup over ice cream.  Up to this point, the chocolate syrup was only used in ice cream sodas.  It cost a nickle but was only sold on Sunday's thus its name.

There was another restaurant I visited once in a great while when growing up.  It was Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor and it was decorated to look like a place from the late 1890's. Both men and women dressed from the time period to lend authenticity to the concept.

Their desserts were spectacular and sooo rich but soooo good.  They offered other a regular menu of hamburgers and other things but ice cream was what it built its reputation on.  The store opened in 1963 and by the mid 1970's,  there were over  200 restaurants nationwide.  Unfortunately after being sold to Marriott Corporation, the economy slid downwards and the chain went out of business by 1990.  In the mid 2000's after a legal battle concerning ownership, the stores were once more opened in Southern California only.  The chain is fighting to survive in a time of fast foods.

I'm sorry about Farrell's but I'm glad there is at least one place left that provides the wistful look at the past.  On a different note, did you know cones were invented during the World's Fair of 1904?  A Syrian was making waffles next door to an ice cream booth.  When the ice cream person ran out of bowls, the Syrian rolled his waffles into a cone shape and they were filled with ice cream. 

That day the ice cream cone was born and made its impact on history.  Have a good day.