Growing up on Long Island, in the middle of suburbia, the closest thing that came to a soda fountain was the local Howard Johnsons. I remember three things about the place
<br />(four if you count the orange roof): first, they had all-you-could-eat fried clams on Monday nights; second, they served their hot dogs in top-split rolls, and third, they made a GREAT chocolate egg cream. I had no idea until I was older that the egg cream was a strictly New York thing. Years later, we stopped at a Denny's somewhere in North Carolina while driving to Florida and I asked for one along with my burger plattert. The waitress stared at me and said, "An egg WHAT?" "A choc-o-late egg cream," I replied, making sure I wasn't talking in my usual Manhattan express voice. She looked at me as if I had asked for a fried ostrich sandwich. After some back-and-forthing, I eventually wound up showing the guy behind the counter how to make one. I like to think I left that place a little richer. I still love egg creams, and here's one recent version. - wssmom

Share: