The one thread that stickily weaves my summertime memories of Concord together is ice cream. Neither rain nor shine, dress clothes nor play clothes, morning nor night would prevent our regular stops at favorite ice cream haunts. I became a world- class ice cream connoisseur at a remarkably young age. After exhaustive research and countless ice cream headaches, it was evident the place to go for soft serve was Arnie's (which was not actually Arnie's back then, but Dairy Queen). Chocolate and vanilla soft serve twist on a plain cone with chocolate sprinkles (not jimmies, oh definitely not jimmies), please.
Carvel served the most refreshingly pine mint chocolate chip, which had to be placed atop a crisp sugar cone and slathered with rainbow sprinkles (opting for chocolate sprinkles would have overwhelmed the palate). If you were looking for classy, Carvel was it; no lame little shavings of chocolate in their ice cream; rather it was populated with the cutest real mini chips, shaped just like those we would eat by the handful from the yellow bag when making cookies. And no picking glue off your ice cream cone, as Carvel used a simple napkin for hygiene purposes instead of those paper sleeves.
Friendly's on Main Street was the place for a quick and dirty ice cream fix, and usually our feet ended up sticking to the ground outside the order window after stepping in an ice cream spill. Undeterred, I was always up for a black raspberry on a sugar cone with chocolate sprinkles, which brought out the berry tones of the ice cream while accentuating the deep brown sugar of the cone.
Cursed with ice cream addictive genes that have passed to the next generation, my husband and I are now raising a couple of ice cream fanatics. Nary a sunny summertime day passes without our 2- or 5-year-old making the suggestion to go for ice cream. Friendly's is a favorite since they can walk (though we have to bring a stroller for the little guy who has not yet mastered simultaneously eating ice cream and walking). The order window is now much spiffier, with nary a Croc having to be peeled off the ground. Ballard's with its stellar wooden play structures is a special treat enjoyed on the bike ride home from Rollins Park. And we all treasure those summer evenings spent lazing about Bicentennial Square (or as our kids and all of their friends call it, “Turtle Square,” and yes, I am aware it is technically a tortoise), working our way through gargantuan goodness from Granite State Candies (you must try the maple pecan, on a sugar cone, of course).
For our family, ice cream is much more than just milk, cream and sugar. Ice cream is a catalyst for making memories, drawing us out of the house on warm summer nights to engage with fellow Concordians, support local businesses, enjoy the beauty of our city, and slow down just long enough to feel the gratitude resonate. Then the ice cream headache sets in, moment of contemplation abruptly ends, and laughs abound.
Keep the cone side down . . .
