Hello From one foodie to another

I’ve heard many hilarious but terrifying subway stories, so as I stepped onto the Queens-bound subway, I hoped for an uneventful ride. It was not to be. There was a particularly unsavory man who decided to choose, out of all the equally desirable and available seats, to sit in the seat next to me, lean into me and then inquire about my final destination through slurred words and uncomfortably close proximity. Another young man decided in some primal act of masculinity (?) to use the grimy subway doors as a surface on which to reflect his muscle tee-ed body, all while constantly pulling the tight fitting clothing away from his body in order to cool himself and making broken engine noises through his nose. I didn’t bother hiding my complete disgust for both displays. By the end of the ride, I was really hoping that Eddie’s would be worth this mildly upsetting train ride.

 

Eddie’s is one of very few old fashioned soda fountain ice cream parlors left in the city. The walls were covered in a dark wood, while the ice cream counter had a full white marble countertop with bolted down metal stools. It was an average diner level clean - if you put your hands on the table, you’ll probably pick up something sticky. The right side wall was lined with glass jars filled with different candies - some retro, like Sugar babies, and some current. Eddie’s was nothing like the Disney-like, plastic filled Dylan’s candy shop, where their main goal is to grab you with their colors and displays and send you on your way with your pockets emptied and bags loaded with pounds upon pounds of candy.

 

After looking up the abbreviated history of soda shops, I discovered that they were usually paired with drugstores. The soda water was believed to have health benefits and the rest of the sweet treats countered the bitter medicines. These soda shops were often the hub for socializing. Eddie’s was a corner shop that blended in with the neighborhood because all the other shops were Mom & Pop store fronts (law office, bridal shop, florist), not big chains.

Ultimately Eddie’s was about the experience. It was about being transported back in time and getting the feeling of what these candy stores and soda fountains used to be like. It may be difficult for younger people to imagine this if they’ve never seen a black and white film or old advertisements, but stepping into Eddie’s will allow you to live for a moment in that iconic era. (But don’t expect them to sell you candy for a nickel!) The ice cream was good. It was thick, creamy, and consistent. The maple walnut ice cream was rich and had complementary and yet distinguishable flavors. The banana split came in a tin ice cream boat. Slices of sweet bananas were covered by two mountainous scoops of ice cream, which were piled high whipped cream, and topped with a single candied cherry. It was delicious.