I know it’s cheap and not even ice cream, but GOD I MISS IT. There aren’t any in New York, and apparently the nearest one to San Francisco is in San Rafael, over the Golden Gate Bridge and well into Marin County. (As coincidence would have it, that happens to be where I stayed when I went for my last interview for the job I eventually got — but did I realize then that I could have enjoyed 27 Dresses on my hotel pay-per-view with a Peanut Buster Parfait? No I did not.)
Where we stayed in Hawaii, there was a little mall with a Dairy Queen. I had a couple of Dilly Bars (they don’t have the swirl in the middle anymore!), at least one Parfait, and the truly remarkable Blizzard of the Month: Tin Roof Sundae Brownie. I don’t know how the little nuggets of brownie managed to survive the Blizzard machine, but they did, and I was pretty happy about it. Why didn’t I go every day? What a waste!
I just read on Defamer (of all places) that Baskin-Robbins is adding soft serve, and that’s something, I guess. But it won’t be the same.
If you are lucky enough to live someplace with Dairy Queens, dear readers, I urge you to go out right now and buy yourself the Royal Treat you deserve. And don’t think about dropping a spoonful on the curb for me. You SAVOUR EVERY MORSEL.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
God damn it, Buster Bars are so good. My father used to come home with the combo boxes of Buster and Dilly bars, and you better believe the Dilly bars never ran out first.
Who else builds an entire layer of fudge into their fundamentally-unstable frozen treats? Only the Dairy Queen.
See, I have the opposite problem. A Dairy Queen opened up two blocks from my apartment. I CAN’T STOP. It is a problem.
Oh, are you in luck. Where do you think they are based, my friend? That’s correct - right here in Minneapolis. And there is one located 3 blocks from my house, and another a few blocks from a certain hotel…
It was something like 40 degrees when I was back in Buffalo last week. Did not care. Went to DQ. Don’t regret a thing.
You want to hear about ice cream-related tragedy? I got an ice cream maker, perfected my skills to the point that my homemade ice cream could almost bring tears of joy to your eyes, then learned that Will has an acute sensitivity to milk protein. Which means no high-fat dairy for me.
Now there’s a hole in my heart where ice cream should be.
My very first job was at Dairy Queen. Insert joke here. Anyway, back in the golden age of DQ, we used to freestyle Dilly Bars, using a square of waxed paper on a small metal plate, sticking the tongue-depressor into the flat, circular expanse of soft-serve and then dipping it in the chocolatey wax before fannning them in a grid on a big tray for the freezer.
I am inconsolably saddened by the news that there’s no longer a swirl. There was a simple art to the handmade crafting of the Dilly Bar and the swirl was an integral part of the process.
One of the biggest regrets of my my life was not buying a Fairy Queen t-shirt in a store in Athens GA. It was the coolest shirt , done in the DQ logo. 20 bucks. But I spent it on beer.
Off topic - I’m sitting down at the weekend and writing a big email to you. I miss you tons.
While in New York, have you checked out Carvel? Not the same, I know. But still, soft-serve.
Not to mention Cookiepuss/Fudgie the Whale.
I also worked a summer at a DQ where we freestyled Dilly Bars. SO cool. The best part about having done soft serve in your employment history is going to eat somewhere with a desert bar and impressing everyone with your mad skills. Like riding a bike, people.
I did non-branded ice cream for three summers and DQ for one, and did I ever get tired of ice cream? Not a chance.
On top of the awesomeness of Dairy Queen Ice Cream, one important thing I learned in university is how surprisingly good the DQ burgers are. They are especially tasty when you are hung over.
Tammy: Here’s where you see the pitfalls of parenthood. But seriously, poor Will. They can already tell what food sensitivities he has? I thought he wouldn’t even be eating food yet.
Quinn: I miss you too!
floret: They had Carvel in Ontario, so I’ve had it before. It’s okay, but I find it too creamy; I like the ice milk-ness of DQ.
llexuus: AWESOME.
I encourage any and all to come visit DQ in Delaware. Our local restaurant is affectionately referred to as the JC DQ because the franchise exclusively plays Christian music. Loudly.
Tara, believe it or not, my boobs don’t filter out all that is evil in the world. I’m as shocked as anybody to learn this. So every time I eat real ice cream, Will writhes and screams in agony for a couple of hours. It sucks, especially because, compared to rageaholic infant Sam, Will’s normally such a jolly guy.
I can still eat sorbet and frozen yogurt, but compared to ice cream, they’re like ashes in my mouth.
Apparently I have been greatly misinformed about your boobs, Tammy.
When i was a teenager there was a DQ one block away. Just part of the reason I was so huge. I remember the day Blizzards began. I thought I was now in heaven.
My fave blizzard has to be the pumpkin pie blizzard purchased for me by the sweetest people ever.
Well, they’ve got good PR people.
Three words: Brownie Waffle Sundae. Even the fake steam in the commercial makes my mouth water.
I think the no-swirl action on the Dilly Bar was a fluke in Hawaii. I was at the DQ on Dufferin the other day and the swirl was still there! Could it be an American thing?
Oh my goodness, I live 10 miles from the San Rafael DQ. I had actually forgotten it existed. They can thank you for their increased revenues this weekend!
We had it the other night on our way back from South Padre Island (oh, it is such a perfect post-beach treat).
I wasn’t crazy about the cheesecake blizzard (TOO much of a good thing), but the Kit Kat blizzard was awesome. And I was watching very carefully as they chocolate-dipped Rebecca’s soft serve. They obviously have some sort of anti-grav machine.
You guys, I went to get a cone last night and not only was the ice cream all tilted to one side, there was no swirl on the top. If I wasn’t so lazy & greedy I’d have asked for a new one.
Omar G. - I used to work at an ice cream place and dip cones all the time, it’s actually really easy. Even I, klutz o’ the year, can do it.
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