Happy National Sundae Day 2019!
First, a little background:
according to nationaldaycalendar.com, the oldest known record of an ice cream sundae is an advertisement in the Ithica Daily Journal dated October 5, 1892, with the conventional day of the week spelling – "Ice Cream Sunday". It has been hotly debated where the sundae originated. There has been a friendly rivalry between Ithaca, New York, and Two Rivers, Wisconsin over which city is the true birthplace of the sundae.
The Two Rivers’ claim is that in 1881, Druggist Edward Berners served the sweet concoction when customer George Hallauer ordered an ice cream soda. Because it was the Sabbath, ice cream sodas were prohibited at that time. As a compromise, Berners served the ice cream in a dish without soda and topped it with chocolate syrup. This story is disputed by some because Berners would have only been 18 at the time the story takes place. This magnificent creation only cost a nickel and skyrocketed in popularity--but was sold only on Sundays.
In Ithica on a Sunday after church in 1892, Chester Platt, proprietor of Platt & Colt Pharmacy, and the Reverend John M. Scott stopped at the pharmacy to enjoy a bowl of ice cream. Instead of just plain vanilla, Platt topped the scoops with cherry syrup and a candied cherry. The dessert looked and tasted so delightful that they decided it required its own name. It was named for the day it was created. Ithaca also has some historical evidence supporting this, including the advertisement for a "Cherry Sunday". By May 1892, the Platt & Colt soda fountain also served “Strawberry Sundays,” and later, “Chocolate Sundays”.
According to nationaltoday.com, there is another location vying for the title of Inventor of the Sundae: A Plainfield, Illinois, druggist named Mr. Sonntag created the dish in 1890 after customers requested something different. He named it the “sonntag” after himself, and since Sonntag means Sunday in German, the name was translated to Sunday, and later was spelled "sundae".
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Now, a bit about the venue:
Acoording to colonialcafe.com, Having been "Scoopin’ Fun Since 1901," and having opened drive-ins in the late 1940s, Colonial opened its "Snappy Snack" concept in St. Charles in the spring of 1957. It served a limited menu, featuring "Tasty Burgers" for 16 cents each, "Krispy Fries" for 10 cents and fresh doughnuts for 59 cents a dozen. Ten stools lined the counter. Beyond the counter were the fountain and grill. The concept caught on and by 1959 Colonial was operating similar units in Geneva, West Chicago, Sycamore and DeKalb.
1959 – With the success of its Snappy Snack units paving the way for expansion, Colonial opened its new Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop with two soda fountains, an island counter and 46 stools. The menu featured 11 sandwiches, French fries, soup of the day, chili and a wide variety of fountain items. This was the location of the present Colonial Cafe & Ice Cream at 1625 E. Main in St. Charles. Grand Opening newspaper ads invited guests to "Drive Out" to see the Valley's newest ice cream and sandwich shoppe.
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Colonial Cafe has been serving ice cream for 118 years! They are also renown for their amazing sundae creations! Some of their famous sundae concoctions include the Cinful Pie, E.T. (Extra Terrific), Kahuna Krunch, Banana Royale, Dirt & Worms, Tall Turtle, Brownie Chipper, and many more (including a create-it-yourself option). There is also their World Famous Kitchen Sink Sundae--and a challenge to finish it!
The Kitchen Sink is what we'll be taking on--and we may need some help to eat it all! ((who am I kidding--theCachinCarpenter and I can TOTALLY take out the Kitchen Sink! But we'd like you to come and order sundaes with us anyway!!) They also have dinner options if you would like some "real food" before tackling the sundae part.
Please join us for sundaes and cachin' talk!
The Colonial Cafe
1625 E Main Street St.
Charles, IL 60174
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Feel free to come earlier or stay later!!