This Ollie And Jacomo cartoon which was published this week shows my love of Mister Softee, the ice cream truck which is all over the Northeast. It’s a sure sign of spring when they start showing up around town. They are usually all tucked away for the fall and winter seasons.
I believe there are over 2000 franchises/trucks up north, so they are quite ubiquitous.
My first stop when I get to NYC in the summer is Union Square where I can always find Mister Softee. I’ve seen as many as seven of them at one time! Union Square runs from 14th Street up to 17th Street and crosses a couple of Avenues, so there can be one on each corner at times.
A few years back, I was at Governors Island with one of my cousins and it was boiling out. It was so hot. We turned a corner and there was Mister Softee, on the island! I ran over to get an ice cream cone. I usually get a plain chocolate cone, but the guy in front of me got a big chocolate shake and that looked so good. The last time I had one of those I was probably a kid, maybe 12-years-old. So I got one.
Since it was extremely hot out that day, it just hit the spot. I got a few more chocolate shakes that summer, even in the Hamptons, where there were a few Mister Softees to be found.
When I went back to the city in October, I was hoping to see a Mister Softee. Depending on the climate/weather there might be a few still out in the fall. I was thinking of those chocolate shakes from the summer, as I flew down.
As soon as I arrived in New York, I went right down to Union Square, and there was a Mister Softee truck. I went right over and ordered a shake. I told the guy manning the truck that I had been thinking of this the whole time on the plane on my flight down. He just looked at me like I was crazy. I guess when you’re surrounded by Mister Softee all day, every day, it isn’t that special to you.
Some years back, there were many imitations around the city. One had the same exact markings on the truck but it was called “Master Softee.” The ice cream was not the creamy stuff we are used to. It was very icy and crystalized. My aunt mentioned that the Mister Softee she went to in Queens had changed the recipe or something, she didn’t like it. I told her that was “Master Softee,” not Mister Softee. The change in taste is very noticeable.
Master Softee was sued and they were soon banned from the city and only the real thing exists now.
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