Ice Cream from a Truck!

A red ice cream truck makes its daily rounds through West Newton, its telltale jingle alerting anyone who is home and craving a cold treat that help is on its way. This truck has a low profile, like a small pickup, in contrast to the large white ice cream vans that strategically station themselves at various hot spots (such as the parking lot at Walden Pond). The driver's side has white lettering, and I believe it said "_______ Farm". I wish I could remember whose farm was mentioned, but in my haste I wasn't focusing. After hearing the truck circulating for weeks, yesterday I decided to give into my urge for ice cream and I ran outside in the hopes of getting the driver's attention before he had moved too far down the street.


Because it was an unusual truck with So-and-So's Farm inscribed on the side, I had a flashing fantasy that the driver was carrying a haul of premium ice cream flavors that he would carefully scoop into a cone and present to me with a fluorish.


"What do you have?" I asked eagerly, my fantasy still intact.

"Oh, the usual," he said, gesturing to the far side of the truck which was pasted with labels of all the usual ice cream truck offerings: Hood ice cream sandwiches, creamsicles and assorted ice cream configurations (with flavored centers and crunchy objects on the surface) on sticks.

My bubble thus burst, I had to make a selection. Fast. I was the only customer he had lured outdoors and I didn't want to make the man linger all that long while I mulled over a purchase that turned out to be less than $2. I hoped he was getting a decent wage, rather than relying on commissions.

I chose the so-called Sports Bar, a rectangular block of ice cream covered with a thin but rich chocolate coating.

It was delicious, all the more so because it came from a truck.