PHOENIX'S OLDEST ICE CREAM PARLOUR

Now, I must first start this one off by saying, yes this is technically the second oldest ice-cream parlour, however! As Mary Coyle's sadly closed permanently earlier this year, that makes the Sugar Bowl in Scottsdale the oldest still in operation. So let's jump into this bowl of sugary goodness!

If a cool bowl of ice cream or an ice-cream sundae doesn't tempt you to the doors of an ice-cream parlour on a hot summers day, you my friend are reading the wrong post and I'll see you next week! Jokes aside, this sweet pink covered spot in Scottsdale stole my heart. With personalised cartoons from Paradise Valley icon Bil Keane gracing the ceiling to its doors, it's no wonder this place is so well loved and frequented by visitors far and wide.

"Founder Jack Huntress opened the bubble gum pink restaurant and ice cream parlor on New Year’s Eve 1958, hoping to fill a void in the local family-friendly dining scene. His nephew; Carroll Huntress, took over the business in the 1980s and today, Carrolls’ son Ben helps run Old Town Scottsdale’s most colorful restaurant!" - The Sugar Bowl

Despite the colourful dishes, the fact this place was founded by the same family running it today gives it a special touch. As you walk inside and look around, you can see all the years preserved in the antiques, Sugar Bowl Fiesta and plush diner style booths. You can hear the sound of kids begging for one more scoop, while music fills the air. Everyone has their weakness on the menu, and mine happened to be a scoop of butter pecan ice-cream! Though I will give a special shout out to the iconic root beer float.

The sweet bites made me reminisce on the last time I was there, listening to friends singing songs that brought back memories of their younger years. It's the kind of place that gives you those warm fuzzy feels at the end of a great night out, that makes you imagine the flurry of people enjoying it after all types of events way back in the day.

"The earliest record of ice cream – or at least its closest resemblance – was during the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BC, during the reign of Cyrus the Great in Persia (which is now known as the country of Iran in the Middle East). Back then, sweetened ice was crushed and mixed with flavors, fruits, and various toppings." - dodocookiedough

But how amazing that such a simple sweet treat came to be by the united efforts of multiple cultures over time! Ancient Persians learned they could make syrup from fruit to pour over crushed ice, a delicacy picked up by the Italians who blended it to create sorbet (hailing from the Arabic word Shabat), which later brought us gelato with the addition of cream. A melty delicious treat we still know and love today.

Happy historical eating! T x