Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

This week’s story is by my good friend Anthony Accardi, a lifelong resident of Somerville.

The summer of 2020, as different as it has been, slowly heading toward its end. Just another month or so and we will be putting the summer of 2020 into the books.

Summer for us New Englanders is so precious. The weather never feels like summer until at least July and even in August we have very cold nights. One thing though that always makes it feel like summer is an ice cream cone. Ice cream is the ultimate way to cool off when the thermometer hits 90 degrees.

Growing up in Somerville, we had lots of places to get ice cream. In Winter Hill the closest was a short walk to Brigham’s on Broadway. Brigham’s was next to the old Winter Hill Star Market. You could have your ice cream to go or you could sit at the counter or in one of the many booths.

Besides their delicious ice cream Brigham’s was also famous for their frappes (a frappe is what the rest of the world calls an ice cream or milk shake). Because of their size, frappes were served in 2 glasses when you drank them in the restaurant. Their hot fudge sundaes were served in these huge glasses that resembled a vase and their banana splits were big enough to serve 3 people. They also hand packed their ice cream in pint, quart or half gallon sizes.

Sometime (sadly) in the late 80’s – early 90’s Star Market took over their space in order to expand. It was such a loss for Winter Hill, not only for taking away a place to get an ice cream cone, but also for taking away a place for many of the older Winter Hill people to have a cup of coffee and chat with friends.

To the right of The Winter Hill Federal Savings bank, where their parking lot and drive through window now resides, was a block of stores. There was a printing company, a hair salon – Lori’s Place I believe it was called – the original Maria’s Cold Cuts and a small walk up/take out window ice cream place. They only served soft serve, which back then was just vanilla and chocolate, both of which could be dipped into this either chocolate or strawberry liquid that turned into a hardened candy like covering. I do not remember the name of this place. Hopefully, once this is published, someone with a better memory than mine can recall its name.

At the corner of Cedar St. and Highland Ave., we also had a Friendly’s Ice Cream restaurant. Friendly’s was exactly like Brigham’s – Ice cream and a small food menu. I believe the old Friendly’s building is still there and is now a bank.

On Cedar St, we had the nationally famous Dairy Queen. Now, Dairy Queen was also soft serve only and back then I don’t believe they had a food menu, or their famous Blizzards for that matter. It was ice cream cones, sundaes and banana splits.

Dairy Queen closed a while back, maybe in the early 90’s. It was replaced by Royal White Laundry, a dry cleaner and laundry company that was very famous in Somerville. They too eventually went out of business and I believe the old Dairy Queen building has been torn down and replaced, most likely with condos.

In East Somerville there is a walk up/take out window called Louie’s Ice Cream. They have been in business since the early 80’s. Before that, there was always a take-out ice cream place there. They would close for the winter and if my memory serves me right, they always had a new name when they opened up the following spring. Don’t ask me any of the older names. Again, hopefully the readers will recall.

Back then Ice cream was so simple. It all tasted good to us. That was until “designer” ice cream came to Somerville in the form of Steve’s Ice Cream. Steve’s was famous for its “mix ins.” They would put a couple of scoops of ice cream on this refrigerated surface and using two paddle-like devices, mixed in your choice of anything from peanuts to m&m’s or candy bars. The line to get into Steve’s was always out the door and down the sidewalk.

A line in front of Steve’s Ice Cream in the ’70’s.

We also had a “make your own sundae” place in Teele Square. Joey’s Ice Cream was  started by Somerville native Joey Crugnale. For a price you got either one, or multiple scoops of ice cream and then you built your own sundae using many of their numerous toppings. From what I remember, Joey’s only lasted a year or two and Joe Crugnale went on to start Bertucci’s Pizza. The original one on Elm Street, next to Steve’s Ice Cream.

So who had the best ice cream? I guess that depends on who you ask and what kind of taste for ice cream you had. You also had to factor in those that only liked hard ice cream or those that only liked soft serve, or both. Those who like the more upscale ice creams – Steves, Ben & Jerry’s, etc. – and of course those who liked all of them.

If you ask me, Brigham’s always had the best ice cream. I still think it’s the best, even though it is now made by Hood. Going for ice cream is one of my fondest memories of growing up in Somerville. My dad or one of my uncles would pile us kids into their car and take us for a ride with a cool refreshing reward at the end of the ride. You got cool relief from the heat, something to do for an hour or two, and another precious memory added to your storybook.