Swensen's

aSwensen's on Hyde and Union, has been around since 1948. At some point it franchised to a bunch of shops with the ice cream for these franchises coming out of one central factory in Arizona. One exception is here at the original site where they have always made their ice cream in a little room just off Hyde Street. If you time it right, you can find the manager creating during the day, sometimes offering the kids a taste or bits of cookies from the cookie's 'n cream. My guess is that most of the other stores would have a shopping mall feel, as any that exist probably do so in shopping malls.

The counter is really just a tiny L-shaped display of plastic glass and ice cream tubs, with a separate freezer in the customer area for prepacked quarts and half gallons. Also a water fountain which has always offered a nice stream of cool to cold water. The employees are usually teenagers, indifferent, bored, just passing through.
There are two people who have been at the store for at least 20 years and they definitely are invested and personal in their service.

Every other week or so we take a walk, often on a cold night- the weather is rarely a factor, and enjoy the eight block walk. Sometimes it is a stop and go walk/run of tag, halted at each street corner. In the progression of time, we go accompanied with tricycles, bikes, scooters, skateboards. Sometimes with friends allowing a more leisurely walk as the kids can entertain with their buddies. It is always something we look forward too. There were days when we could get away with just handing the toddler a spoon with a tiny bit of ice cream, then later days when I was always asked to complete the deal ("i've had enough/it's too cold") and I surely would.

Once, on one hot evening my scoop slid off the cone because of a poor placement and an aggressive slurp, diving down to a grungy curbside death but saved inches by my reactive grasp. Never have I felt more virile than in that moment. No jokes, please.

Once a year I order licorice which the kids refer to as "concrete". I think Swensen's makes only one tub of this stuff to honor a tradition which only I seem to be excited about. Otherwise, I'm in for peppermint stick, or mountain blackberry (off the menu these days), or some random flavor. I'm very fond of the spinning wheel concept at Polly Ann's in the Sunset District, and for our infrequent visits there, it's the wheel every time. Secretly I hope for the possibly repulsive Durian fruit.

Dexter and Oliver usually order some variation of mocha, or sticky chewy chocolate (no relation) although Oliver will choose strawberry and Maria, a mint or chocolate chip, or spumoni.
Hey guys, give us a call. Let's take the walk. Perhaps stop at ZA! Pizza for dinner before.
Bring the kids. Let's go.