First, I owe my town and particularly its ice cream PALACE an apology. In fact, now that the logo is up, it’s called Cone Castle, not Kone Kastle. That report, false, was in the local newspaper, that often takes great liberties with the facts. Perhaps the reporter knows of a Kone Kastle somewhere else. The logo is quite nice, but can’t really overcome the fact that the simple purveyor of soft-serve ice cream has turrets and flags.
I also wanted to post this photo of our local hardware store. Again, I’m so happy that we have a local hardware store. What I really like about it is that you can order chicks and ducklings there. In fact, when I was there (looking for bales of hay, which they did not have) last week, I entered a drawing for a give-away of cornish game hen chicks. I really wanted to win baby cornish game hens and write a blog about it. I didn’t win, and when I went back two days later, the chicks were gone from their display in front of the register, replaced by a display of beach chairs.
I took this photo to show the sign for ordering chicks, and I forgot to post it with the first Sinclair Lewis entry. Yes, the architectural style of our local hardware store is indeed a log cabin. Maybe that’s why I often forget it is there and go to Fleet Farm instead. I have to remember to support the local Ace.
Today I indulged in a visit to another local place, mostly because I’ve had this craving for a chocolate shake and it was a long, hot day. But also because it had been more than 20 years since I’d had a Maid-Rite. For those of you who aren’t familiar, a Maid-Rite is what Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold introduced the country to as a “loose meat” sandwich when they bought a restaurant like this in Iowa. It’s sloppy joe without the barbecue sauce. It’s a vat of cooked ground beef that is scooped onto a steamed bun (the best) and topped with cheese (A Cheese-Rite) or cheese and bacon or just served plain. The one I had today also had a layer of mustard on the bottom bun and a couple pickles. The mustard almost disguised the bad quality of the beef, but not quite. I ate half.
The chocolate shake, on the other hand, was super great. It was flavorful, thick but not so thick you couldn’t drink it with a straw.
By far, the best thing about the experience was the clock above. It must have been in the place since, well, 1926? At least 1954. The photos on the wall showed St. Cloud in 1888, 1906 and 1910 (all pre-Maid-Rite so I had trouble finding the connection).
The sign on the side of the building, not even really where the parking was, just randomly on the building, was also worth stopping for. It is hand-painted and stylish. Here is architecture, or at least signage, I can get behind.
Just for the record, at home I make a mean hamburger with a combination of ground buffalo and grass-fed ground beef, no mustard required, and the homemade pickles are to die for. Does that make me a snob?