The end of an era

BY JOHN DICKSON
www.santabarbara.com

A single scoop of Thrifty Ice Cream no longer costs less than a dollar. When I was a kid their famous cylindrical scoops cost about a dime and the price has hovered at 99 cents for much of the last decade. That is until last month when a single serving broke though the buck-barrier and reached $1.19 per scoop.

The Thrifty brand has been around for decades. In 1919, brothers Harry and Robert Borun founded Borun Brothers, a Los Angeles drug wholesaler. In 1929, they opened their own retail outlets under the name Thrifty in Los Angeles. In 1996 the drug store chain was bought by Rite Aid but the Thrifty brand of ice cream was retained because it had won several important awards in its history.
I asked the ice cream clerk at a local Rite Aid to tell me which flavor inspires the most passion. He said “When we run out of a flavor people usually pick another, except in the case of Chocolate Malted Crunch. If we are out of that, kids fall down on the ground in a seizure and their parents quickly start looking for another Rite Aid.”
A buck-nineteen for a single scoop of ice cream is still a good deal in town. Baskin Robbins costs $2.79. Ben & Jerry’s charges $3.22. McConnell’s asks for $3.34 while Cold Stone Creamery commands $3.59 for a scoop. However, if you go to Great Pacific Ice Cream Co. on Stearns Wharf, that spectacular ambience comes at a premium. The price of single scoop will set you back $3.75 which is ironic because Great Pacific serves (you guessed it) Thrifty Ice Cream. Hence the most expensive ice cream in town is also the cheapest!

SPEAKING OF ICE CREAM: Carvel Ice Cream, in the Vons shopping center off of Fairview Ave, will not be open much longer. Although they are still in operation, the space is available for lease.

CHOCOLATE FOUNTAINS: Continuing with the sweets theme, I recently heard about a cool business named Santa Barbara Chocolate Fountains. It is run by Santa Barbara native Leana Orsua. Customers typically rent a fountain for 21/2 hours that is a continuous waterfall of dark, milk or white chocolate.
Popular dipping items include strawberries, pineapple, banana, pound cake, brownies, pretzels, marshmallows and cookies. The package includes their 35” fountain, 2 1/2 hours of service by an attendant, 18 lbs. of high-grade premium chocolate and your choice of up to 3 dipping items. In addition to the fountain they provide wooden skewers, paper plates and napkins. Call 708-4403 or visit sbchocolatefountains.com.

ALL YOU CAN EAT: Jake’s Cottage Cuisine Cafe at 2911 De la Vina St now has an all-you-can-eat buffet Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 5pm-8pm. Call 898-2233.

NEW MENU: Tony’s Pizza & Pastaria at 699 Linden Ave in Carpinteria has a new menu that includes Anthony’s Fresh Ahi Tuna, Southwest Chicken Caesar Salad, Ruben’s Eggwich (egg, Canadian bacon, cheese on homemade hamburger bun), and Armando’s Excellent Homemade Salsa. Call 684-3413.

PIZZA FUNDRAISER: Domino’s Pizza owners in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County are raising funds for the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during its 2007 Thanks and Giving Campaign. Domino’s stores are asking customers through December 31 to donate a dollar or more to benefit the children of St. Jude. The goal is to raise between $3 million to $5 million for the hospital.

NOODLE CITY OPEN: Reader Kha let me know that Noodle City at 5869 Hollister Ave is now open, replacing the recently closed Asian Cafe.

THE WINEHOUND: Reader Steve Weixel alerted me to the pending arrival of The Winehound at 1221 Chapala St. Winehound will not be having a tasting room, but will instead have tastings at local restaurants. It is managed by the former “wine guy” from Lazy Acres, Bob Wesley. They are expecting to be open in early January and will have grand opening events on the last two Saturdays of that month. The specialty will be great values from around the globe, along with hard to find cult wines and plenty of craft and imported beers. They will also focus on Santa Barbara County, and are looking into creating private labels with wineries on the central coast.

DOUBLE LATTE RESORT: Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort will begin serving Starbucks Coffee at the main restaurant and coffee bar at the hotel. This will replace several other brands currently being served.

REMEMBERING EMILIO DEPAOLA: I received this word last week from reader Patty Engle: “I don’t like being the one to bring bad news but our beloved Emilio DePaola (Emilio’s Restaurant) has passed on unexpectedly. I hope you have all had the chance to know this angel of a man, like I have. He was a true treasure of a man, always smiling and making everyone who crossed his path feel like they were life-long friends. He loved life, loved dancing, loved his family, and his friends. He will be missed immensely!”

John Dickson’s column appears every Tuesday in the Daily Sound. E-mail your restaurant news tips to info@SantaBarbara.com