FIRST THERE WAS KOOL KONE
It was located on Charlestown Road, almost close enough to my childhood home to be within walking distance, and it had a swing on the side of the building. We went there after baseball games. I remember meeting a little girl named Kim that was in my class there in 2nd grade. No idea of her last name or what happened to her after that year.
But then Kool Kone closed, and it was Zesto's for the Sullivan family. Mom waxed nostalgic about it, as Clarksville had had one when she was in high school. The only one left was in New Albany, so we thought, and I was there enough in high school that the girls in the white outfits behind the counter started preparing my treat as soon as my car pulled up. What can I say, I loved their M&M Cyclones.
Then one day I'm on a recruiting trip, driving up the eastern border of Indiana between Richmond and Decatur, when what to my wondering eyes should appear but the familiar white building with the familiar blue and gold logo? Huh? I was so stunned that I stopped, asked for the manager, and found out that Zesto's had been a chain! What? My little egocentric view of yummy goodness, changed in an instant.
And it wasn't just in Indiana! Imagine my surprise when I was coaching a tournament down in Columbia, SC last March and found two of them in town!
If you're ever in New Albany...or South Dakota...or Atlanta...or South Carolina...by all means, pull over and try out what I thought was a New Albany classic but evidently has been scattered throughout the eastern 2/3 of the United States since the early 50's.
And please don't confuse it with the burger and fish joint in Seattle (although I was happy to hear they had Ms. Pac-Man there).
It was located on Charlestown Road, almost close enough to my childhood home to be within walking distance, and it had a swing on the side of the building. We went there after baseball games. I remember meeting a little girl named Kim that was in my class there in 2nd grade. No idea of her last name or what happened to her after that year.
But then Kool Kone closed, and it was Zesto's for the Sullivan family. Mom waxed nostalgic about it, as Clarksville had had one when she was in high school. The only one left was in New Albany, so we thought, and I was there enough in high school that the girls in the white outfits behind the counter started preparing my treat as soon as my car pulled up. What can I say, I loved their M&M Cyclones.
Then one day I'm on a recruiting trip, driving up the eastern border of Indiana between Richmond and Decatur, when what to my wondering eyes should appear but the familiar white building with the familiar blue and gold logo? Huh? I was so stunned that I stopped, asked for the manager, and found out that Zesto's had been a chain! What? My little egocentric view of yummy goodness, changed in an instant.
And it wasn't just in Indiana! Imagine my surprise when I was coaching a tournament down in Columbia, SC last March and found two of them in town!
If you're ever in New Albany...or South Dakota...or Atlanta...or South Carolina...by all means, pull over and try out what I thought was a New Albany classic but evidently has been scattered throughout the eastern 2/3 of the United States since the early 50's.
And please don't confuse it with the burger and fish joint in Seattle (although I was happy to hear they had Ms. Pac-Man there).
posted by coachsullivan at 8:18 PM
4 Comments:
There is one in Ft Wayne Indiana too. A few years ago at FC I had the kid in class who's parents own the Zestos in Clarksville and NA. They said they used to be a national chain that has slowly closed. They were actually sued a few years ago for opening the second location because some of the other owners thought they were going "national". That kid always got A's, his parents took care of us on Teacher Apperciation Week.
How can you talk up Zesto's so boldly and not even mention the best homemade ice cream store in New Albany: Emory's. You disappoint me.
Kool Kone on Charleston Road was owned by my grandparents. For a few years I lived in the apartment above the restaurant when I was very young. A kids dream to grow up above an ice cream store and I worked there for many of my teenage years.
Also for clarity, it is Emery's in New Albany.
I grew up on Sunset Drive and used to walk to Kool Cone, back when that stretch of rod was a ‘country’ road. Do you have any pictures you could share of the building? If so, please send to:
Melanie@HylandGlass.com
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