Back in the day when I was in high school, when we didn't have Pokemon to find, my friends and I often struggled to think of things to do and places to go. We never really wanted to spend much money, so that ruled out a lot of activities.
But, one place was always an option: Tasty Treat.
For those unfamiliar, Tasty Treat is... an experience. It's more than just your classic neighborhood ice cream parlor. Dotted with unique southwestern accents all throughout the shop, as well as the occasional odd t-shirt sale, TT is definitely not your average ice cream place.
My friends and I often chose TT not for its, well, unique atmosphere, but for its prices. A single scoop (which was definitely more like five scoops of ice cream) of one of their amazing, local flavors used to only be $1.96. That's right! Less than two dollars.
Since then, unfortunately the price has been raised to whopping $2.06 for a single scoop, but it's still worth it. Not only is the ice cream cheap (and because it's cheap it automatically tastes better), but the owners really make TT what it is. The shop is run entirely by a sweet woman named Tina and her husband. Occasionally, they have help on busy days in the summer, but they are so committed to TT that they actually even live behind the ice cream shop. Now that's dedication.
We'd always go after high school basketball games, movies, school plays... you name it, and we were there. And we probably saw half our grade there, too.
Even though we're not aimless high schoolers any more looking for an excuse to hang out, my friends still find ourselves congregating inside the non-air conditioned landmark at least once a week in the summer. There's just something about it that makes you smile. If you're ever looking to say hi to one of my friends, just try TT— I'm sure one of us will be there.
I love Tasty Treat so much (even though they did discontinue my favorite flavor, Reese's peanut butter, and I'm still a little hurt by it) that I even wrote a poem about it one day during my senior year of high school because I was bored. It goes:
Oh, Tasty Treat
You are a hidden gem,
a place that many pass by
Which, by the way,
is one of the worst mistakes one can make.
You are not too modern,
or commercialized,
but that's why we love you so.
Oh, Tasty Treat,
you're a classic--
a place I'll never forget.
Whether it was a late night snack,
A celebratory bite after a victory,
or even just because,
you always came through.
Oh, Tasty Treat,
You're the best $2.06 I've ever spent.
If you're in the western suburbs, you've gotta check it out. You may be surprised, but you for sure won't be disappointed.
