November SCOOP

It's November here at The Franklin Fountain, and its old familiarities have returned to us once more-- the gentle tumble of amber-rusted tree leaves, the trickled climb of chimney smoke into advancing sunsets, the increasingly bundled huddles of street traffic -- the combined onset of these elements usually quiets our shop and our pace significantly, but this season we have received several unanticipated blessings. First and foremost, we have had an incredible influx of business due to the premiere of "Man Vs. Food" on The Travel Channel. For those out of the know, the show is hosted and ring-led by the larger-than-life Adam Richman, who, on a per-episode basis, is challenged with feats of the digestively-impossible. This specific episode dealt with the finest and the largest Philadelphia cuisine. Adam stopped at the Reading Terminal Market, engulfed a gargantuan cheese steak at Tony Luke's, and, to top it all off, proudly traipsed through The Fountain's doors to ingurgitate a few of our most mammoth concoctions, (namely the Mount Vesuvius, The Franklin Mint, and The Lightning Rod sundaes.)

Amidst the sprouting tufts of whipped cream, the frantic blizzard of brownies, the avalanching slabs of ice cream, and the out-spewed ooze of molten fudge, Richman remained. He has earned our applause and respect for withstanding the onslaught. With that said, the global broadcast of the show has brought us an unforeseen wave of new customers from all across the country, and, ostensibly, the planet. We have been jolted with a positive pandemonium; never before have we had to assemble so many Mount Vesuviae or Franklin Mints! It's been unspeakably wonderful to welcome and delight a fresh new crop of locals and travelers into the shop. For more information on "Man vs. Food" and the hijinks of Richman, please peruse this web address: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_v_Food

In other news, our "Hot Menu" has debuted to an enthusiastic public for yet another chilly season. With that, as prophesied, "The Great Pumpkin Sundae" has returned to the delight of our doted true-believers. The "Hot Sodas" are fizzing a happy warmth, and our novel "Hot Milkshakes" continue to bewilder and enthrall. The niceness of scent of flame-consumed homemade marshmallows in a graham cracker pinch cannot be understated, and that's exactly what you'll get with our "Toasted Marshmallow Malted". Our pastry chef, Davina Soondrum, has graced us again with her scratch-made pies (Apple, Peach Praline, Mixed Berry and Shoo-Fly) which can be spun warm into our milkshakes.

Jennifer McGlinn, author and food historian, will be conducting an in-shop book signing here at the Fountain on Saturday November 28th from Noon until 5pm. To supplement her autography, gingerbread samples will be given to the arrived public. This would be the opportune time to announce the latest addition to the Franklin Fountain flavor list, "Gingerbread Ice Cream." Our Gingerbread Ice Cream recipe is derived from McGlinn's scholarship into historic gingerbread cookery receipts. Speaking of note-worthy Gingerbreadists, we would also like to take this time to highlight the overlooked profile of one Christopher Ludwick, whom was legendary in his time for baking gingerbread out of Letitia Court. (now Letitia Street, running parallel to The Franklin Fountain) Ludwick produced such high-quality gingerbread and in such fantastic quantities that Washington himself awarded Ludwick the status of Baker-General of the Continental Army during the War for Independence. By his toil and industry Ludwick prospered greatly, and contributed his proceeds to the revolutionary cause. We'd like to think that Ludwick would smile at the fact that Gingerbread Ice Cream is being produced in the very same Court he was baking in over two hundred years ago.

Another forgotten ice cream flavor that has made the holiday list is our new Chestnut Ice Cream (editor's note: It's astonishing. I'm not kidding.) By the account of all those who have tried it, it is rooted in some celestial plane. We sourced our chestnuts earlier in the year from Delmarvelous Chestnuts (www.buychestnuts.com), a couple of dedicated Delawarians resurrecting the nuts of the tree which, for over a century, has neared extinction (the unforgiving "Chestnut Blight" beggining in the 1860s which practically wiped the desiduous delites out of existence.) After decades of hybridization with Asiatic chestnut trees, these chestnuts are bona-fide, nearly 100% American Chestnut.) For our ice cream, we have spent hours peeling, boiling, and, candying the wonder-seeds to acquire an ice cream that, when tasted, elicits a sweet transcendence.

As you may have anticipated, our "CLEAR TOY CANDIES", marveled-worldwide, will be produced once more following the Thanksgiving holiday. These beauteous figures are handcrafted with fire, grace, and tedium out of our basement workspace, being forged in a variance of over two-hundred and fifty cast iron candy molds. Their preparation is careful and laborious, our team of candymakers must gather in a space most bereft of heat and humidity to smelt sugar in antique copperware heated over kettle flame, then pour the scalding glow into the open molds. The candies can be tinted scarlet, emerald, or they may sparkle with aurulence in their natural hue. We encourage the lot of you to peer into our shop window on a wintry day where a full menagerie of these beauts will be exhibited, whilst they careen and refract the dimming day with glassy elegance. HOWEVER, if you

would like to be witness to their stellar debut (and why shouldn't you?), we invite and impel you to arrive at the Omni Hotel this November 28th promptly at 11 A.M., where we hope to furnish them amongst a gathered chorus of carolers, a ceremoniously-lit Christmas tree, and all the dazzling paraphernalia of the season! But more than this, we've good word that jolly old SAINT NICK will be arriving triumphantly to officiate the celebration. Do attend if you are able!

(photograph courtesy of Ruth Savitz)






Gentle readers, we thank you for keeping in touch with us here at "The Franklin Fountain", and for your continued support and patronage. With due sincerity we wish you the best. May you all dwell in peace of mind, warmth of heart, and safety of soul this holiday season. And to be sure, with your allowance, it is with no small aim that we hope to contribute to your happiness with our cool sweets and salving spirits.

In warm regards with cool desserts,

The Franklin Fountain

September 09 SCOOP

September 09 SCOOP

5 YEARS & 5 CENT SODAS!

On Sunday September 20th, The Franklin Fountain celebrated its 5-year anniversary.
Just 60 short months ago, the Berley family took the plunge into the unknown depths of the soda fountain business. Learning on the fly, with wonderfully supportive friends & family, some honed advice from deceased experts via musty soda manuals and old-fashioned elbow grease, the Berley Bros. scooped their way towards systems, stability and then success. It was a rocking boat, to be sure, those naive early years. Someone told us early on that opening a business was like having a baby…a crying, needy baby that keeps you up late at night, constant feeding, incredible growth spurts and wonderful loving joy that overpowers all. As the business grew and continues to grow, it seems altogether fitting to celebrate the occasion with a party. So on Sunday afternoon, the fountain and customers enjoyed Dixieland jazz music, magic and memories from past staff and plenty of fresh Franklin Fountain Ice Cream! We even rolled back the prices to 1909 on fountain sodas for 5 WHOLE CENTS! (honest)


POPULAR PRESS

Over the summer, we were graced with the gustatory presence of Adam Richman of Man VS. Food, a popular television program on the Travel Channel. On Wednesday September 23rd at 10pm, Adam will be visiting The Franklin Fountain on screen, eating his dessert first (a Mt. Vesuvius sundae, amongst other things) and then traveling to Tony Luke’s for his 5-LB. Cheesesteak Challenge. This will be entertaining for sure! For more information on this boy from Brooklyn and his show see: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_v_Food



PEARS & PUMPKINS ARRIVE

Pumpkin Ice Cream begins this first week of autumn, for all devotees. We’re also experimenting with new seasonal sorbets, and this Fall are featuring a Poached Pear Sorbet. Davina hot stewed the local Barlett pears in spiced white wine for the base, which was then frozen at the Ice Cream Dept. Stay in touch and remember to visit us for the latest SCOOP!


HATS CLEANED & BLOCKED

A few weeks ago, brother Ryan found a soft felt Wanamaker’s Homburg at local vintage clothing shop Sazz Vintage (www.sazzvintage.com). Slightly out of shape and a bit dirty, he searched for a venue in Philadelphia to have it cleaned & blocked. Realizing Lit Brothers up the street only provided trimming, he found a gentleman in Portland, Oregon who restores vintage headwear. One new stitched sweatband later, the Homburg came back as good as 1930s new. We’ve made an arrangement with this haberdasher to service hats for our customers. Just give us a ring or ask your soda jerk in person.


SCHOOL’S IN

For the month of September, we will be featuring “The Schoolhouse Sundae” which consists of a tart apple cobbler, warmed, with a scoop of our Vanilla Bean ice cream and coated with caramel like a candy apple. Profits from this sundae benefit the Global Playground initiative with schools in developing countries like Cambodia and Thailand and Tree House Books, a bookstore in North Philadelphia, committed to growing a life with books and education. So far, report cards on this sundae are all AAAs (for apple, apple, apple, of course)!

SUMMER '09 SCOOP

Summer is officially here, as we have just rung in the Liberty bell with the 4th of July…and that’s no crack! This past weekend witnessed record crowds visit Market Street for the parade as it marched from Independence Hall to Front Street, right past the Franklin Fountain. We had a bird’s eye view for sure. We mingled with old friends (very old, in fact some dated to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars!), exchanged greetings with Mayor Nutter and his wife, who had just been customers earlier in the week and did the Mummers strut with the Ferko String Band.
There were veterans of war, glass blowers from Poland, Asian marching bands and even an 1840 fire pumper wheeled in from the Darby Fire Department. As the sounds of the parade faded, the lineup continued right out the door…all weekend long. Thanks very much to all who visited us on this festive, familial holiday.

So, let’s turn back the clock a few months and see what has happened…

In June, we entered our pastry chef Davina in a dessert competition at the Dock Street Brewery in West Philadelphia. The challenge was to utilize their house-made beer in a dessert (this was sounding too good to be true), so Davina relished the opportunity. A growler or two later she rolled out her “Beeramisu” with a mixed berry compote using their Summer Session and Espresso Porter. Competing against a dozen contemporaries, SHE WON! (or at least shared a 1st prize) Way to go, Davi.

We celebrated Flag Day in true form at the Betsy Ross House, who hosted their annual Flag Fest (Flag Day is June 14th for those who didn’t grow up in a family who decorated their Victorian porch with scores of antique flags, courtesy of Dad the collector). Mr. Jeffrey Heinbach manned the ice cream cart, posed as Charlie Chaplin, complete with worn-out shoes, walking stick and duck-like gait. In other news, Jeff previously had won an online competition for Philly’s Hottest Nerd, beating out national celebrity QuestLove of the Roots. Check Jeff out: http://www.shmittenkitten.com/2009/04/people-have-spoken.html

And speaking of celebrities, in the past week we have sighted a few others at the Fountain including Neil Patrick Harris and Amy Sedaris, who are in town shooting a film. We were hoping that Neil would don Dr. Doogie’s labcoat and get behind the fountain to mix phosphates, but he was out of character for the evening. And speaking of soda jerks, one of ours was recently featured in BON APPETIT magazine, a young lady by the name of Kiersten Wildermuth. She was shown sipping a soda at the Fountain but usually she can be found on the other side of the counter slinging cream with the best of ‘em. Isn’t she the perfect picture of a lady?

July is the month of blueberries and the Blueberry Ice Cream is truer than ever! FRESH – HEALTHFUL – BURSTING WITH FLAVOR. Get some before we go blue in the face telling you about it. And you might try it in our Fourth of July special sundae: “When in the Course of Human Events…” which features RED raspberries, WHITE marshmallow and BLUE-berry ice cream atop with strawberry stripes and whipped cream stars.

Finally, on the afternoon of Sunday July 12th, Adam Richman of the Travel Channel show "Man vs. Food" will film an episode at The Franklin Fountain (to air in September). Featured will be our famous Mt. Vesuvius sundae, among other homemade sweets. The film crew encourages lots of customer attendance and input, so visit the Fountain this Sunday for your chance at sundae stardom!

Stay tuned!

SPRING 1909 SCOOP

WHOOPEE!

The warm weather returns and we’re back, ready to serve you and your family. There’s Spring in Our Steps with 1909 additions to The Franklin Fountain…

We’ve added a number of NEW items to the Fountain. Davina Soondrum, pastry chef extraordinaire, has made many pastry additions to keep the Fountain interesting throughout the Winter. She’s made Whoopee Pies, Marshmallow Peeps and new Clear Toy bunnies and baskets for Easter. The Ice Cream Department has added a Red Raspberry Sorbet and our Lemon Ice to accompany our three Soy Flavors added this week.






Thanks to our milk supplier, Longacres Dairy, we now have a new store fixture to quicken milk delivery. Longacres procures their milk from dairy farmers in Berks and Lancaster counties, and it is grass-fed. The retro milk dispenser has a real milk can soldered to its front door for good looks. Check it out. We hope it speeds your milkshake orders.





The ice cream department has added a new flavor called “Orange Rose Blossom.” Jeff Heinbach, our most veteran soda jerk, invented an ice cream soda titled “The American Beauty” combining this floral ice cream with vanilla soda water…Try it TODAY!

Jeff’s gift of prose with confectionery combinations have helped keep the Fountain “a-float” and he is finally receiving recognition for his work. Local blogger the Shmitten Kitten has nominated Jeff as Philly’s Hottest Nerd in their online contest that ends Friday, so please vote to support our man at www.shmittenkitten.com Turns out that the Philadelphia Weekly has also endorsed Jeff in his pursuit of this monocled moniker, even as his faces stiff competition from national celebrity, Questlove of The Roots.

We’ve boosted the chocolate cocoa content in our chocolate ice cream - to make our chocolate shakes even more richly delicious and we’ll be making our own in house strawberry flavoring for the strawberry ice cream this Spring and Summer with Green Meadow Farm strawberries. Davina has double cooked them in sugar and will be perfect for making our strawberry ice cream have a robust, rounded all natural strawberry appeal.

John Hutchinson and his cabinetmakers of Rose Valley Restorations took a dry, old cigar cabinet (right) from an old pharmacy in Chester, PA and did a beautiful job of bringing back its quarter sawn oak lustre. It now serves as the Dry Goods counter and we’ve added more nostalgic candies including NECCO wafers, Wilbur’s Chocolate Buds as well as many additional bottled sodas like Dad’s Root Beer and Nesbitt’s Strawberry, all related to old time traditions. We’ve also added a section of books for sale related to soda fountains, ice cream history and Benjamin Franklin. Book reviews will blossom naturally in the future as we describe what we’ve learned from them here in the SCOOP!

Finally in the works, Ryan is working on a project downloading all our family’s old pre-war 78 records onto a digital device to play in store for customers. Please bear with us as we try to bring you the best from our home Victrola to the Fountain. Keep your old Philco tuned to this station...

Winter 2009 Scoop!

Winter Greetings from The Franklin Fountain!

We will be open Winter Weekends in the months of January & February and into early March: Friday & Saturday 12-12
Sunday 12-11
Full-time 7 day schedule will resume when the weather warms in mid-March.

Enjoy our December Scoop {below} if you did not receive and be sure to check out our Clear Toy episode on Don Polec's World. We still have a few Clear Toys left from our last production batches...

December SCOOP

Warm Winter Greetings from The Franklin Fountain!

LAST CHANCE FOR CLEAR TOY
The Clear Toy candy has arrived and IS IN. The glassy confections made their colorful appearance in our antique vitrines the day after Thanksgiving. We decided, after being swamped by mail orders last Christmas, that we wanted to simplify our production, cut out shipping and give priority to walk-in customers by stocking the store first. So…we have plenty of candies to offer this year, from large red sailing ships and golden lions to mint green reindeer. Customers are encouraged to visit The Franklin Fountain through December 23rd to pickup Clear Toys that are available in the shop for the holiday. We will be open after Christmas beginning on December 26th and plan to sell off the remaining candies by the New Year.

Last week, the king of quirk in Philadelphia, Don Polec met his match in the Berley Brothers, interviewing them about their candies for his TV show. Don toured the Fountain, learned how to tie a bowtie and put a Clear Toy candy boot in his mouth in a classic display of his tongue-in-cheek (or foot-in-mouth) humor. Check out a snippet online at:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/don_polec&id=6387560


‘TIS THE SEASONAL ICE CREAMS
Homemade Peppermint glass candies are poured onto a marble slab and broken up for use in our Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, now being served up at the Fountain. Try some with a scoop of hot fudge or bathing in a Hot Chocolate Float. Also, seasonal Egg Nogg Ice Cream has been added to our cabinet, and is a wonderful compliment to our homemade Gingerbread cake…warmed up of course. Caramel Ice Cream rounds out the year for the ice cream dept., and is suggested ala mode apple or peach praline pies.

MARLEY & US
On Monday, December 8th, Marley, the famous Philadelphia pup of Marley & Me fame, made a special PR appearance at The Franklin Fountain. Just having been filmed on TV that morning, Marley was pawing about town promoting his new feature film, to be released in theatres on December 25th. Marley apparently had heard about us from other local canines who have sampled our ice creams, in particular one French poodle from Society Hill with a palate for Peanut Butter. Eric served him up some Vanilla Soy Ice Cream, along with some peanut butter sauce and whipped cream…to which Marley practically leaped over the counter to lick.
Heel, Marley, heel…that’s antique marble!

INSECTS & ICE CREAM
Eric made ice cream history on Saturday, December 13th at the Arden Theatre opening of James & the Giant Peach. He and soda jerk Jesse served our homemade Peach Ice Cream ala chocolate-covered-crickets (a nod to the arthropods in the play). Each child that ate a cricket received an “I ATE A BUG CLUB” button. Suffice it to say, there was plenty of chirping about the room after that…

Fall '08 Scoop

Welcome back!

GRAPES OF WRATH
The leaves are changing and that means The Franklin Fountain is changing too…shifting into “cold weather” mode. We finished out September with a Concord Grape Ice Cream that we branded as the “Grapes of Wrath” for the 75th Anniversary of the New Deal. At the related WPA Poster Festival held at City Hall, Farmer Eric and Laborer Ryan dressed in 1930s attire and gave a stump speech on “Organic Growth in Business” and compared their business to a cherry tree of values. More to come on The Franklin Fountain's values in future editions...

LOCAL APPLE PIES & CIDER
In early October, the Berley Brothers, Davina, Iryna & Tommy attended the National Apple Harvest Festival in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, Davina started making pies using local apples, which are scrumptious with a scoop of vanilla a la mode, or in an over-the-top Caramel Apple Pie Hot Milkshake! We’re also featuring Hot Apple Cider, using Lancaster County Cider mulled with spices and fruit.

CENTENNIAL ICE CREAM SODAS
One of the most anticipated events of the year was the opening of the Please Touch Museum. Now housed in a beautifully restored Memorial Hall, originally the Art Gallery for the Centennial Exposition in 1876, the new Please Touch is complete with bright shiny toys, an Alice in Wonderland maze, the old Dickens Village from defunct Strawbridge & Clothiers and the most gorgeous Dentzel carousel
we’ve ever seen. The Berleys, who grew up riding vintage carousels, were most excited about the gala when the Please Touch suggested they serve Root Beer floats. A purple-tie, black dress and tuxedo event drew over 1600 people and raised some much-needed funds for this emerging jewel of Philadelphia culture.

HALT FOR A PUMPKIN MALT!
And what would Fall be without a plenty of that large orange gourd? Pumpkin Ice Cream is certainly the most anticipated flavor of any season, and we traditionally begin making it the first week of fall or the last week of September. Some seasonal specialties are always popular
including a Pumpkin Malt and the “Great Pumpkin Sundae”
which is described on the menu:

“Pumpkin ice cream is entangled in a patch of pecans and covered in vines of Hot Caramel. A World War I flying ace crop-dusts with malt powder & cinnamon. Ghostly puffs of whipped cream appear, as true believers anticipate the coming of The Great Pumpkin each year.”

We will feature Pumpkin Ice Cream and Pumpkin Pies through Thanksgiving. Place your order in advance for fresh homemade pies and ice cream to go-with for the holiday!

HOT CHOCOLATE MENU
Friday October 31st will witness Hallow’een and the entrance of our “Hot Menu” for Winter, in addition to our regular Ice Cream offerings. European Drinking Chocolate accompanied by homemade marshmallows, Wilbur’s Hot Cocoa floating with whipped cream, Hot Milkshakes (a FF original) and a variety of Hot Sodas will warm your soul and make the chilly walk down Market Street all worthwhile. If you’re not in a drinking mood and looking instead for a healthy meal, try a piece of any of our house-made fruit pies, a la mode with a side of ice cream for dessert. Warm up to The Franklin Fountain in the Winter!

PRESS
The first ever "infomercial" was conducted of The Franklin Fountain, free-of-charge, by Comcast On-Demand. Check out the Get Local-Kids & Family section of On-Demand to view our 5 minute spot!

Following Saturday Night Live on NBC, November 15th, The Franklin Fountain will be featured on the TV program "1st Look" on Philadelphia and How to be a Kid Again. The program will also be available for viewing beginning the same day on www.lxtv.com/1stlookphiladelphia/

MISCELLANEA
Thanks to Mother Berley and her antique picture frames, The Franklin Fountain office has updated furnishings with inspiring soda fountain imagery lining our walls, old broadsides and rare ice cream truck photos.

And finally, now to the Phillies. Ryan, Eric and their parents attended Game No.4 and saw Philadelphia's finest wallop the Floridians 10-2 on a gorgeous October evening. HIP HURRAH FOR PHILADELPHIA!