By Stefanie Ellis
Photograph by Katherine Bish
It’s May. Jackets are out. The words “air” and “conditioning” are in. It’s St. Louis. It’s summer. It’s hot.
Call the fire chief.
What could possibly temper the heat better than a gigantic ice-cream sundae from Crown Candy Kitchen, whose Fire Chief Special douses two sizable scoops of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, strawberries, bananas, pecans and whipped cream? Sure, the hot-fudge sundae is tempting, with its “thick, hot and gooey” sauce, and the French Sundae—topped with pineapple, strawberries and marshmallow—has unique flair, but the Chief cuts right to the chase. The strawberries are sizable and sweet (and they snap when you bite into them), the chocolate sauce actually tastes like chocolate and the pecans are glazed in butter and salt, the perfect crowning finish.
Crown makes its own ice cream—has since its opening, in 1913—and blends flavors in-house in an antique copper candy kettle. So if you’re feeling a little adventurous and want to stray from vanilla for your Chief, you can opt for one of a dozen or so flavors, ranging from Ozark Black Walnut to Chocolate Chocolate Chip. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can attempt to down five malts in 30 minutes and get them all for free. Don’t worry, though. If three scoops of ice cream and 24 ounces of malted bliss per serving have you a little scared, Crown offers plenty of other sweet treats that are sure to put the chill into your summer.
1401 St. Louis, 314-621-9650, crowncandykitchen.com.