Painting and Essay by Robert Beck
I have a food question, sort of. I’m not sure it’s answerable, but I bet there are opinions out there. While everybody is snorting and scraping the dirt over the best designer pizza, I’m wondering about cream soda. Where did it go?
As a transplant, like many of us, I grew up with a distant, under-informed, and often stereotypical view of things that went on in the city. It was my understanding that corned beef (or pastrami) on rye kept company with cream soda at the local Jewish deli. Once I landed in Manhattan, this notion was supported by a friend I’d regularly meet at the 2nd Avenue Deli to catch up. I know that’s the East Side, but I was careful. This guy and I knew each other back in Bucks County. I painted his son’s Bar Mitzvah. He gave me the impression that the sandwich, a pickle, some slaw, and a cream soda were the Jewish Deli Happy Meal, and that of anybody, he would know.
Cream soda and I go way back. It’s basically vanilla, which is perfect. My favorite flavor is vanilla. I put vanilla extract in my chai, in my oatmeal, my pancake mix. I’m not alone in this. So why can I not find cream soda on the Upper West Side? I come across it now and then in Bagels & Co., across from Walgreens on Amsterdam at 79th (good slices, by the way), but then it’s gone the next time I stop in.
When they do have it, it’s Stewart’s, one of the better brands, but there are plenty of others. Boyland, A&W, Barq’s, Dr. Brown’s (nice), Virgil’s, Mug (eh), and many more—some brands I’ve never heard of. Even Dr. Pepper makes a cream soda; can you believe that? So why are there cold cases filled with energy drinks, cases full of water, cases crammed with the usual suspects cola/rootbeer/orange, even cases of cold coffee (?)—like there is nowhere to get coffee around here—and I have to go down a dark alley and give a code word and special handshake to find a bottle of cream soda on the Upper West Side? Really?
In my book, there is nothing better with a slice. Those earthy notes of sweet cream and chocolate with floral overtones that complement the saltiness of the cheese and tomato sauce tang. The better the ingredients in the pie, the more it deserves a cream soda. It will also stand up to an afternoon pastry if you are coffeed out. And it’s the best answer to a tall and lean corned beef on rye with mustard I’ve ever tasted.
Fine; if you are going to eat a McSomething, you might as well have a cola. You’ve slid from culinary to pernicious anyway.
Am I wrong? Was I misled? Am I looking in all the wrong places? Or has cream soda gone the route of Fox’s Chocolate Syrup (the real deal for egg creams. Go find THAT in a store). My guess is that there are plenty of Rag readers willing to set me straight. Go ahead; let’s hear what you got. You’re talking to a pairing master: somebody who drinks Moxie with his lobster roll.
See more of Robert Beck’s work and visit his UWS studio at www.robertbeck.net. Listen to an interview with him on Rag Radio — Here. Let him know at info@westsiderag.com if you have a connection to an archetypical UWS place or event that would make a good West Side Canvas subject. Thank you!
Note: Before Robert Beck started West Side Canvas, his essays and paintings were featured in Weekend Column. See Robert Beck’s earlier columns here and here.
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So few days ago I am @ Key foods, 96th & Amsterdam. I think I am buying a package of cans of A & W Root beer, but upon opening find it is no sugar cream soda. Delish, .
I would try Sal and Carmine, they even have RC Cola there. Regular and diet.
I buy Dr. Browns at Keyfood and 88th; there’s Mimi’s Puzza on the block and Little Italy about 3 blocks up.
Love all your musings on crème soda….I am in total agreement. And fewer calories than a vanilla milkshake which leaves more room for a cupcake after the pizza.
Let’s try this out sometime!
From, Your Biggest Fan
If you’re really desperate, do the obvious to solve this problem: order Stewart’s on Amazon!
Mitchell’s Delivery, which delivers primarily newspapers, etc., also delivers beverages. They have a variety of selections of cream soda. I order from them. Look them up!
Yes!
The deli at 84/Columbus has multiple brands of cream soda.
If you’re having a hard time finding Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup, I’ve seen it at Fairway recently. Pretty sure I’ve also seen it at other stores like Pioneer and Key Food, although those stores might just have it around Passover.
No self respecting cream soda connoisseur drinks cream soda from a can. The best comes in bottles
Having grown up on the Lower East Side in the 50’s and 60’s, vanilla soda was often available at local candy stores and luncheonettes. And I often had it mixed with cherry or chocolate syrup. Have done the same as an adult at Junior’s restaurants. So I certainly respect your concern. And I don’t want to yuck your yum, but as a forever New Yorker, my belief is that a pastrami or corned beef on rye must be paired with a Dr. Brown’s cherry!
Barney Greengrass always has Dr, Brown’s cream. Anyone who has Boylan’s usually has cream. I agree with you. Cream has been my go to soda since I was 5 years old. Fox;s U Bet is hard to come by. I order it from Amazon. I imagine the soda delivery to pizza places is limited to water, diet coke and top selling stuff, so goodbye cream.
Good article. I also love cream soda.
But I’m surprised you didn’t mention Vanilla Coke. It’s a great hybrid of cream soda and Coca Cola.
It’s not ubiquitous but you can still find it in some places.