Remembering my Black Cow days
(Nope,
not this black cow.) During
the High School years I had an after-school and weekend job in a
small restaurant in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. It
had a soda fountain but no counter seats. Just small tables that
made it look more like a tearoom except for the clientele. The
food was very good and inexpensive so the town workmen and students
were our best customers.
The
owners, Mr. & Mrs. Perkins, never
varied the
menu and
I remember the daily lunch special was always
a
“triple sandwich plate”...3 small
slices of bread (no
crusts) topped with Egg
salad,
Ham salad
&
Chicken salad,
served with a pickle and fruit in season. It
was a great favorite of our customers and they always ordered one of
the soda fountain
drinks
to go with it.
Frappes, Floats, and
Milkshakes
were dispensed daily but the favorite, by far, was the “Black Cow”.
(Yes,
this Black Cow.)
It
was my favorite too and I prided myself on concocting the best “Cow”
in town. To make sure that the foam wouldn’t overflow the glass I
would put a small amount of vanilla ice cream in the glass first,
then slowly pour in the Root Beer. I would then, gently, place a
scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It would foam up and look
scrumptious
t but
it wouldn’t make a mess.
I loved that job and Mr. & Mrs. Perkins were very good to me. When I decided to transfer to Boston University for my last two years of college I lived at home and, once again, I worked for them. This was in 1953 and ‘54 and it was the perfect job for a college student. I ate well, made a fair salary and tips but best of all, I could have a “Black Cow” whenever I felt like it !
I loved that job and Mr. & Mrs. Perkins were very good to me. When I decided to transfer to Boston University for my last two years of college I lived at home and, once again, I worked for them. This was in 1953 and ‘54 and it was the perfect job for a college student. I ate well, made a fair salary and tips but best of all, I could have a “Black Cow” whenever I felt like it !
posted by Goldendaze-Ginnie at 3:00 PM
8 Comments:
Seems like another time ... and it was.
Great memory! The black cow looks delicious. Those neighbourhood jobs are so important for young people!
What a fun memory! I worked in my uncle's office, filing, from the age of 14. Then I did office work for my band director while I was in high school.
Sounds like what we called a root beer float which was a favorite of mine and now I am thinking about one. I do have the makings. Thanks.
Not a fan of root beer, I'll pass on the Black Cow. I always ordered a cherry coke and if my favorite waitress was there she would put a maraschino cherry in it. My favorite sandwich was chicken salad which my mother never made for some reason. Those were the days.
From my friend Possum:
Never heard it called a Black Cow! It was always just a Root Beer Float wherever I lived. But I have not had one in years! Makes me want to taste one again! Not sure whether to thank you for stirring that up again or not!
But it sounds like the ideal job for a kid... do those jobs even exist anymore? Well, waitressing does - that's what kept me going in high school and college...
Ah, to be that young again, eh, Ginnie?????
Lovely memories and a good job for a college girl. I worked in our college cafeteria.
I read elsewhere the terminology “black cow” for what was called a “brown cow” in the Great Lakes state where I lived — a root bear float I learned elsewhere. Interesting how the same thing can have different names in various places.
I have never had a black cow, Ginnie, but I have had a root beer float which is the same under a different name. I can imagine how you enjoyed working for the Perkins who sounded like wonderful employers.
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