"God put rainbows in the clouds so that each of us- in the dreariest and most dreaded moments- can see a possibility of hope."
~ Maya Angelou
This quote is easily applicable to the Original Rainbow Cone shop in Beverly, Chicago.
This past Thursday, my friend Conor and I biked from 51st & University (crawling with Secret Service) to 92nd & S Western Ave. The bike ride was through some of the roughest neighborhoods in South Chicago. We were riding during the day and I never felt extremely threatened but it was a definite change in scenery from my usual commute downtown. The chances of becoming a victim in a violent crime for the city of Chicago is 1:99, a bit alarming. Just as I became weary of boarded-up windows, spray-painted graffiti and "No Peddling" signs, we arrived at the oasis of Beverly. After our 9 mi adventure through some of the poorest and crime-ridden neighborhoods in Chicago, there was a golf course, a Michaels craft store and suburban houses. Beverly is home to one of Chicago's oldest ice cream shops, featuring the special Rainbow Cone. The shop, indeed, is an icon of hope amid the poverty-stricken population of South-side Chicago.
The Rainbow Cone features 5 different flavors, layered on top of one another in a cone or dish. The different flavors include: orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House, strawberry and chocolate. Although not normally a fan of orange-flavored sherbet, I was pleasantly surprised that the orange sherbet was one of my favorite flavors of the cone. I originally was worried that the different layers would melt together and create an unappetizing, multi-colored ice cream mess. This was not the case, however, so I did not have to taste pistachios in my orange sherbet, etc.
Conor was equally impressed and expressed this sentiment in an eloquent, well-written paragraph that reads:
The Rainbow Cone features 5 different flavors, layered on top of one another in a cone or dish. The different flavors include: orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House, strawberry and chocolate. Although not normally a fan of orange-flavored sherbet, I was pleasantly surprised that the orange sherbet was one of my favorite flavors of the cone. I originally was worried that the different layers would melt together and create an unappetizing, multi-colored ice cream mess. This was not the case, however, so I did not have to taste pistachios in my orange sherbet, etc.
Conor was equally impressed and expressed this sentiment in an eloquent, well-written paragraph that reads:
"Depending on your ice cream eating technique, the initially separate scoops of ice cream blend together to form a unique taste. The Orange Sherbert tends to steal the show, but it's intense citrus flavor contrasts nicely with less intimidating household names like Chocolate and Vanilla. Moreover, my initial skepticism concerning the Pistachio scoop was largely dismissed as competing flavors were able to find their way into every bite. The occasional nut can be found lurking inconspicuously within the ice cream, but I found them to be small enough to swallow whole without chewing, and I recommend this strategy to anyone else who finds pistachios as repulsive as I do. The fact that the pistachios did not ruin my experience at Rainbow Cone is truly a testament to the surrounding flavor."
The Original Rainbow Cone shop is very quaint and colorful and is by far my favorite ice cream shop in Chicago. I love the historical significance of the shop itself and the delicious, unique flavor combination of the Rainbow Cone. I am looking forward to taking another trip there, probably by car this time..
Until next meal,
Mary
The Original Rainbow Cone
