As a kid growing up in the suburbs, hearing the jingling bells of the ice cream truck was one of the best things about summer. Living in a tract housing development that had 2.5 children for every home, our purchases were easily the driver’s entire take for the day. We’d be in the middle of a kickball game in the cul-de-Sac, or building a fort in the back yard when the bells beckoned us to drop whatever it was we were doing and head to the sidewalk chanting, “The ice cream man’s coming! The ice cream man’s coming!” Happily, we plunked down our pennies, nickels and dimes for either Bomb Pops, Italian ices, or the Good Humor Chocolate Fudge Bar with a big bar of chocolate right in the middle.
A few years ago, I heard the familiar music coming from a Joe’s Ice Cream truck and ran out of the house with my son so I could share my beloved childhood memory. But I was appalled when I had to plunk down $3.00 for a Spongebob Pop, and I soon realized that too much time had passed since my last ice cream truck purchase. Either way, though, up until the time Joe’s discontinued their truck service, I experienced Pavlovian moments whenever I heard music from the Joe’s jeep echoing down the street.
But now there’s a roaming street truck that’s decked out with awesome, amazing, homemade creations that are worth their weight in gold. Aptly named, Street Treats, this Biodiesel-fueled truck visits different neighborhoods all over Seattle. In addition to selling ice cream, they carry cookie sandwiches (including a peanut butter sandwich with homemade marshmallow fluff!), High-5 hand-held pies, bars, and build-your-own ice cream sandwiches with any of the cookies.
Street Treats is making an appearance in Wallingford at the Tilth Harvest Fair this Saturday, from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and again on Sunday, between 2-5 p.m., “somewhere near Fuel Coffee, on 45th.”
It’s like heaven on wheels.