HUNGRY GERALD

We had a nice family custom when my kids were young. Once a year Daddy HG would take Lesley and Jeremy, individually, to Manhattan for a day of treats…the treats to be determined by them. This was known as Treat Day. Pizza, movies, a trip to F.A.O. Schwartz (or Bloomingdale’s as they grew older) were all part of it. But, the last treat of the day was always the same: A hot fudge sundae at the soda fountain in Rumpelmayer’s, the very eccentric restaurant/cafe in the St. Moritz Hotel. One would be guilty of serious understatement if the sundae was described as delicious, or scrumptious, or super-yummy. It was much more than that. Sublime. Possibly touched by the hand of The Big Guy In The Sky. First of all, everything was made in-house. Ice cream (impossibly rich and creamy). Hot fudge (chocolate served quite warm, of course, and hitting the middle note between sweet and bitter). Whipped cream (just thick enough). Chopped nuts (optional).  Lagniappe: The sundae was served with an additional pitcher of hot fudge so there was no danger of running out of the divine substance.  Treat Day and Rumpelmayer’s are all part of the past.  I fear that if I asked the no longer youngsters what they would want for Treat Day now it might involve private school and college tuition plus advanced electronic devices.