Eating Ice Cream in 1940s Central New York and California
A King Cole Ice Cream Stand in 1940s Syracuse, New York , related ice cream recipes below (photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)
The King Cole Ice Cream and Candy Company prospered during the WWII era with ice cream stands and a truck delivery service in Central New York. The available sources indicate that the company had its headquarters in Utica, a city with a rich culinary history. There is evidence that singer Nat King Cole invested in a similar Ice Cream Company with his name attached to it on the west coast during the same period. One person recalled her father stopping “at King Cole's Ice Cream Parlor in Noe Valley, California for [delicious] orange sherbet.” However, most of the sources I found are on Central New York accounts of the company. Those who grew up in the region recalled the high quality of its “soft ice cream called custard,” hot fudge sundaes, shakes, and free soft serve cones on Halloween. A person who grew up in 1940s Utica recalled that King Cole ice cream parlor there had the best pistachio ice cream she’s ever had and she eagerly sought a recipe.
