A Taste of Childhood

Growing up in the Northeast summer ineveitably meant lots of trips to Friendly's. On a hot summer day there's nothing like a bunch of neighborhood kids sliding into a booth of a cold restaurant serving the best ice cream concoctions ever. Sometimes we would even go for lunch. The grilled cheese, fried clams, hot dogs were exactly what a youngster needed but the highlight was always the Fribble. I always took mine in strawberry and I don't recall anybody else ever ordering anything but strawberry either. Technically as a kid a Junior Fribble was always ordered for the full size was far more Fribble than could be consumed. Even the Junior Fribble came in a cool milkshake glass in a chrome milkshake glass holder. According to Wikipedia a "Fribble is a milkshake-like product that can be found at Friendly's restaurants." Milkshake-like pretty much sums it up, somehow the Fribble is not exactly a milkshake it is far superior and not to be found anywhere else. Except that I have a sneaking suspicion that Starbucks has stolen the secret Strawberry Fribble Mix for their Strawberries & Creme Frappucino Blended Creme. Sure it's got a fancy name but the Creme is the same ultra pink color as the Fribble and one sip and I am instantly transported back to the cool brown booths of Friendly's on a hot summer day.