PrintWhy Are Egg Creams Always So Disappointing?
A refreshingly honest piece on egg creams in the Brooklyn Paper reminded me that, although I love the idea of an egg cream, that old-time New York confectionary drink is invariably disappointing.
If anyone asked me where to get a good egg cream in New York, I wouldn't know where to send them. Even the legendary Gem Spa on Saint Mark's Place makes its egg creams in plastic cups. That is so wrong.
So when it comes to drinking an egg cream worth the calories, I'm afraid I'm with Lucy Baker, the author of the Brooklyn Paper article. She concludes that you gotta make your own, and she gives us the recipe.
Is there a great egg cream to be had that I've somehow missed? Do tell.
Photograph from happythings on Flickr
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12 Comments:
Yes! Eddies in Forest Hills, Queens makes a great one, they even have a seltzer spritzer, not a bottle. Also, the ice cream is all homemade, as is the hotfudge. And, the whipped cream is real, and stored in giant vats in the fridge.
sharonpearl at 2:44PM on 07/20/07
Eisenbergs! They make a great one. Carneigie Deli used to make a good one, too but I haven't had it in a while whereas just had one at Eisey's 3 weeks ago.
Deb07 at 2:53PM on 07/20/07
Oh, egg creams. I was raised on vanilla egg creams. My Mom would take me to a restaurant/diner that was in the lobby of one of those massive old buildings on 70th street across from the Planetarium. It's been hard to duplicate those happy childhood egg creams. Egg creams these days seem unfrothy and thin and sad.
However, if it's still there (haven't been to the neighborhood in awhile) the Lexington Candy Shop on Lexington Ave. came damn close.
Damn close.
misssbhavens at 4:10PM on 07/20/07
I live on Murray St. in NYC, so I also was going to mention the Soda Shop on Chambers. I honestly haven't tried it, but I've heard really good things.
Mich23 at 4:15PM on 07/20/07
I had an egg cream at The Soda Shop, and though I love the owner's passion, my egg cream did not have enough of his homemade syrup. Maybe I'll go back this weekend.
Ed Levine at 5:15PM on 07/20/07
Karen-- Hot fudge, ice cream and whipped cream are just more of Eddies yummy offerings, not odd additions to the egg creams served there
sharonpearl at 10:12PM on 07/20/07
The best egg cream that I've had other than those made by my grandparents who owned a soda shop was at Sarge's on 3rd Avenue between 36th & 37th Sts. The one at the actual restaurant was great, the delivery was not quite the same...
EdLevineCommenter at 12:29AM on 07/21/07
You only need to remember one thing to achieve greatness with Egg Creams. KOSHER FOR PASSOVER U-BET.
http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/a-new-york-egg-cream-primer/
jperlow at 11:19AM on 07/21/07
I had a decent egg cream in Fredericksburg VA a while back, but I'll be honest I didn't have much to base it on except from what my step-father made me.
Although he did tell me some funny stories about asking for an egg cream in the South. Since I am from the South myself, I too was a bit skeptical when I first heard the name.
feep at 9:52AM on 07/23/07
Sammy's Roumanian makes the best I've had in New York. Seltzer from a gas bottle, icy cold milk (important!) and U-bet from a glass jar -a rarity these days. They are also excellent at mixing, creating a huge head.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=140850478&size=m
norman at 2:31PM on 07/23/07
After work today, while waiting for some Korean fried chicken at Bonbon, I stopped by Soda Shop for an egg cream. The soda girl grabbed a cup and disappeared off into the back and returned, having filled it half-way with milk. Three pumps of vanilla syrup later, I thought we were off to a pretty good start. Then she hit the seltzer tap- which dripped out a pathetic stream of barely fizzy soda water. I didn't say anything. There was a bit of froth at the top, and she seemed to be satisfied with her creation, so I figured this must be how they make them here. I took a sip and my tongue confirmed what was visually obvious, the egg cream just wasn't fizzy enough. The flavor was good- not too sweet, and full of vanilla goodness. I missed the beautiful head of cream that can be found in the little plastic cup egg creams served at that newspaper stand on Avenue A, reported in Ed's orginal book, New York Eats. Very disappointing. By the way, the fried chicken at Bonbon is NOTHING to go out of your way for. The "spicy" sauce chicken strips tasted more like Frank's Red Hot sauce than anything remotely Asian. The batter was light and crispy, but I was hoping for a more interesting flavor- very boring indeed.
eleCraig at 8:53PM on 07/24/07
Gem Spa's egg creams were still good as of a year ago, although I agree that drinking it from a take-away cup somehow detracts from the experience. Although they're not the very best I've ever had, they're good enough that I'm always sure to stop for one if I happen to be in the neighborhood.
I got an egg cream at Eisenberg's once and didn't like it--but I love that place otherwise and I'm willing to give 'em the benefit of the doubt and try again next time I'm there. I'll have to try one at Sarge's sometime, too.
I've been making egg creams at home for some time now and I actually prefer mine to any I've been able to buy in recent years. A soda siphon is essential, you can't get it frothy enough using store-bought seltzer. In a 16-oz. glass, I use about 4 oz. of milk and roughly 3 TBL of Kosher-for-Passover U-Bet. (Vary amounts depending on your taste). I add the milk, then the spoon, spritz in the seltzer forcefully till the foam almost reaches the top of the glass, add syrup, follow with one more quick spritz of seltzer, then stir with an up-down paddling motion (keeping the spoon at the bottom of the glass).
Honestly, I think part of the reason most egg creams seem like a letdown (to a greater or lesser extent) is because it's more than just a soft drink, it's a totem of a New York that doesn't really exist anymore. Maybe the disappointment we feel is something more than what seltzer, syrup and milk can fix.
myspace.com/phantomplayland
NewYorkDave at 12:34PM on 10/03/07