One sweet treat for the Costa Mesa Senior Center
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AVIVA GOELMAN
I was sitting on the beach Sunday, spending the afternoon watching
the waves and enjoying my family’s celebration of my granddaughter’s
first birthday. And, truth be told, I was sharing the children’s
anticipation of enjoying some ice cream.
Ice cream is, for me, a staple of parties and hot summer days. It
is also the centerpiece of one of the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s
important fundraisers -- our weekends at the Orange County
Marketplace, selling Bob’s Old Fashioned ice cream.
The origins and history of ice cream are interesting. Ice cream’s
inventor is generally recognized to be Bernardo Buontalenti. A
well-known architect in his time, he was also under the employ of the
Medicis as a master of ceremony.
Tradition has it that in the summer of 1565, there was a grand
banquet for a delegation of Spanish diplomats. Mr. Buontalenti not
only took care of the usual arrangements for the dining room, but
also created a new dessert that left the Spanish guests astonished.
The dessert was ice cream.
Buontalenti’s ice cream (made with egg yolks, honey, milk, butter
and a drop of sweet wine) was made possible, in large part, because
of this Renaissance man’s affinity for chemistry. Buontalenti
discovered how to freeze fat ingredients such as milk, butter and
eggs. So taken were the Spanish with Buontalenti’s frosty treat that
word of the new creation soon spread all over Europe. Today, it is a
traditional favorite all around the world. Who among us has not
enjoyed a cool, multi-colored ice cream cone on a warm July day or a
hot August night?
I decided I should interview Bob Teller to hear his recollection
of why and how he started Bob’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. Bob opened
his first stand on Balboa Island in 1963, serving frozen bananas
called Rolla-Rama. As he had no funds to invest in a freezer to keep
the bananas frozen, he had to accept an offer from the Excelsior
Dairy Company to sell ice cream. It was a fortunate decision, since
Excelsior supplied Bob with a freezer large enough for both products.
Bob bought ice cream in quart-sized bricks, which he then cut into
eight slices. Each slice was put on a stick and dipped in chocolate.
It didn’t take long to realize that the ice cream was more popular
than the frozen bananas.
Being the entrepreneur that he is, Bob started selling both frozen
bananas and ice cream at fairs, eventually expanding his operation to
shopping malls across the country. He opened 70 nonfranchised stores,
selling just the ice cream bars. Forty years later, as his leases
began to expire, Bob had to say good-bye to his ice cream stands as
landlords quadrupled his rent.
But the business of running an ice cream stand never left Bob,
which is why he decided to open one at the Orange County Marketplace.
His son, Jeff Teller, hatched a brilliant idea to get other
organizations involved in the business. Most charities approach
vendors every year for donations, and Jeff decided to get them
involved directly. The charities would sell ice cream while raising
money for their organizations.
The Costa Mesa Senior Center, along with former mayor Linda Dixon,
was there for the ribbon cutting for the Tellers’ ice cream stand at
the Orange County Marketplace. During the grand opening weekend,
Senior Center volunteers worked at the stand. And all the proceeds
went to the Senior Center for its senior programs. Since then, the
Senior Center has participated every summer, having a lot of fun
while raising the funds we need.
As Bob says, “This is a way of giving back to the community.”
Bob has many followers who faithfully come to the Marketplace just
to be able to get their ice cream bar, dipped in chocolate and
covered with nuts or sprinkles. The Costa Mesa Senior Center will be
there Saturday August 14 and Sunday August 15. Please come visit us
and help to support our programs.
COSTA MESA HISTORY LECTURE
Last year, Costa Mesa celebrated its 50th anniversary and looked
back on the journey from farm community to urban life.
On Thursday, Costa Mesa historian David Gardner will present a
lecture, “The History of Costa Mesa,” at the Costa Mesa Senior
Center. David has lived in Costa Mesa for approximately 70 years and
has experienced first-hand the many changes our city has undergone.
His stories of life in Costa Mesa are always compelling. All are
welcome to attend. Please join us at 695 West 19th St. Refreshments
will be served. For further information, please call (949) 645-2356.
* AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior
Center and will write occasional columns about the center, its
members and senior issues.
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