You know, we all scream for ice cream. And recently we had an opportunity to make a sweet stop for some ice cream in Englewood. It was a place I’d wanted to visit for a while. Made in the Shade Ice Cream was one of our first followers on Instagram and always has been faithful in liking and commenting on our posts.
So imagine our delight when we found the place to be the quintessential soda shop. Owners Mike and Rebecca have gone to no small effort to take us back to the better parts of the 50’s and 60’s with an array of antiques and a myriad of different menu selections.
We were greeted at the front door by a bright red vintage Coke machine. It’s the kind where after you drop your dime (yes!) you lift the door and there’s your bottle of ice cold Coke. It also had a built-in bottle opener that saved the cap.
“I actually used to buy Cokes out of a machine like that,” I confided in my wife.
Other Antiques
Like I say, we were impressed by the amount of nostalgic antiques on display at Made in the Shade Ice Cream. There’s a showcase full of vintage ice cream scoops as well as an antique candy machine. However, we were most impressed by the AMI jukebox that dominates the room.
Mike told us this model was made in 1949 and actually pre-dates the famous multi-colored Wurlitzers. My favorite part is that we could pick any one of the 40 selections and play it at no additional charge. It was hard for us to pick between the wide selection of hits from the 50’s and 60’s.
Better yet, you could stand beside the clear plastic dome and watch as the metal brace swung up, select a record then set it down gently on the turntable. I was swept with nostalgia as the disc began to spin, the arm set down on the plastic and out rolled “Jailhouse Rock.”
The Ice Cream
Of course we liked the ambiance of the place. But the ice cream was that much better. We ordered up a couple of our favorites. I had a double scoop sundae while my wife had a root beer float. We both selected the homemade vanilla and were not disappointed.
Let the record show, I offered the cherry on top of my sundae to my wife.
Other Ice Cream Delights
We didn’t have a tough time making our selections, but you might. In addition to Blue Bell and Hershey’s ice cream, we saw edible cookie dough flavors. We looked over some of their uber specialties like The Colossal Cookie Sandwich, a Personal Cookie Pie and even a Bacon Sundae (I kid you not). And there’s a lot more on their menu.
While we stuck with the tried and true – you may want to be more adventurous.
How to Find Them
When you go to Englewood, Made in the Shade Ice Cream is easy to find at 2411 S.McCall Road. It’s the last ice cream before Englewood Beach (or the first after you leave the beach.) You can also find them on Facebook and on Instagram.
But maybe the best way, is to follow Mike on his way to work. We saw the car and it’s easy to spot.
One of the Best
Those who follow us know we have stopped at a lot of ice cream places across Florida, and the way we see it, Made in the Shade Ice Cream is one of the best. But stop by, have some ice cream or candy. Then drop us a line or post up on the Florida Fun Travel Club and tell us what you think!
