The Snappy Turtle Sundae at Freckles Frozen Custard.
Phillips Drive-In (P.D.I.) in Laurel, Miss. It was the birthplace of the hot fudge shake. Or, at least, that's what I've always thought and will continue claiming it as gospel. Amen.
My favorite summer dessert as a kid was the hot fudge shake at P.D.I. -- a.k.a., Phillips Drive-In in Laurel, Miss.
Opened as a Dairy Queen in the late 1940s, not long after Papaw Wright opened his radiator shop a mile or two away, P.D.I. was a local institution.
When I stayed with Mamaw Wright, we'd make at least one trip a week there. And almost every trip, I'd get a hot fudge shake. The best part, of course, was the hot fudge that had glommed to the sides of the Styrofoam cup, which kept me busy, scraping my straw down the sides to get as much of it as I could.
I miss P.D.I., but I was pleasantly surprised to find something in Tulsa that reminded me of my hot fudge-sticky childhood. Hope that didn't sound gross.
Anyway, I discovered the Snappy Turtle Sundae at Freckles Frozen Custard, specifically the location at 21st and Yale. In case you haven't had it, it's this fabulous concoction of vanilla custard with pecans, caramel and fudge. A regular is $4.79, and a large is $5.39 (guess which one I get -- hey, the large is a steal).
And at only 200 calories, it's healthy! OK, that's a bald-face lie. But it's totally worth an occasional splurge. As I recommend with every fattening dish, just work out a smidgen more, like 30 more minutes on the elliptical.
Or, if you ask for extra hot fudge, maybe a full hour.
Peace, love and hometown drive-ins ... XOXO
