Trapped inside for too long last weekend by crappy weather, I told Caroline I'd take her to the movies and then out for ice cream. Unfortunately, every able-bodied suburbanite -- the mall-enthusiasts and the mall-averse alike -- had the same idea, descending upon the movie theatres like a pack of vultures with Vera Bradley bags. Before noontime, all tickets for "Cars" or "Over the Hedge" were sold out for the entire afternoon. Since Caroline was way too young for Nacho Libre, we headed into the mall where we inevitably collided with another mob of Capri pant-wearin' mamas hell bent on bumrushing Friendly's. We instantly changed course and on our quest for an alternative ice cream source, I experienced something completely unexpected (aside from running into Eric Donovan and his entire family in the arcade!) Across from Friendly's, there it was: ORANGE JULIUS. I thought it was a mirage.
The old school food court staple of yore is suddenly back from the dead. Who could forget the Julius serving up that baffling combo of chemically-altered OJ (called orange julius) and hot dogs throughout our youth? I never have. In high school, we'd often head to the Corner Mall in Downtown Crossing after school. And even when Sbarro and Wok-n-Roll were all the rage, I would saddle up to O. Julius for a dog and large Julius with crushed ice.
Still, Orange Julius 2006 is not the Orange Julius of 20 years ago. Like so many retro chains, it's been rebranded and paired with another diehard staple of suburban Americana -- in this case, Dairy Queen or "DQ" as it's now known. So, now we have Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins where you can have a Supreme Omelet Sandwich and a Peanut Butter Pie Sundae; Subway/Pizza Hut where you can order up a slice of Meat Lovers' Pizza and a Six-Inch Cold Cut Sub via the drive-thru; and of course, you can now enjoy a Chalupa at Target as Taco Bell is opening at Greatlands across the country. Is it any wonder we're living in Back Fat City.
8 comments:
Ahhh the OJ Saturday nights of my youth at the Newington Mall in good ole NH. Thanks for a fond flashback KJ.
I'm envisioning a 'Suppah Club' at Orange Julius in our future.
The combination of hot dogs and orange juice is not only baffling, but actually really gross. Gotta wonder who came up with the idea to open a mall kiosk that paired these two unlikely partners. Maybe I'll open a kiosk at the food court at the SSP (aka South Shore Plaza)...we'll serve fish tacos and milk.
KJ - You failed to mention how Caroline took this turn of events! I'm thinking that she wasn't as elated as her citrus-nostalgic mom when she realized that her afternoon of movies, ice cream and merriment had turned as sour as OJ and hot dogs.
KT
KT-Luckily, O.Julius is also a DQ. Carrie had an Oreo Cookie Blizzard and all was right with the world again. Mama had a hot dog.
Not since Oran Juice Jones released "The Rain" has a citrus-inpired name whipped up such a froth as did the news of mighty Orange Julius' return to a mini-mall near you. The orange frappiness...the bacon & hotdog greasiness... Tremendous combo. I'll be hitting the mall for a flashback soon.
CODE RED: You can read the whole history of the Orange Julius and how the combo came to be on their Web site www.orangejulius.com. Apparently, the company dates back to 1926..did they even have malls back then?
Orange whip? Orange whip? Three Orange whips.
LPD said "orange frappiness"!
Perfect!!! Absolutely perfect!!!
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