Who remembers Bates Farm ice cream stand in Carlisle, Mass.? Located at where Kimball Farm ice cream stand is now, Bates Farm served some delicious farm fresh ice cream in an idyllic bucolic setting. I set the unofficial Bates Farm world record for ordering black raspberry ice cream for several years in a row, without trying another flavor. What a nice tradition on Sunday night -- before going back to the junior daily grind known as school -- by driving from the densely populated Arlington to "the sticks." The air was fresh and so were we occasionally -- but not too much or are parents wouldn't take us to Bates. We had the mini, battery-operated Hitachi television in the back, watching baseball games in our phony wood-paneled station wagon
When Kimball Farm took over Bates many years ago, nothing really changed in the quality of the ice cream flavor -- well, at least, in the black raspberry ice cream because that's all I knew about Bates. I know that's a bold statement as many people feel that Kimball Farm reigns as the local ice cream king, but Bates was every bit as good. I know this because others that ventured beyond black raspberry ice cream at Bates said this was the best ice cream they ever tasted.
Other than getting the occasional creeps wondering if the owner's name was Norman, Bates was a true joy when growing up in the Boston area!
Nice post, Eric!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Bedford, next to Carlisle and Mr Bated delivered our milk. Nice man and a nice family!
Loved going to Bates for ice cream, usually maple walnut. The best ice cream! Kimballs does a wonderful job as well. We eat our ice cream there to the sound of cracking mosquitos that flew into the big purple glowing bug zapper (the first one that I saw).
I heard that a Bates married a Kimball and I hope that's true. Such a nice thought!