Thursday, May 30, 2013

Doumar's Waffle Cones.... Yum.

Are you old enough to remember those soda fountains with homemade milk shakes and floats? If so, you should have been with me yesterday!

Daughter Shirley and I headed out for some shopping, always a fun time and very productive, I might add.  She asked me if I had ever been to Doumar's. Well, no. Heard of it a lot but never been there. So, away we went! And, what a treat!
 
It seems that Abe Doumar came to America from Damascus, Syria and ended up in St. Louis at the 1904 World's Fair. I guess Abe got hungry late in the day and bought himself a waffle. But, that ice cream looked mighty good, too, so he rolled the waffle into a cone and stuff some ice cream down in the top. Thus was born the 'waffle cone'.
 
 
The cones were a huge hit, everyone loved them so Abe sent over to Syria for his parents and brothers to come and help him.
 
In 1907 Abe took his new ice cream business to the Ocean View Amusement Park and in one day at the Jamestown Exposition the Doumar family sold nearly 23,000 cones!
 
In 1934 a hurricane damaged the Doumar business so George moved to Monticello Avenue near the Ghent area of Norfolk where they are still making ice cream cones today. 1934 was the year I was born so I can attest to their longevity.
 
Shirley and I got us a booth but the stools at the counter might have been fun.
 
Soon the waitress arrived with our ice cream in their signature waffle cones, wrapped in a napkin, just in case it drips.
 
 
Of course I dived right in. What great, creamy ice cream. It didn't last long!
 
 
We went outside to watch Randy making more cones.
 
Doumar's is also known for it's North Carolina style barbeque. You can get a sandwich served with coleslaw for just $2.60. Maybe next time we'll eat there.
 
Doumar's has received the James Beard Foundation Award and they have been featured in Gourmet and Southern Living Magazine. Guy Fieri came by with his television crew and they were featured on 'Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives', too.
 
If you are in Norfolk you really should go by and check them out. I bet you won't be sorry.
 
                                                                                                                           

10 comments:

  1. Those cones look delicious!! Love the waffle cones, especially the sugar ones!

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  2. I remember seeing this on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. Fun and looks delicious :-)

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  3. love Doumars and their waffle cones...went there as a teenager and took Don there in the 1980s, he enjoyed his hamburger and ice cream :D thanks for sharing!

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  4. the hubby & i went there on one of our 1st days ... so fun!! great place. so many memories. need to get back there. i always love drive-in's. so fun, fun, fun!!! ( :

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  5. What a fun place! I really enjoy ice cream and waffle cones. I loved seeing your photos from your visit and reading the history of this place. We like to watch Guy Fieri's show, too. John is diabetic, so I often slip off to Wendy's for a $1.49 waffle cone!!!!!

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  6. yummy!!! No wonder you had a smile on your face yesterday...:)))))

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  7. It looks wonderful. I would have tried the bbq too!

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  8. Oh My---what a neat place. That is just the type of places we enjoy visiting... Bet your cones were delicious... YES---go back and try some BBQ.. YUM.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  9. Wow, what great old-time decor! And the machine is very cool.

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  10. Oh oh oh! I miss that place! :-) You did a great job telling the history of the waffle cones. I guess old Mr. Doumar isn't around anymore, or maybe is too old to make the cones. He's Abe's son, and the last time we went he was there making the cones, but I guess that was three years ago. I wish I had one of their bar-b-ques right now!

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I hope you will visit often and leave a comment when you do. My blogging friends always put a smile on my face.