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 Brigham's Ice Cream is a beloved,
traditional New England institition
Article and photo
by Eric H.
(ARLINGTON, MASS.) -- When I
was growing up in Arlington in the 1970s, Brigham's Ice Cream
was known to Arlington High School students as the place to sneak
out of school for a sundae, only to be caught by one of the crackerjack,
fleet-footed housemasters. Today, thinking on slightly more mature,
global terms, Brigham's is a New England landmark and institution,
known for its superior vanilla ice cream and "Boston"-named
flavors like "Wicked Chocolate" (chocolate ice cream
laced with Brigham's fudge sauce and chunks of fudgy brownie
pieces), "Curse Reversed!" (vanilla ice cream with
chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate covered caramel cups and
swirls of fudge sauce), and the "The Big Dig" (chewy
brownie pieces, caramel swirls and chunks of chocolate).
The sundaes, frappes, raspberry
lime rickeys and shakes (how about a "Black Cow Shake"
with root beer and vanilla ice cream?) are also phenomenal, as
it is apparent that Brigham's requires a lifetime worth of visits to sample the wonderland
of sweet offerings.
With more than 20 restaurants
and comprehensive distribution to markets across New England,
Brigham's ice cream is always within reach of ice cream-needy
New England. Using Vermont milk and natural flavors, the Arlington-based
Brigham's appeals to the younger crowd in love with sugar, the
middle-aged crowd with families looking for a good meal and dessert,
and the older crowd in love with the Brigham's dining tradition,
the specials, and the chance to talk over coffee, soup, sandwich
and a gargantuan sundae in a welcoming restaurant.
The food is just fine, with tuna
melts, turkey dinners, burgers, BLTs, mac and cheese and chicken
pot pie holding its own against some of the better diners in
the area. Brigham's also serves a respectable breakfast, with
the usual suspects -- omelets, scrambled eggs, pancakes and waffles.
The informal atmosphere is much like Friendly's, but the service
is generally much better with employees of all ages acting pleasant
and serving the food and ice cream efficiently. There always
seems to be a restaurant manager on hand who actually acts like
a manager -- many times wearing a tie, having a pencil thin mustache,
and sporting a patient smile that can disappear quickly when
an employee is functioning on a sub par basis. The latter is
few and far between, but it is nice to know that Brigham's managers
are as on the ball as the housemasters from the 1970s at Arlington
High School.
Brigham's has been around since
1914, and will probably be around forever. Brigham's might come
across as a basic, hometown business, but the reality is they
have constantly evolved through innovative marketing (playing
the Boston angle with its appropriately named flavors), corporate
vision (they purchased Elan Frozen Yogurt in 1993), and social
awareness (working with many non-profits, supporting the Hurricane
Katrina victims).
The fact that Brigham's is a
household name in New England speaks volumes to its hard-working
staff -- from cleaning person to the upper management type --
that is only interested in turning out, or contributing to the
best product possible. The result is every walk of New England
life enjoying this bright, happy, long-time favorite business
-- even housemasters from the 1970s at Arlington High School
who might have taken some liberties of their own to enjoy a break
at Brigham's at an opportune time.
Visit the Brigham's
Web Site for more information on ice cream flavors, breakfast,
lunch and dinner items, restaurant locations, markets that carry
the Brigham's ice cream line, and more.
Related articles:
Best New England ice cream stands
Favorite New England ice cream -- reader
feedback
Cabot's
Ice Cream and Restaurant, Newtonville, Mass.
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