The t

he Parlour strives to keep history alive.

For decades, people have been coming to this iconic ice cream parlor, formerly known as Loud’s and The All-Star Dairy since the early 1940s.

The business started out of a need to get rid of surplus milk, but now it serves oldfashioned, hand-dipped ice-cream flavors to families and visitors, some even driving for hours to get there, owner John Cuneo said.

“You get all walks of life in here, you never know who you’re going to be sitting next to,” Cuneo said.

Cuneo and his daughter Elaine Cates have been running the shop since last year, where they have spent time trying to not only improve the space, but also the food, he said. But, a lot of people often come in just to enjoy the nostalgia of the place, he said.

“I’ve had couples come in and say this is where they had their first date or met their wife,” Cuneo said.

Besides ice cream, the menu features a large list of homemade, fresh all-American food. Chicken tenders, burgers, chili cheese fries and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich are popular, Cates said. The Parlour also has a huge club sandwich and great mozzarella sticks, she said.

However, while the list of hot foods has expanded, ice cream is still the biggest seller at The Parlour. Regular “softball-sized” scoops of handdipped ice cream of more than 50 different flavors is available, but many people get sundaes, including a turtle sundae and the peanut butter cup. The junior banana split is also a huge hit, Cates said.

“People come in and even though they know the size of it, their eyes still light up,” Cates said. Those up for a challenge will be happy to hear that a Parlour tradition still remains. The Dare To Be Great, is 21 “softball-sized” scoops of ice cream, topped with nuts, syrup and lots of whipped cream. If one person can finish it in one hour, the ice cream is free, and they get their name on the wall, Cuneo said.