It’s a nice sunny day out, and I’m once again looking for a nice place to sit and hit at my keyboard while eating/drinking something delicious.  Truth be told, I was wanting to go to Phoebe’s Cupcakes… not that I’m dissatisfied with Molly, but Phoebe’s right down the street and brand new… so new that in fact she’s not open yet.  Mac was going to be meeting me, and since he’s not so much in a coffee mood, I suggested somewhere else: of all places, a candy store.

Windy City Sweets, actually even closer down the road than the soon-to-be Phoebe’s, has been a standard “we don’t do this often but it’s a special day” choice for us, with their wide array of candies for every person and every occasion, if a bit pricey. 

(Mac particularly likes their sponge candy. I got him some for his birthday, which was Monday.  Did you forget?  Don’t worry, he’s still accepting presents, and will be, until his next birthday.)

Anyway, I saw walking past today that Windy City Sweets had outdoor seating, which means they must serve food or drink of some kind, right?  Sure enough, in addition to ice cream sundaes and hot chocolate, they boast a line of malts, shakes and smoothies. 

I decided on one of the no-dairy smoothies, listed at the top of the right (not left) panel.  You must understand, with all respect to vegans, that the most important thing to remember about my interest in the eight different smoothie flavors labeled as “no dairy” (with a mysteriously unnamed #9) is that they were 75 cents cheaper than the smoothies advertised as having ice cream or yogurt.  Imagine my surprise then, upon ordering the raspberry smoothie (#3) when the nice but methodically slow man behind the counter asked if I’d like ice cream or yogurt.

I stood for a full six seconds (actually a long time), searching for words to express my confusion.  “Um,” I finally said, “I was just actually looking at the dairy free smoothies,” the ones, I wanted to add, that are 75 cents less.

“Ok,” he said… pause… “that would be the yogurt then.”

Now you know, and I know, that yogurt is dairy.  But the second most important thing to remember about my non-dairy choice is that I actually would’ve preferred dairy… which is why I replied, “oh, ok.”

He proceeded dump a big scoop of white stuff labeled “fat free vanilla yogurt” into my cup and blend it. 

Non-dairy frozen yogurt?

Might’ve been.  I didn’t press it, and I’m thoroughly enjoying my raspberry smoothie… but the vegans among us might want to dig a little deeper before indulging.  Something like, “but isn’t yogurt, um, still dairy?” 

As far as I’m concerned, at the end of the day, and the man behind the counter’s methodically slow approach to smoothie-making aside, this little quirk only adds to the charm of the top-class candy store we’re proud to call our neighbors.  

And meanwhile, if you happen to see Molly, there’s really no need to mention this whole Phoebe thing… thanks…