On The Sly

Maybe if I had the big bucks! lol. Any good jobs in mind?

(Foxy's note: No... but if I hear of something, I'll hit you with an e-mail.)

It sounds like I'm missing a lot... I haven't even been to the new A&W

(Foxy's note: Come on, Jeremy, spend some of those big bucks you're earning and treat your honey to a Papaburger!)

Yes I am old enough to remember the A&W on North Margaret Sreet, and the Orange Julip. Also clear in my mind was the pungent odour of the paper mill. In those days Plattsburgh was like a mini Lake George. Our taste of America some 60 miles from home. A few A&W's have sprouted up around Ottawa, somehow it's just not the same as those Plattsburgh circa 1965.

I'm not nearly old enough to remember A&W ever being here before, but I did try out the new one in town....
I'm not as much of a fanatic, so not sure if I was there at a bad time or...??
I got a Papa burger and fries and they were both cold, and the fries were not good at all.... This was after waiting about 20 minutes for our food, so I didn't even bother getting in line again to complain. I hope things shape up.

Hey Fox,
I just came from the new A&W, and they DO have the glass mugs!! You just have to ask for one, they are only $3.99! SO there you go!

Hey Fox!
What a bummer that they don't have the big frosted mugs!! I was down in Lake George this past summer with my family for Americade bike week, and they still have the mugs down there. Looks like you may be taking a trip this summer to Lake George, HUH?

(Foxy's note: Yes, for sure!)

Foxy: There is still an A&W in Lake George village; it is closed in the winter; and that megaphone container of A&W root beer cost 25 cents when we were kids. If I had a quarter (rare) I got one on my way home too - but mine was gone by the time I got to 2 Bailey. The Warne's owned the A&W stand - the grandparents owned Claire & Carls.

OK after reading this blog my wife and I made our way down route 9 to the A & W. The minute we walked in we meet up with four other members of the champlain valley classic cruisers, right then and there we decided this would be a great place to hold a cruise in with a group of classic cars. A & W with a parking lot full of '50's and '60's cars and hot rods. We do this in Wilmington just about every Sept.
And yes Lake George and Wilmington both use ice cold mugs for all of their drinks. Saturday when we were down at Chase's I did see people drinking out of mugs, but we had those paper cups.
Now the best A & W around our area is located in Middlebury, Vt. south on route 7........mmmmmm full menu and rollerskating car hops. That is a location that every July after the car show in Rutland is filled with classic cars of all kinds. Good food, good looking car hops and hot cars, what more could you look for.

(Foxy's note: Bill Carr is one of the head honchos of the Champlain Valley Classic Cruisers, a great car club, headed by President Jerry Seymour and his First Lady Diana. If you do have a cruise-in there, it would be a fun "Fox on the Run" show!)

Foxy:

I remember that A&W at the north end of town too. As I recall, there was a group of male teens known as the "Crickers" that used to frequent the place and entertain the rest of us with mock knife fights. I guess that they had watched "Blackboard Jungle" one too many times.

Like Skipper, I too have fond memories of the A&W on the east side of Malone - Bob Nash (a chemistry teacher buddy) and I liked to have lunch there during regents weeks. Two michigans and a root beer float would make our day.

Ah, the good old days!

Gonna head south in a couple of days - I'll keep checking the blog while on the road. We're thinking of hitting Myrtle Beach on the return trip - if I knew Skip's number, I'd give him a ring when in the area. Boy, do I like retirement!! Hold the fort down in the north country.

First, a number of women ride their bikes with a basket. So if you choose to, there is nothing wrong with that.
With the return of the A and W, Plattsburgh has officially been revived. Let us support it and hope that it does not go the way of Hooters. Hooters, by the way, was destined to failure. Once the Plattsburgh Air Force Base closed, Hooters was sure to follow.
I am disappointed but not suprised that the local A&W has gone with paper and not mugs. Last I checked, the A&W in both Wilmington and Cortland still have the frosty mugs. The Cortland venue still features the Papa burger line and Coney Dogs (Michigan like). Best thing about the one in Cortland is that they offer daily specials. Often can get 2 Coney Dogs for 2 dollars, 2 Papa Burgers for 3 dollars etc. Located near the Old Smith Corona typewriter plant in Cortland. The typewriter plant went out of business when the e and the o assembly line workers went out on strike. The other 24 letters were left hanging. Management tried to type them a letter to come back but without the missing keys was inintelligable.
I suggest buying a mug, from ebay, or from one of the venues that does still exist, Cortland or Wilmington. Place the mug or mugs into your ice box. Go to Chase's and order the largest root beer they have to offer. Do not under any circumstances get it with ice (don't want to water the treat down in any manner.) Speed to Saratoga Court . Do not place your cell phone to your ear while driving (don't want to get strip searched by Mayor Donnie's finest again) Walk briskly into your abode, open the ice box, take the mug out and pour the freshly drawn root beer into your mug. Close your eyes and remember a time where all men could ride bikes with baskets and horns, perhaps even streamers from their handle bar grips.
I wish A&W a hearty welcome and much success in its return to the north country. I am a bit concerned however with how the Coney Dog and the Michigan will coexist.

Foxy; You know I am old! I attended the Grand Opening of the A & W Root Beer in Plattsburgh and received a free jug of root beer!
It was so cold and tasty! It reminds me of all the great drive in Restaurants we had! That would make a great story for the blog! Drive in Restaurants! Lenny

MMMMMMMMMMMM Root beer oh yeah!! I remember the Scomotion creek stand. It was super. There was an A&W stand in Malone just east of the village on Rt.11. It had drive in kiosks where u could order your beverage and food through a radio system and the server would come out and deliver your order. There is A&W in Wilmington just past the village on the way to Whiteface.
Here in North Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing that has its own homemade root beer (made on premises) .The venue, Joe's Homemade Root Beer, has food as well, but the unique thing is that it has 1950's motif (retro) with old Wurlitzers juke boxes and songs from that era.
So, Foxy, if you want to step back in time and feel like a kid again riding that fat balooned tired bicycle with a basket come on down. Oh by the way, they also have homemade sasparilla that the hero cowboy of old westerns would slug down before shooting the big,bad, whiskey swigging villain.
I will go down occasionally to Joe's, but there are too many temptations here to indulge a Bud Light.
I raise my glass or mug to you and fellow blogoteers.
Skip

Foxy:

When I was growing up near Syracuse, my parents would take me and my brother to the A&W just south of Cortland. I remember you would have to order from the table via a telephone. My mom was always elected to call in the order, and my brother and I saw it as our jobs to make her laugh while she was trying to order!

While we are on the food topic: I have recently dived into the world of steamed clams here in N.C., where I now live. The first batch we steamed and my girlfriend and I ate them right up, after they took a quick swim in melted butter of course. But the last couple of weekends, we have roasted them on the grill outside. Very good! Just throw them on a medium flame and wait till they open and enjoy.

Keep up the good work with the blog -- it's another great way to keep up with what's going on where I went to college.

(Foxy's note: Thanks, Pete. Glad to have you as a Blogoteer. You mentioned the roasted clams. Just last night Bill Myers was telling about grilling clams, but he opens his first and butters on some spices before putting them on the grill.)

Foxy,
I can remember when the A + W was near Scomotion Creek too. When I was in Little League we used to go there as a reward when we won a game. I drank more root beer the year we went 20-0 than you can imagine. No complaints from me though.
There is an A+W in Wilmington but it is only open in the summer. Go there every year. No cone shaped cardboard containers but you can get frosted mugs there or at least the last time we went we could. Just food (and drinks) for thought.

(Foxy's note: I didn't know about the A&W in Wilmington. Will check it out this summer!)

Foxy: The A & W is still open in Lake George village. I don't think it's open in the winter though. You do nice work. Keep it up, young fellow. FF

(Foxy's note: Thanks for the note, Fred. I wonder if they sell those original jugs that I'm talking about. If so, I will probably make a trip there this summer.)

Did you know that A&W Root Beer was born in Lodi, California.

Funny you didn’t mention one of those root beer floats. Those were special in those frosted mugs, but that was then and this is now. Foxman, you keep trying to go back in time. Those days were so simple- what you saw was what you got. Now one needs an advanced degree to get what you want. I know Jack Baroody used to teach students how to shop, how to raise kids, how to use coupons, how to get married. Now he’d have to teach how to order off the menu.

Have you tried to order a small soda at Burger king or a small pizza. They only have medium and large or extra large. How can there be a medium if there isn’t one smaller and larger for it to fit between? Let’s not even go into the grande and super-sizes. It all started with the 16 ounce RC Cola’s back in the day, and who knows where it will end. Luckily, the nursing homes have the one-size-fits-all approach; hope they don't change to ordering off the menu………..TBI