I heard of Sweet Moses around Christmas 2017. Due to the fact that I had transferred to Human Resources Department at The Village Network, I had the privilege of sharing the gift from one of our vendors. That gift was a box of Sweet Moses chocolates. The candy was amazing, but because I had never heard of the brand before, I had to investigate.
Turns out that the chocolates come from Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop! I was super excited to find this out. Ever since we went to Sweeties Candy Company, I have been on the lookout for an old fashion soda fountain. (You can get sodas at Sweeties, but not from an old fashion style fountain.) However, Sweet Moses offers exactly that — an old fashion soda shop — and it is located in Cleveland!
So picture this, I have been wanting to go to Sweet Moses for 8 months, but I wanted to go with my parents, Bud and Dolores, so my dad could get an old fashion style soda. Unfortunately the timing of things has never worked out where we have been able to make it there. My husband, Bobby, and I are either busy or my parents are. Needless to say, this has been frustrating for a blogger. And it’s not just that we haven’t been able to go with my parents, its that we haven’t been able to make to Cleveland on our own!
Thankfully that all changed on Saturday, August 25. We were invited to join Jon and Linda Hall for a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art. I said that if I was going to Cleveland, I was definitely going to go to Sweet Moses. The Hall’s agreed (they are very accommodating), so we included in the day’s itinerary a stop for ice cream.
When we walked into the shop, Linda and I both knew we had made the right decision. The restaurant is set up exactly like a soda fountain you would find in a pharmacy from days of old. I know what they look like because I’ve watched George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life dish out chocolate ice cream with coconuts to Mary every Christmas for the past umpteen years.
Sweet Moses has a row of seats at the counter, that if you sit down, the soda jerks (that’s what the waiters are called) will fill your order as you watch. If you choose, you can order at the counter and either sit down at one of their tables in the parlor or go through an archway to an adjoining dining area that has booths or tables for ice cream enjoying pleasure. The soda jerks then deliver the ice cream concoctions to your table. If you choose, you can eat outside at one of their tables on the sidewalk of Detroit Avenue.
Sweet Moses makes their ice cream at their shop in small batches. They don’t have 31 one flavors, but they do have several interesting options. In addition to their vanilla bean and Belgian chocolate and strawberry, they also have flavors like coconut almond chocolate chip, coffee, salted french caramel and bananas foster to name a few. And if you have some dietary issues, they also offer vegan and no sugar ice cream or seasonal sorbet, as well.
I felt like a sundae and Bobby really wanted us to share a chocolate shake (he twisted my arm, of course). So we decided on getting one of their their signature sundaes. We got the Shoreway Sundae. The menu describes it as “Coffee ice cream topped with hot fudge, toffee pieces and almonds.” If anyone knows me, they know I hate coffee. Sweet Moses allows you to switch out ice creams, so we went with the Belgian Chocolate. Jon has some dietary issues, so he purchased a chocolate bar and Linda went for a chocolate shake.
We made our way to the adjoining room where we eagerly awaited the arrival of our desserts. Linda’s came out first. We were all impressed with the presentation and the fact that the straw was the paper kind that would have been usual in heyday of the soda fountains.
Bobby and I really enjoyed our sundae. The toffee pieces were tremendous. They had a great flavor and a nice chew to them. The hot fudge was so fudgey. Plus one of my pet peeves is when you get a hot fudge sundae, the fudge is so hot that basically you get a sort of chocolate soup, as the fudge melts the ice cream. That did not happen with this sundae. I don’t know the science behind it, but there was plenty of ice cream and fudge. (You can get them to fill a jar to take home if you want. Now I wish I had.) But the best part, was the ice cream. It had a great taste to it and it was so smooth and creamy. Bobby said, “It is almost like gelato. And it had a great flavor.”
What I like about Sweet Moses, besides the awesome ice cream, is that they are creating an experience that we of this modern era would not be able to enjoy otherwise. This is what they tell you on their menu: “SLOW DOWN AND TAKE A STEP BACK IN TIME: Our goal is to recreate the experience of an old neighborhood soda fountain. We collected original soda fountain furnishings
and equipment—not just for show but for actual use. Our speed is often limited by this authenticity. We use a restored 1940s soda fountain, taking extra care and pride when hand-carbonating
root beer, and creating sundaes in vintage glassware.”
It was nice to slow down and enjoy their treats. It was definitely worth the wait. I can hardly wait to take my parents there. And you can bet next time I’ll be bringing home a jar of the fudge, too!
