Packed with Charm and Whimsy

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: August - 2022

Are there taste sensations stored away in your brain panthat will not be diminished by the steady accretion ofdecades and the indifference you’ve paid to your mindand body?The sort of emotional-sensory memory that can arrive,unbidden, as you’re drifting off to sleep, that’s so acute that itcan make you gasp and issue a half-smile that’s as wistful asanything captured by da Vinci?For me, there are a few dishes that can do that – my Mom’sStrawberry Pie, Basque Marmitako (served in a never-emptyingbowl in my son’s adopted town of Pamplona), Mrs. WilmaGordon’s still-warm-from-the-oven cornbread in a long-agosupper at Highlands United Methodist Church, and, somehow, aBanana Milkshake.By way of explanation for the latter’s inclusion, let me supply abit of context:In the wake of my truly astonishing (even to me) grasp of thearcane mysteries of long division and the subsequent attain-ing of 100 on a big, big test, my grandmother, the estimableMildred Hannum, responded by taking me (and only me, mysisters weren’t invited) to Evan’s Ice Cream Parlor in CouncilBluffs, Iowa, and treated me to a Milk Shake.Mrs. Evans, the owner and chief scooper, turned this into atranscendent event when she told me that she could whip upa shake using any of the parlor’s 16 flavors – Moses partedthe Red Sea, Lincoln freed the slaves, and a throng of angelsacclaimed “Hallelujah!” – it seemed impossible!This offer was made in Iowa in the midst of a gray, ice-locked February, so I naturally chose Banana. Bananaseemed tropical and sweet. And sure enough, that simpleBanana Milk Shake was a treasure, a grace note from thetropics and I could imagine that Jane would have served it atTarzan’s Birthday Party.Blend it in with the pride I felt at mastering the upper reaches of mathematics and the sweet words of my grandmother, andyou have an experience to be archived and opened any time theworld seems unfair or disappointing or indifferent.Which brings us to Crossroads Custard & Coldbrew, found at45 Slab Town Road in Cashiers.It’s a cozy bistro that is packed with charm and whimsy and agenerous dollop of playfulness, a spirit that extends to its vast,nearly-overwhelming menu. Twenty-four flavors of sweet,sweet custard – sorry Mrs. Evans!)Think I’m joking about that playfulness? Consider their MoonPie Sundae – a deputy’s dream built upon a classic LookoutMountain Moon Pie, warmed up and topped with vanillacustard, hot fudge sauce, strawberry sauce, whipped cream, anda crucial cherry on top. How’s that for a memory maker?Still, through all the choices, there was no way I could resistthe prospect of a frosty Banana Shake, crafted with care anddelivered with a smile.And the decades dropped away, and I was young andblissful and once more certain that the world held promiseand such potential.Was it as good as what I slurped down on that frigid afternoon?Nope – way, way better. The egg content of the custard gave thecreation a richness of flavor and velvety consistency that wasfar superior to a simple ice cream-based shake.Tricia ordered a Squatch, a thick custard frappe sweetened withagave and topped with strawberry, banana, almond butter, andgranola – and into which was blended orange, mango, pineappleand guava!She dove in despite the risk of brain freeze and made it allgo away.And here’s the thing – as we were enjoying our creations andreveling in memories and sensations that reverberated throughthe years, Crossroads Custard was busy, really busy, withfamilies with kids and families with grandkids and youngcouples and work buddies. And everyone was happy – somelooking to decant memories of golden moments, others intenton memorializing this particular afternoon, when everythingwas just so, and the custard and the milk shakes and the smileswere as good as life could get.

by Luke Osteen