Last week I went to Urban Artifacts and bought some Retro Peoria T-shirts produced by Bygone Brands and one of them featured the classic Hunts Restaurant logo. While I was looking around in Urban Artifacts I came upon an old Hunts menu for sale, so I had to snap that up along with the t-shirts and here it is:
As I turned the menu over this section caught my eye:
Sweet Ttreats, it reminded me that they serve up some of the original Hunts recipes at the Proctor Snack Shop. I went last year and you can read that post by clicking here. What I discovered is that Faith Hunt, the wife of Hunt's owner, Gordon Hunt was a volunteer here at the snack shop for 35 years and she gave them the recipes for all the Hunt's ice cream treats. I went there a year ago and got a chocolate soda and it took me right back to the days when Hunts was open and my parents would take me and my brothers and sister there for an ice cream treat. I think it’s time for a return visit!
And through the magic of the MBIP blog, here we are, back at the sweet spot we visited a year ago, located in Proctor Hospital.
Giganzo revolving door alert!
Our destination is about 23 steps away, we should be there in about 12 seconds...
And exactly twelve seconds later, here we are at The Snacks 'N Sodas snack shop!
Love the Neon, Leon! Shine on!
There's some of the volunteers here at the snack shop, they all wear pink smocks and they are known as the pink ladies. This brings up a failed variety show memory for me!
Here's some of the original Hunts recipes that Faith Hunt donated to the snack shop. I've crossed out the ingredients because they're a secret!
Do you want to know a secret? Too bad, I'll never tell!
Alright, time for a summer ice cream treat! Toine volunteered to make us an Orange Freeze milkshake, using the tried and true recipe from Hunts!
Other ingredients have been added, but those are a secret, but I can reveal that scoops of vanilla ice cream are added to the mix.
Toine is carefully blending the ice cream and the other secret ingredients into one orange and creamy milkshake.
And here she is pouring the finished sweet product into a glass. I can't wait to try this, I haven't had a Hunts Orange Freeze in over four decades!
Houston, we have an Orange Freeze!
And here's Jo Ann who's going to serve it up table-side! All we need now is a table...
And as good luck and fortune would have it, tables are visible just over the horizon! Let's go grab one!
Jo Ann took this photo of me at the table with the Orange Freeze and myself decked out in my retro Hunts t-shirt from Bygone Brands!
The Orange Freeze looks fantastic! A sweet and creamy summer treat!
The sweet orange milkshake flavor takes right back to my childhood and having a treat on Farmington Road in the '60's! Memories!
I scarfed that down in record time and I have just a little bit of brain-freeze going on, but that was so delicious! You need to stop in and try some of this Hunts goodness!
Nick and Pat are regulars here at the snack shop and were enjoying popcorn at their table.
They not only have the original Hunts recipes here, they also sell items from another iconic Peoria sweet shop, Trefzger's Bakery!
These are one of my favorite things, Trefzger's thumbprint cookies!
That's Linn in the center, who's president of the Proctor Service Auxiliary. Flanking her on the left and right are Jo Ann and Toine.
Here's the large selection of drinks available at the snack shop.
Suddenly...crackers and napkins!
The Snacks 'N Sodas shop is open from 10AM to 3PM and as you can see they have a full luncheon menu. Linn told me the meatball sliders have been especially popular this summer. You should definitely stop in, have some lunch and then top it all off with a sweet treat from the original Hunts recipe archives!
Talk about your pretty in pink moments, here's Jean and Judy who we met on our trip here last year! Great to see them and all of the other pretty in pink volunteers at the Snacks 'N Sodas shop in Proctor Hospital! We'll see you all tomorrow!
Proctor Snack Shop
Proctor Hospital (Near the main entrance)
5409 N Knoxville Avenue
Peoria
309-691-1000
Related posts: This Used To Be...Hunt’s Family Restaurant (Now It’s Self Centered Hair Studio) and Bygone Brand Retro Peoria T-Shirts @ Urban Artifacts.