One sweet treat for the Costa Mesa Senior Center

AVIVA GOELMAN

I was sitting on the beach Sunday, spending the afternoon watching

the waves and enjoying my family’s celebration of my granddaughter’s

first birthday. And, truth be told, I was sharing the children’s

anticipation of enjoying some ice cream.

Ice cream is, for me, a staple of parties and hot summer days. It

is also the centerpiece of one of the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s

important fundraisers -- our weekends at the Orange County

Marketplace, selling Bob’s Old Fashioned ice cream.

The origins and history of ice cream are interesting. Ice cream’s

inventor is generally recognized to be Bernardo Buontalenti. A

well-known architect in his time, he was also under the employ of the

Medicis as a master of ceremony.

Tradition has it that in the summer of 1565, there was a grand

banquet for a delegation of Spanish diplomats. Mr. Buontalenti not

only took care of the usual arrangements for the dining room, but

also created a new dessert that left the Spanish guests astonished.

The dessert was ice cream.

Buontalenti’s ice cream (made with egg yolks, honey, milk, butter

and a drop of sweet wine) was made possible, in large part, because

of this Renaissance man’s affinity for chemistry. Buontalenti

discovered how to freeze fat ingredients such as milk, butter and

eggs. So taken were the Spanish with Buontalenti’s frosty treat that

word of the new creation soon spread all over Europe. Today, it is a

traditional favorite all around the world. Who among us has not

enjoyed a cool, multi-colored ice cream cone on a warm July day or a

hot August night?

I decided I should interview Bob Teller to hear his recollection

of why and how he started Bob’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. Bob opened

his first stand on Balboa Island in 1963, serving frozen bananas

called Rolla-Rama. As he had no funds to invest in a freezer to keep

the bananas frozen, he had to accept an offer from the Excelsior

Dairy Company to sell ice cream. It was a fortunate decision, since

Excelsior supplied Bob with a freezer large enough for both products.

Bob bought ice cream in quart-sized bricks, which he then cut into

eight slices. Each slice was put on a stick and dipped in chocolate.

It didn’t take long to realize that the ice cream was more popular

than the frozen bananas.

Being the entrepreneur that he is, Bob started selling both frozen

bananas and ice cream at fairs, eventually expanding his operation to

shopping malls across the country. He opened 70 nonfranchised stores,

selling just the ice cream bars. Forty years later, as his leases

began to expire, Bob had to say good-bye to his ice cream stands as

landlords quadrupled his rent.

But the business of running an ice cream stand never left Bob,

which is why he decided to open one at the Orange County Marketplace.

His son, Jeff Teller, hatched a brilliant idea to get other

organizations involved in the business. Most charities approach

vendors every year for donations, and Jeff decided to get them

involved directly. The charities would sell ice cream while raising

money for their organizations.

The Costa Mesa Senior Center, along with former mayor Linda Dixon,

was there for the ribbon cutting for the Tellers’ ice cream stand at

the Orange County Marketplace. During the grand opening weekend,

Senior Center volunteers worked at the stand. And all the proceeds

went to the Senior Center for its senior programs. Since then, the

Senior Center has participated every summer, having a lot of fun

while raising the funds we need.

As Bob says, “This is a way of giving back to the community.”

Bob has many followers who faithfully come to the Marketplace just

to be able to get their ice cream bar, dipped in chocolate and

covered with nuts or sprinkles. The Costa Mesa Senior Center will be

there Saturday August 14 and Sunday August 15. Please come visit us

and help to support our programs.

COSTA MESA HISTORY LECTURE

Last year, Costa Mesa celebrated its 50th anniversary and looked

back on the journey from farm community to urban life.

On Thursday, Costa Mesa historian David Gardner will present a

lecture, “The History of Costa Mesa,” at the Costa Mesa Senior

Center. David has lived in Costa Mesa for approximately 70 years and

has experienced first-hand the many changes our city has undergone.

His stories of life in Costa Mesa are always compelling. All are

welcome to attend. Please join us at 695 West 19th St. Refreshments

will be served. For further information, please call (949) 645-2356.

* AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior

Center and will write occasional columns about the center, its

members and senior issues.