A memorable Meal at Juniors
My
dad commuted from Eastern Long Island to Brooklyn for 15 years. He used to
bring me a cheesecake from Junior’s original location every year for my
birthday.
I
was about 12 when he started and it continued until he retired. He would then
still make the trip to get me my favorite cake.
After
my dad passed away and I moved to the Champaign, my mom started sending one for
my birthday, as well as any time I needed cheering-up (like when I had surgery).
It’s
now come full circle with over 40 years of Junior’s sharing my life.
I
was in Florida for the newly opened of Junior’s in Boca Raton. Mom and I will shared Junior’s in a third
state, with another milestone -- she’s leaving Florida and moving to Illinois,
so we can once again live in the same place.
Junior’s
in Boca Raton looked just like the ones I was used to, with cheesecakes lining
the shelves of the bakery area, red and white stripes everywhere, and walls
full of nostalgia.
Photos
of famous Brooklyn natives, including Barbra Streisand, Jimmy Kimmel, Neil
Diamond, and members of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, were also all over
the walls.
The
only thing that made this location unusual was the year-round tables out on the
patio.
I
have to confess that we overdid it when confronted with the Junior’s menu we
hadn’t seen in a long time, as well as few extras at this location.
We
started with one of their Spiked Shakes, a concoction of a chocolate milkshake
and Tito’s Vodka.
With
those, the waiter brought us Junior’s complimentary starters, sliced beets and pickles,
to eat while we were trying to decide what to get.
The
Junior’s menu is a bit overwhelming as it’s filled with comfort food you’ll especially
appreciate if you are a New Yorker.
We
were guests of the restaurant and they were happy to bring us a selection of
their best: a corned beef sandwich with steak fries, potato pancakes with apple
sauce, and a turkey Rueben with Cole slaw.
The
hardest part, of course, was deciding which cheesecake to get.
As a kid, the strawberry (with a delectable almond crust) was my favorite. I had since developed a strawberry allergy so that one was replaced by the Devils Food Cheesecake.
As a kid, the strawberry (with a delectable almond crust) was my favorite. I had since developed a strawberry allergy so that one was replaced by the Devils Food Cheesecake.
Devils
Food Cheesecake puts all of my favorites together: chocolate cake and
cheesecake, layered with fudge frosting and topped with chocolate shavings!
Our
waiter encouraged us to try a second and we went with the plain cheesecake, topped
with cherries.
Needless
to say, we were stuffed when we walked out of Junior’s, but felt like we had
just left a big meal “at home.”
Unfortunately,
the Junior’s in Boca Raton closed soon after I was there. I guess it’s just not
understood outside of New York.
If
you can’t get to one of the New York locations (which I strongly recommend if
you are ever in the area), I am happy to say that they still have cheesecake
for sale online -- or you can try to make it yourself.
Great article. Thanks for sharing..
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