Idyllic summer traditions have certain clauses written into their margins. A trip to the cabin or a visit to a campsite sound promising until you begin ticking through your mental checklist: Tent packed, permit purchased, personal time taken off work, and don’t forget the rain gear just in case! Having fun often requires a vacation from itself.
Give yourself a break and rediscover the classic American summer tradition of sipping a malt on Main Street. Leo’s Grill & Malt Shop offers more than 20 flavors of malts and shakes and a dozen-plus flavors of sundaes. I talked to owner Cory Buettner, who recommended their classic banana split and breaks down the steps of creating an ice cream icon:
Ingredients:
- 4 scoops New York vanilla ice cream
- One banana
- 3 oz. strawberries or preserves
- 3 oz. pineapple or preserves
- 2 oz. Hershey’s chocolate syrup
- Whipped cream
- Three Maraschino cherries
Buettner recommends using an oblong bowl, but says that any wide-mouthed bowl will do. Scoop three scoops of New York vanilla, and line them side-by-side like the Three Stooges. The fourth and final scoop rests on top in the middle, creating a shaky ice cream tower. Next, carefully pour the strawberry glaze onto the left scoop of ice cream and the pineapple on the right. Separate the two with warm chocolate syrup drizzled down the middle, and resist the urge to dig in, because we aren’t finished. Canned whipped cream is ideal for creating the perfect rosette for each scoop of ice cream, and is garnished with three cherries on top. “It’s a split, and most people share,” Buettner answers when I ask if he’s seen anyone take down this confection Lone Ranger-style. So grab a friend and two spoons, and split the gift of summer cooldown dessert bliss. (We won’t tell if you eat it all by yourself).
The dessert master: Cory Buettner
The dish: Classic Banana Split
The restaurant: Leo’s Grill and Malt Shop
