very efficient and sweet staff. scooping ice cream was my first job and so wherever I am visiting…read more I like to check out the local place. pink cow seems to be the place to go. I likes the mint chocolate chip, epresso next. for $2.50, it's a steal. I highly recommend. they close at 9!

I may be in trouble. I use to go to another ice cream shop in Edwardsville to get my Vanilla and…read moreOrange Sherbet twist fix. Tonight, I found out that, The Pink Cow offers it and it's homemade, too. Having The Pink Cow, close to my home, may put some pounds on my frame. The soft serve was not overly sweet and the orange sherbet had a nice tang to it. The twist of vanilla and orange was almost too pretty to eat, but I managed to enjoy it. I liked how the top curled and draped dramatically down the side. The staff of high school students were friendly and helpful. From what I could see through the service window, the preparation area was kept clean. Even the outside in front of the ice cream shop and around the picnic tables were free of debris. My cone was delicious, so I know I'll be back. Except on my next visit, I'll go down a size, so I don't go up a size.

The chocolate is oh so good! Love taking family and friends here when they visit. Friendliest staff…read moreas well!

You could spend the night in a candy/chocolate shoppe right in the heart of Highland! Too…read moredelicious to be true?? Nope! When visiting Highland and Aviston, Illinois we passed by The Chocolate Affairs shop while leaving the 9th Street Cafe. We couldn't help ourselves from noticing the young owner Jen busy wheeling away carts of fresh chocolate-covered strawberries to the town's Art Festival. We went inside and were surrounding by tons of little knick-knacks, crafts, souvenirs, and of course, sweets! One of the four rooms is dedicated specifically as the "Candy Room." Caramel pecan patties, real butter creams, hand dipped caramels and chocolate potato chips, to name a few! I enjoyed the chocolate covered toffee with peanuts. Mmm mmm! They also rent out chocolate fountains for your next event. As for the bed and breakfast...It's a historic house built in 1914 by Dr. Tibbetts. The house accommodates guests with 3 bedrooms, each having its own private baths and theme (Angel, Quilt and Blue Rooms). Guests also have full use of a parlor, dining room, kitchen and deck. The best part is you can enjoy chocolate chip cookies and refreshments on arrival, chocolate gift baskets in the bedrooms and a sample from the chocolate case overnight! Continental Breakfast is the Chocolate Lovers Special featuring Triple Chocolate Mess Cake and Chocolate Covered Strawberries. What more could a chocolate lover dream of?!?! I can't wait to spend the night here during my next visit!

I was invited to a dinner party and The Cheesecake Lady, came to my rescue. When I was invited, I…read moreasked if I could bring anything. The hostess immediately said, "Nothing, just bring yourself." Then she corrected herself and said, "If wanted to, I could bring a dessert." I was out running errands and was near Wood River, so I immediately thought of my favorite dessert lady. I went having the intention of buying a whole New York Cheesecake, or a variety of slices. Once I got to her little cheesecake boutique, I saw she had a Box of Bites. It was absolutely perfect. It contained 12 little bite size squares of 4 different cheesecakes. My hostess served a very refreshing and delicious Shrimp Risotto, but the Cheesecakes were the hit of the party. Many of the guest had not heard of, The Cheesecake Lady, so I introduced them to a new locally and woman owned business. Yipe!

Great little ice cream dive to stop for a treat and take a break from your Route 66 journey which…read moreis what we did. Plenty of seating both inside and out. They have a full menu of other items, but we just stopped for an ice cream and it did not disappoint. Walk across the street to get a Passport stamp at "Weezy's", too!

Another stop on my journey on the first 301 miles on the historic, Route 66 in Illinois. This stop…read morehad me enjoying a small concrete. I ordered a, Chocolate Covered Strawberry. It was a blend of vanilla custard, fresh strawberries and hard-shell chocolate. It looked so delicious in the clear plastic cup, all three of the ingredients were swirled together. I would have taken a picture to capture the beauty, but with the high temperatures I just started to devour my sweet treat. I was sitting on their spacious patio, so it was melting fast and I was trying to eat it as quickly as it was melting. I would have preferred to been able to slowly eat it and truly enjoy the rich flavor of the custard and strawberries. However, sipping on the melted custard with the chunks of chocolate, did make for a nice treat, too. I'm coming back to try some of the food. The inside dining room was filled with senior citizen couples enjoying lunch. If it's good enough for them, I am confident I'll enjoy it, too. The young staff working the service window were friendly and very professional. They've been trained well, in providing quality customer service.

I've been once and I already know I'll be back for more…read more My first visit was just for ice cream (dessert), I had already eaten at another restaurant in town. While I waited for my concrete with M & M's, I noticed all the good looking burgers being consumed on the patio. Some had fries and they were crinkle, which is my favorite style. Others had onion rings, which were from a bag and that's okay when you're a little drive-in style restaurant. I'm coming back for a double cheeseburger and fries. I didn't pay attention if there's an inside dining room, when I arrived everyone was on the front patio. I had the intentions of getting a twist cone of vanilla and chocolate, but when I went to order, a small concrete with M & M's came out of my mouth. Typically I ask if they use mini or regular candies, but today I forgot to ask. The reason I ask is, size does matter. Especially with M & M's in a concrete. Regular sized blend better and add more flavor. To my delight, they did use regular sized and I'm going to say something, that I rarely say. My concrete had too many M & M's. The deeper I ate into my concrete, the candies became thicker with each bite. Yes, it was delightful, but in this case less could have been better. The staff were young, professional and friendly. Customers order at one window and pick-up at the next. They call out what your order was and a few times they called out a persons name. I'm assuming they are regulars, or being a small town, everyone knows each other. Watch for an update, about my burger and fries.

A very nice little place in a small town. We had come into town to check out another spot for my…read morewife to possibly sell some of her quilting artwork. It fits into the town well, it is well kept, but doesn't really stand out. I almost drove by, but the GPS saved us. You see the outdoor seating structure before you realize it is actually the restuarant. I am sure the local know exactly what and where it is. I had a cheeseburger with fries, and my wife got a corn dog and onion rings. The food came out pretty quickly, we sat inside to eat. All of the dishes were made correctly, not special, but certainly fresh. We also got soft serve cones, chocolate and vanilla. Very reasonable pricing on everything. The two young ladies working today were pleasant and welcoming. They work hard and know everyone (except for us, until today). I suspect we will be back over the years, we are just one town over.

Great place to stop with plenty to see . . . giants, quirky atmosphere, large gift shop, ice cream,…read moresnacks and welcoming staff. If traveling Route 66 as we were be sure to get your stamp.

Watched two old guys by the counter staring at little girls behinds as the girls walked away from…read morethem. Not sure if they worked there or not, but they never took their eyes from several young girls. Maybe they were looking at flies flying around from the filthy store. Either way, this place screams "creeps are welcome here"

I love that this market not serves and promotes local farmers, but also local artisans. It is such…read morea delightful mix of vendors and products. The farmers offer fresh vegetables and some even have refrigerated trucks offering a variety of meats. Vendors that offer freshly made breads, pastries, jams and jellies, can almost be classified in either group. Those who are true artisans, are offering handmade jewelry, candles, cutting boards, canes, dog fashions, clothes for children and original pieces of art. That's just a sampling of what you can find walking up and down all the aisles. When I first started coming to this market it was only one of the parking lots. It has now expanded to another one and the variety of merchandise is mind blowing. It is well worth a visit. When you arrive, stop and get a coffee at Joe's and then start your stroll to shop local.

We've been attending since the beginning, as the Alton Farmer's Market gained in popularity and…read moreoutgrew space after space. Saturday mornings in Alton during market season have something of a magic to them. You get to see friends and family and make new connections. If you're a dog person there is no shortage of dogs to pet. Everyone is so friendly! As the season changes from Mather's Day Market to those late season October markets, the variety of delicious produce and homemade goods also changes. There are no shortage of variety when it comes to vendors. The organizers also incorporate holidays or special events throughout.

Bright colors and wrappers, it's surprising that this place isn't filled with parents shouting…read more"No!" to their kids over and over again. If you're looking for a sugar-filled snack to take on the plane, it's here. Lots of mass produced candy bars and candy bags available. They also have a wall of bulk candy and nuts - jelly beans, Reese's pieces, M&Ms and the like available for $1 per ounce. $16 per pound seems spendy to me but if you want to make up a trail mix bag with some of this and some of that, it's here. Mrs. wanted some licorice so I bought a box of that. Similar to what you would get the movie cinema concession and at similar prices. [Review 20001 overall - 278 in Missouri - 976 of 2023.]