Ice cream shops and candy stores have always had the facility to bring wonder to it’s customers both through their taste buds and their eyes. Sweet Cooie’s, a newly opened confectionery in Congress Park, has taken this expectation to another realm, with an interior that is nearly as decadent as the frozen treats. Just in case you needed another reason to eat ice cream.
As you enter the shop, time reels and you’ll swear it’s the Eisenhower era. Behind the counter studded with petite boxes of chocolates and trays of iced doughnuts, employees are dressed in traditional milk-man uniforms(hats and bowties included). On either side of the counter are shelves crowded with jars of sprinkles, jelly beans and gumballs. And if that isn’t enough to make your inner-child dance with pleasure, the zippy music filling the store sounds right off the soundtrack of Tom & Jerry.
Perhaps the sweetest part of Sweet Cooie’s is it’s muse: owner Paul Tamburello’s late mother. Written on the front of the door in large teal letters is: Elaine Tamburello (a.k.a. Sweet Cooie) was a woman with gumption. Beneath tells the story of how as a twenty-three year old woman, Elaine decided to move from Chicago to Colorado in quest of “adventure.”
Now, Sweet Cooie’s is dedicated to helping women of all ages around the world find their adventures. Along with the shop’s scoop for scoop program, they also donate a portion of everything they sell to support women’s education here and around the world.
As if the store’s heart isn’t enough, they also serve some of the best desserts in the city. I had a scoop of the peanut butter magic in a scratch-made waffle cone. Scoops can be sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun (the “Gooey Cooie”), drizzled with hot fudge and caramel or blitzed into a shake. If you’re not in the mood for ice cream, they also serve artisan truffles and pastries.
Depending on what size malt or how many scoops, you’ll likely spend about ($5-$6) at Sweet Cooie’s which is very reasonable considering the quality of the ingredients. Whether you seek out businesses that support others or you simply want a really good hot fudge sundae, this idyllic little shop won’t disappoint.
