Iowa's Other Capital




Located about 20 miles northeast of Sioux City, the town of Le Mars is the self-dubbed "Ice Cream Capital of the World." The ice cream lived up to its reputation, and we had the additional good fortune of being directed to another local delicacy: The BobDog.


Le Mars - The Ice Cream Capital of the World

Katie, Brian, Pitt, and I drove out to Le Mars this afternoon in search of the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Factory and Museum. We pulled into the parking lot of the Visiting Center as the clock struck four; as we approached the front door, we saw a hand flipping the sign in the window from "Open" to "Closed." Not to be easily deterred, we went into the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor next door and asked one of the workers if she could somehow have the museum let us in for a quick look. We explained that we were visitors who had come a long way from New York. After a quick phone call next door, we were told that the curator would be happy to have us.



Katie and Brian examine vintage dairy transport devices at the Ice Cream Museum

The first part of the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Museum featured displays of old ice cream-making devices. A documentary about the history of ice cream and the history of Blue Bunny played in another room. From the film, we learned that Le Mars' claim as the Ice Cream Capital of the World is based on the fact that they produce more ice cream than any other company in any single location. The milk of 70,000 cows is enough for one day of ice cream production at Blue Bunny - a staggering statistic. The third section of the museum is a replica of the Blue Bunny factory. With a video playing on a giant screen above, machine replicas demonstrate the ice cream manufacturing process.



Blue Bunny "Champ" cones in the packaging process

With our tour of the Ice Cream Museum complete, the four of us were ready to march next door to the Ice Cream Parlor to sample Blue Bunny's best. The museum curator, however, had other plans for us. She recommended that we whet our appetites by going across the street to a place called Bob's Drive-Inn for something called a BobDog. Always ready for a new hot dog experience (and still looking for my first Iowa hot dog), I jumped at the suggestion. The three others were in a similar mood for food exploration.



The sign says it all

From the outside, Bob's Drive-Inn looks like countless hot dog shacks in and around Chicago. On the inside, however, Bob's distinguishes itself with its immaculate tablecloth-covered tables and a restroom whose cleanliness stacks up with any four-star restaurant. It was a happy moment when the women behind the corner informed us that they make their own root beer. Katie and I placed our order: two BobDogs and two small root beers.



The BobDog at Bob's Drive-Inn

The special ingredient of the BobDog (which the museum curator had told us about) is a tomatoless meat sauce. In its deluxe form, the BobDog also features onions, mustard, and ketchup. Although the BobDog shares a similarly plump size and shape with the Vienna Beef frankfurter, its snappy casing calls to mind New York dogs like Nathan's or Gray's Papaya. Even without the help of the meat sauce, the BobDog exhibits a robust beefy flavor with no discernible aftertaste. Our hosts told us proudly that the hot dogs are produced locally. The root beer carried a rich caramel flavor, but was hindered slightly by its being more carbonated than creamy. Bob's Drive-Inn was a big hit with all of us, and after our quick meals, we were all the more ready for Blue Bunny.



Ice cream treats prepared to order by the good folks at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor

The four of us took our places at the counter in the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor and placed our orders. Brian opted for a traditional sundae, Pitt ordered a brownie-laden concoction called "The Tortoise and the Hare," and Katie and I opted for a six-scoop sampling of different Blue Bunny flavors: Elephant Stomp, Bunny Tracks, Mint Chocolate Chip, Praline Pecan, Wild Berry, and something with caramel and peanuts. The ice cream was deliciously rich, and six scoops proved to be too much for the two of us to handle, even with Brian's occasional help (he was still less than 48 hours removed from his two-slab triumph at Tony Roma's).

Like any good tourists, we capped off our visit with a lap through the Blue Bunny gift shop. On the way back to Sioux City, Pitt proclaimed, "This is the most fun I've had in at least six weeks." With my wife at my side and my belly housing a hot dog and more than a pint of ice cream, I couldn't possibly say anything to the contrary.

Posted: Wed - February 23, 2005 at 07:58 PM      

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