Dinner is over, and my family and I decide that we want something sweet to eat. It's amazing how simple the choice is when you own a soda fountain. So we go to Lofty and a nice group of folks are enjoying a Kichen Sink together (26 scoops of ice cream, with every topping served in a sink). We get to talking.

The Patriarch of the group is visiting his daughter who lives here in Tallahassee. He says "Your place is amazing, we know, we are from Brooklyn."

I respond "Where in Brooklyn?"

"Ocean Avenue"

"Ocean Avenue and where?" I ask back.

"Ocean Avenue and Ave M."

I pause. I grew up on East 23rd street and Ave M. Ocean Ave is essentially East 20th street. And between Ocean Ave and E. 21st Street on Ave M was the candy store/soda fountain I grew up with called Ben Chodosh's Candy Shop. Lofty Pursuits in many ways is an expanded version of it, bringing back the best of my childhood so I can share it. They remembered it well. We talked about his egg creams, and I told them how National Egg Cream day is Ben Chodosh's Birthday (March 15th).

His daughter, now a Tallahassee local, and I start talking. She want to the same High School as I did. We had friends in common. I'm able to get her in touch with a lost friend from high school that I keep in touch with. It is fairly clear to me that we attended at least one party together. We reminisced about hearing Adam Yauch rap at a party we were at. This was supposedly his first concert. He was not very good. He was later in some band called the Beastie Boys. I wonder if he ever made it.

It was a good night that let me finally know that other people also feel that Lofty has the same joy that Chodosh's had. While Lofty is clearly not the same store as the candy store i grew up with, I like to think it has a lot of the same types of memories in it.

My only regret is we never got to talk about a soda fountain called Jahn's. I need to remember to ask about it next time they are in town.

Lofty Pursuits, Open until 10pm, thankfully not located in Brooklyn.