My summer days in Oregon are usually steeped in tradition—places, people, and things that I have to experience every time I make my way home to the Beaver State. Some of these traditions are as old as time, like a trip out to the Oregon Coast to feast on salt water taffy from Bruce’s or to spend time tasting cheese samples at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Others are newer, like stopping by Tito’s Taquitos for their award-winning potato taquitos.
And then there are the traditions that once held a place in our hearts but took a beat while us kids all grew up. Like going to the county fair: Fun when we were little babes, but something about being a teenager in the city made looking at prize-winning livestock seem less-than appealing. But now that we need to find different ways to entertain my niece, it’s time to blow the dust off those old traditions.
While we grew up in Multnomah County, their county fair only lasts a couple of days. Because of woke. Washington County, on the other hand, has some legs to it, lasting a majority of the summer (or at least is always going on when I’m around). But it’s a county fair, and the attractions are about as kitschy as can be. My favorite was the team of dogs doing acrobatic tricks with frisbees. It was probably the B-team of pups, as only about 50% of frisbee tosses were actually caught in the air.
Alright, that’s enough setting the stage. Let’s talk about ice cream. Today’s review comes from the Oregon Dairy Women. This is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote Oregon’s dairy industry. Milkshakes and soft-serve are their speciality, but obviously their hot fudge is what holds my attention.
Their sundae construction is unique, yet finely tuned to their process—a tower of soft-serve surrounded in a sea of fudge and whipped cream. The tower, while impressive, was a bit precarious. It was originally topped with the cherry, but in the process of taking the picture below, the cherry fell off onto the dust and dead grass below.
Quality of Fudge
Their fudge was hot, viscous, and delicious. Though it was a little hard to eat with the entire sundae since I had to scoop the ice cream and then dip it into the pool of fudge. Not a huge ask, but it did mean I was left with a lot of fudge at the end. Which isn’t a problem, per se, but I felt badly about wasting fudge.
Quality of Toppings
The sundae automatically comes with peanuts, cherry, caramel, and whipped cream. But I also requested some huckleberry syrup to be put on there. Which felt risky. You see, the menu stated that your sundae could have one of several sauces, ranging from hot fudge, chocolate sauce, and a variety of fruit-based syrups. The huckleberry sounded divine, but at the cost of risking my fudge? I wouldn’t dare.
And yet, I dared. I asked a Dairy Woman if I could do both huckleberry and hot fudge. She said of course! Girls get it done.
Level of Comfort Ordering a Hot Fudge Sundae
Largely fine, though I wish they clarified that you could mix and match the liquidious toppings. But now that I’ve braved the stupid question, I and everyone reading this can have peace of mind knowing that it is an option for you, in case you ever find yourself in Washington County, OR in late July/early August.
Would I rather get a McDonald’s hot fudge sundae?
In reality, this sundae does everything the McD’s sundae accomplishes and more. While it was a little on the pricey side, that’s just par for the course for fair food and the current economic state of the world. Go figure. So yes, I would choose this over cherished McDonald’s.
Final Score: 7.6/10
Hot for Fudge 