There was a great place located about a
35 min. walk away on Springfield Ave, in Irvington. Remember there
was no car in our family and the cost of bus fares would wipe out
all the benefits of visits to Dandee.
The Dandee Cookie Factory had once been a Victorian home that
was converted into a bakery. When you entered Dandee you were in
a large living room with no furniture. The wall space was occupied
by large wooden barrels. Above each barrel was a sign telling what
kind of cookies were in the barrel beneath it.
There were as many different kinds of cookies as could be imagined,
in addition to the usual chocolate and vanilla were orange, lemon,
raisin, banana, coconut and an endless display of tempting delights.
Upon entering Dandee, you paid .50¢ and received a gray chipboard
box that would hold approximately 5lbs. of cookies. You were then
at liberty to walk around and fill the box with any cookies from
the barrels. If a barrel was empty and you wanted the cookies that
should have been in that barrel you asked the woman at the front
door and she would tell you the time the barrel would be refilled.
It was usually about the time you were told that the barrel was
refilled with the warm cookies.
While walking home it was permissible to eat one or two of the
cookies. To eat more would mean that you were in for a good dressing
down but more serious you were banned from any further cookies.
I wonder how The Department of Health would view this operation
today. Can you imagine how many hands went rooting around in the
various barrels in the course of a day.
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