Last night my friends took me out to Il Mercato in Bedford for dinner. It was exactly what I needed! Sometimes you have to recharge those foodie batteries by being pampered and indulge in beautiful food with wonderful company.
I have been to this Il Mercato a couple of times now and each time the food was delightful and the service was excellent. I had the spaghettini sautéed with seafood which I was assured was a very popular dish and I can see why. The seasoning was perfection and the subtlety of the olive oil and spices allowed the seafood to shine.
Dinner was light enough for me to indulge in the Tia Maria Coffee Toffee Crunch Cake with some of the best decaf coffee I have ever had. All my friends adored their dinners and were thrilled with the fabulous coffee which we drank copious amounts of last night.
Our server was helpful, fun and attentive without hovering. After we paid the bill we were not pressured to leave. It was the perfect dinner.
We are such a wild bunch, hanging out Freak Lunchbox after dinner. I had heard of this store over and over again, filled with candy from our childhood but I had been in many similar stores and they never had the chocolate bar of my kid dreams. Shockingly, Freak Lunchbox had something very similar!
I could not believe it! Now from the packaging, I couldn’t tell it was the same chocolate bar but as soon as I touched it and felt the odd chocolate-covered toffee braiding inside, I knew I had to buy Cadbury’s Curly Wurly. Sure enough, it looked very similar. I thought it was wider and these seem very frail in comparison to the ones I used to eat as a kid.
I remember the original packaging having a cowboy on the cover with a lasso. The idea is that this was like a cowboy’s rope but I have been unable to confirm this is exactly the same chocolate bar. The cool thing is that as I was eating it in the parking lot of Sunnyside Mall I could still take a bite and have the chocolate bar expand with the caramel which got longer and longer as I pulled. That is a childhood memory I have been wanting to experience again for a long, long time.
Thanks to my friends I am feeling much better inside. Sadly I had a fibro flare last night in my ankle and could hardly walk but it is feeling a bit better today. A good day to stay inside and make soup because yes, it is cold and dreary but at least now I can indulge in candy nostalgia (I bought several Curly Wurlys) and reminisce while making new foodie memories.
Wig Wag? I just read on wikipedia, not sure how accurate it is.. My husband loves this bar and I get it whenever I can at the Bulk Barn. He couldn’t remember the name of it either, so I went to wikipedia 😉
It’s cooler and rainy here too, so we’ll be staying inside too. Lots of quilting and laundry to do!!
Yes Alex! I think you’re right. I found a photo of one here. Maybe the cowboy was on the back? That is definitely it though, much thicker braiding and probably not as delicate. Thank you! Oh wow, Bulk Barn?! I’m going to have to go and check out.
Sorry to hear you are also getting similar weather! Quilting and laundry sound like wise choices.
Just noticed your picture on facebook of the old packaging. My husband says it looks right.
Yes, Bulk Barn carries a lot of these different chocolate bars, not sure if it’s all Bulk Barns. They are usually on a shelf above the big bins of candys/chocolates. Look up a bit and you should see them 🙂
I remember those bars too, Suzie! But “Curly Wurly” and cowboys did not ring a bell at all. I thought, “Oh no! This will plague me all day while I try to remember what it was called” and then I looked at the comments. Thank goodness! Yes, WIG WAG is exactly right! I’m astounded they’re still available. I haven’t seen one in stores for years.
Sounds like you had a lovely time. Pampering is important and nothing beats a night out with fabulous friends, fun and food!
OK, I totally used to love the Wig Wag candy bars Suzie, I have the exact same memories. My BF and I used to go to Mac’s Milk to get these then and eat them on they way home, all that stretchy, gooey caramel goodness. I’ve seen the Curly Wurly bar, now I’m going to have to try it!
As for the Cowboy tie in, I also remember that as well. I think the American version of our Wig Wag was the Marathon Bar, and they did have a commercial with a cowboy in it, with the tagline “it lasts a good long time.” Check it out on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifzlaV7HZDQ&feature=related
Thanks for a very happy blast from the past!
Not sure if that link to YouTube works Suzie, if not just search for “marathon candy bar commercial”, it’s a 1974 commercial, black and white.
I can’t believe they’re around either Debra! So glad you also remember them too. So good!
You too Ava?! That’s awesome! OMG, Mac’s Milk, LOL, now that takes me back!
I remember that commercial! I KNEW there was a connection to cowboys! Maybe when we were in Florida I picked one up when I was really young? OMG, thank you for that trip down memory lane. You rock!
Wig Wag! Yes! As soon as I saw that photo it was familiar, but I couldn’t remember the name until I saw it in the comments here. Freak Lunchbox is opening a location here in Saint John – I will be looking for that Curly Wurly bar. 🙂