COOL INSIDE: SUMMER FLOATS AWAY
A Root Beer Float from Toast City Diner. (Photo by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)
By SHERRI HALL
Is it really over already? No! Say it isn’t so!
As the summer of 2016 fades into history, it is with great reluctance that PieHole‘s Cool Inside series closes out (sniff!) with a simple classic: a root beer float.
It’s the 15th entry in the series that has served up everything from a waffle bowl to an egg cream, with lots of variety in between. Each was carefully selected to deliver maximum mouthfuls of flavor and bone-cooling effect on a hot summer’s day.
But remember, dear reader: summer doesn’t actually end until September 22. So if you missed any of our stops, there’s a complete list at the bottom of this article to help you keep cool in the interim —and beyond. Because really, if you think about it, does summer actually have to end?
Adding the vanilla ice cream, or whatever floats your float. (Photo by Sherri Hall. Click to enlarge.)
What is it called?
Root Beer Float
Where is it sold?
45 Monmouth Street
Red Bank
732.224.1234
Also available at Toast in Asbury Park and Montclair.
Price?
$5 plus tax
What’s in the Root Beer Float?
According to manager Matt Laverty, Toast’s root beer float consists of just two simple ingredients: Mug brand root beer and vanilla ice cream. Of course, personal variations — different ice cream flavors, the addition of chocolate syrup — are gladly accommodated, he says.
What menu items pair best with a Root Beer Float?
Laverty suggests ordering the waffles, disco eggs or a burger to enjoy with this classic drink.
What’s great about the Root Beer Float?
“It’s nostalgic,” says Laverty of the drink, which is served here in a mason jar. Though it opened just a year ago, Toast is an old-fashioned diner with a modern feel, and classics like the root beer float are popular with people of all ages.
Fill in the blank with the first word that comes to mind:
If the Root Beer Float didn’t exist, life would be “less fun.” (Laverty)
How does Toast’s root beer float stack up against others you’ve had? Click to leave feedback!
ICYMI, here are the previous stops on the Cool Inside tour of the Greater Red Bank Green and the featured treats:
Crazee’s for a homemade waffle bowl
Ryan’s Homemade Ice Cream for chocolate-covered strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone
Strollo’s Lighthouse for an “iceshake”
La Rosa’s Pastry Shop for frozen cannoli cream and cannoli chips
Hoffman’s for a Cookie Monster milkshake
Ralph’s for a chocolate-chip-cookie sundae
Rook for a New Orleans-style cold brew
Kitch Organic for a Flyin’ Hawaiian fruit smoothie
Gracie and the Dudes for a chocolate milkshake
Chill Bubble Tea for a lemon-strawberry ice bubble
Chocolate Works for a Candy Wonderland Shake
Juanito’s Bakery for a Bomba fruit smoothie
Coffee Corral for a Peanut Butter Protein Blast
Red Bank Diner for a New York Egg Cream