Interesting how often we come across mentions of Bailey’s ice cream, a one-time Wellesley hotspot before we came to town. A reader recently wrote that he was surprised that the recently shuttered Brigham’s outlasted Bailey’s. Dorset Cafe’s Sally Khudairi fondly remembered Bailey’s chocolate chip ice cream in this Boston Globe column. And then earlier this week I came across this mention of it in Bill Simmons “The Book of Basketball”:
“[My dad] hoped for another game like the famous Bird-Dominique duel, when Larry had come through enough times that you could literally feel it coming before it happened. After that masterpiece of a sporting event — really, it was a life experience — we were too wired to head right home, so we found an ice cream shop called Bailey’s in Wellesley and ordered a couple of hot fudge sundaes. I don’t think we said anything for twenty solid minutes…”
7 Comments
No one who ever had a hot fudge sundae at Bailey’s will ever forget it. Tons of the very best hot fudge dripping down over the ice cream….all over the lower plate. It took forever to eat.
I remember the old marble soda dispenser along with the old marble ice cream parlor tables and wrought iron ice cream parlor chairs. Going there was like entering a time machine. There hasn’t been anything like it since.
I can’t talk of Bailey’s without mentioning the lime or the raspberry rickey. That was a treat. Every now and then on The Simpsons, Mr. Burns will reference a rickey.
Lydia Shire remembers Bailey’s butterscotch sauce in particular as it was really fabulous.
Bailey’s
I remember someone riding their moped inside the store at closing.
True story. Miss that place a lot.
I went to look over Wellesley College back in 1974 and we stopped at Bailey’s several times. Their hot fudge sundae with peppermint stick ice cream was pure heaven. They also made their own candies and I remember those wonderful caramels which would take 9-11 minutes to consume!! I’ve never found any others a fraction as delicious as those were.
Bailey’s had a wonderful marble soda dispenser (displayed only, not in use) from the turn of the century with buttons for “sasparilla” soda. I wonder where that ended up…?
Bailey’s was indeed one of the better establishments Wellesley has even seen. I think all the kids who played Wellesley town sports in the 80s ended up at Bailey’s after a well fought out victory.
Bailey’s was awesome and it’s closing was the beginning of the end for Wellesley’s unique businesses being replaced by hum drum national chains.