Taggart’s Ice Cream Parlor….Canton, Ohio

I have been going to Taggarts since I was a little girl. It was a tradition in my family to celebrate there after football games, dance recitals, plays, or for holidays. It has been a Canton landmark since 1926, serving food and homemade ice cream to young and old. In 1931, the Bittner was created. This ice cream treat was named after a delivery boy and has since become what Taggarts is known for. It is a secret mixture of vanilla ice cream and special chocolate sauce that is blended to a consistency that is just too thick too sip from a straw. On top of this extra thick milkshake-like delight is a mound of salty and extremely crunchy Georgian pecans and a dollop of whipped cream. The result is the ultimate salty/sweet combination. The ice cream concotion is so silky with just enough chocolate sauce added to the vanilla base. I enjoyed taking my spoon and pushing some of the pecans down into my sundae glass to make sure I could save a pecan for each and every bite. Their crunch and salty taste on my tongue were too enjoyable against the cold, creamy ice cream. The Bittner was featured in October’s issue of Saveur Magazine as one of the best places to eat in Northeast Ohio! Food writers Jane and Michael Stern saved Taggart’s for their last stop on their culinary road trip through Ohio saying, “We couldn’t imagine a better way to end our movable feast through the region.” Congratulations Taggart’s! It’s good to see my hometown ice cream parlor gain culinary acclaim!