Lexicographic notes on Chicago food: “Boston”

As some of you know, Antonius and I live near the corner of Polk and Western which means that we also live near Polk and Western Hot Dogs and its sister establishment Polk and Western Ice Cream. The strangest items on the P&W Hot Dog menu, the French fry sandwich and tamale on a bun, have been discussed on the linked thread. But over on the beverage menu board is another puzzling (to me, anyway) item: Boston.

It turns out that “Boston” there means a coffee with extra cream and extra sugar.

Now, next door at Polk and Western Ice Cream, there is also a listing for “Boston”. But inside this establishment a Boston is a milkshake topped with a scoop of ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. It sounds like a sundae on top of a milkshake.

So let’s see… “Boston” = excess ?

All you Chicago natives out there, is either of these uses of “Boston” a common thing around here?

Amata

Amata wrote:So let’s see… “Boston” = excess ?

All you Chicago natives out there, is either of these uses of “Boston” a common thing around here?

My dad always professed a love for "Boston Coffee", but to him it was coffee with a ton of milk or cream (maybe half the cup), sugar didn't play into the equation. I've never heard anyone besides my father use this term. He was a Polish immigrant (via Sweden) at the age of 5, and I don't think he picked it up in Warsaw or Stockholm.

Best,
Michael

Amata wrote:All you Chicago natives out there, is either of these uses of “Boston” a common thing around here?

Amata,

Having just spent the last 4-days in Boston I am now an expert.

Kidding aside, though I am not a Chicago native when I first moved here, 25+ years ago, I did reverse commuting, part of my morning drive taking me up Irving from Lake Shore.

I'd stop 3-4 times a week for an early morning breakfast at Diner Grill, home of the Slinger*, and quickly learned that coffee with cream was, always, referred to as Boston.

No idea why, though I believe the term is still in use at Diner Grill.

Enjoy,
Gary

*Don't ask, just eat

Diner Grill
1635 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60613
773-248-2030
24/7

The milkshake is easy. I think it's derived from the idea of a Boston Cream Pie, which would have been one of the most common American desserts several decades back. There's a certain make-do-with-what-you-have similarity between:

sponge cake + vanilla cream center + chocolate topping

and

vanilla milkshake + whipped cream + chocolate sauce

Well I was raised in Connecticut and lived on and off in Boston (the longest stretch was 2.5 years streight). The reference to "Boston" coffee is really a reference to, of all things, a chain... that being the ever popular D'n'D (Dunkin' Doughnuts). While we have D'n'D (and yes.. no self respecting New Englander would ever elaborate any further on the name beyond D'n'D) in Chicago the manner in which a Coffee with cream and sugar is prepared is pretty different. If you go into D'n'D on Tremont St., Boston, Lewiston, Maine, or West Hartford, Connecticut and ask with a coffee with cream and sugar you will get a 21oz. coffee with about a half cup of light cream and 3-4 (or more depending on who is dishing it up) tablespoons of processed cane sugar. This is standard operating practice. You would not, for instance, order a "Boston" coffee in Boston, Connecticut, or Maine. You simply walk into any D'n'D and order a coffee with cream and sugar. You will get the above. In my expierence, they seriously tone it down here in Chicago. I don't consider this a bad thing. While I like my cream and sugar as much as the next guy, I do like to taste a small amount of the actuall coffee flavor with my coffee. Anyhoo that is why a "Boston" coffee is... well... what it is...

As for the Shake thing... I have no idea... Especially as shakes are mostly refered to as Frappes by old school Beantowners.

Amata wrote:All you Chicago natives out there, is either of these uses of “Boston” a common thing around here?

Amata

I used to hear this term used both ways you describe quite a bit growing up, but not so much lately.

Amata wrote:
Now, next door at Polk and Western Ice Cream, there is also a listing for “Boston”. But inside this establishment a Boston is a milkshake topped with a scoop of ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. It sounds like a sundae on top of a milkshake.

...

All you Chicago natives out there, is either of these uses of “Boston” a common thing around here?

Amata

Some friends of mine introduced me to the Boston milkshake in the Quad Cities, where it is apparently pretty familiar. No idea about the origin.

Could "Boston" be diner slang for anything with cream? Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches are called "CJ Bostons".

stagger wrote:As for the Shake thing... I have no idea... Especially as shakes are mostly refered to as Frappes by old school Beantowners.

I spent the first decade of my life in Boston before moving to Chicago. Back then, if you wanted ice cream in a shake, you ordered a "frappe". Milkshakes and malted milks had no ice cream, but were usually topped with whipped cream. Of course we also called soda pop, "tonic" and drinking fountains were "bubblers". I guess that makes me old school (which is much better than just being old).

Thanks, all, for the interesting comments and reports. Polk and Western Hot Dogs is definitely a place to find some old-school terms (and classic minimalist Chicago style dogs).

Amata