In the Quad Cities, enjoy frozen treats and more at a parlor frozen in time.
It's a bit of Americana that might seem long gone: a friendly soda jerk behind a counter, dispensing homemade ice cream and working the fountain; bin after bin of colorful candy; rows of mahogany booths where a family can sit and sip a shake. The quaint feel of an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor lives on at Lagomarcino’s in Moline. Outside, a glowing neon sign welcomes you to a place where it seems as if time has stopped—or maybe it's just gotten sweeter.
Now into the fourth generation, the store has been in the Lagomarcino family since 1908. It all started when Angelo Lagomarcino immigrated from Italy in the late 1800s. After getting married, he worked in Burlington, Iowa, with his brother Carl, and in 1908 Angelo decided Moline was the place to be. For more than 100 years, the confectionary with the family name has been making chocolates, candy, and (from the 1930s on) homemade ice cream—all in the modest Moline location.
Lagomarcino's is one of the only soda fountain confectionaries left in the country, making every experience at the store that much more special. It's a place where people have been bringing their loved ones for years; just as four generations of Lagomarcinos have run the store, families have passed on the joys of Lagomarcino's from great-grandparents on down.
During your visit, try the english toffee, sponge candy, and caramel apples (depending on the season). If you're heading there for the first time, a visit isn't complete without a taste of a hot fudge sundae and chocolate ice cream soda. Not only are they delicious. They're also Illinois Made.
Find more Illinois artisans at Illinois Made
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