Soda Fountain Time Machine

Yesterday, we motored over to the Providence outpost of Green Line Apothecary on North Main Street.

Last January I had blogged about the much anticipated opening of this old time-inspired storefront with a soda fountain, pharmacy, aisles of wellness and grooming items (The closest most of us will ever get to experiencing anything like the fabled Shwab’s in LA…forgive me, I just finished a 300+ page book about The Chateau Marmont and Hollywood history and Schab’s figured pretty prominently in the parts about the 1930’s thru the 60’s.), and sundries in the capital city and it turned out to be one of the most popular posts of 2019.

Their PVD pharmacy offers door-to-door deliveries, same as their Wakefield location. (See the vintage green van in the photo above.) They also have an impressive selection of locally made, artisanal lines like YORE, Farmtrue, and Legend’s that you might already be familiar with from your day to day. The feature I’m most excited about, however, is the gleaming fountain space that greets you when you walk thru the main entrance.

Pop, Fizz, Clink

As someone who grew up watching movies like Paper Moon (and later the sad, cringe-y reality show about the real life father/daughter relationship between Ryan and Tatum that aired on Oprah’s OWN channel) and It’s A Wonderful Life (Remember young George Bailey serving ice cream to Mary at Gower’s Drugstore?), I adore how they have resurrected this former staple of 19th & early 20th century American life.

And they’ve updated it too! I mean, you can hang your bag on one of the hooks underneath the counter whilst enjoying your egg cream or lime ricky. (For the record I had the Phosphate in cherry flavor. It’s a fizzier version of regular soda.) There’s even a dairy free shake option that’s made with sorbet for anyone doing the Veganuary thing or who suffers with lactose issues.

You’ll want to add it to your Rhody itinerary this winter, especially if you’re looking for new places to take the kiddos - not to mention those fans of classic Americana - in your life this season.