Often, memorable food experiences occur by happenstance. Unfamiliar areas bring unexpected, frequently delightful experiences. A few years ago my son Spyros and I were driving across southern Arizona on I-8, from Yuma to Gila just north of the border with Mexico. It was about 105º F and the desert around us had visible heat waves shimmering up from the hot sands. The occasional billboard advertised Dateland coming up down the road, so after a few grumbles from Spyros, I turned in with the excuse that we needed petrol anyway. Basically, it was a gas station, café and gift shop next to a date orchard in the middle of nowhere. We noticed a sign soliciting customers to buy date shakes in the café. With curiosity aroused, we waltzed through the blistering heat into a 1940s style diner, full of sweaty travelers. Spyros and I sat down on the vintage bar stools, ordered up two date shakes and watched the waitress scoop ice cream in a tumbler with pureed dates and mix it in the old diner style milk shake machine. Served soda fountain style, the first sip was thick, creamy and infused with sun-dried date nectar. Amazing! Maybe it was the heat, but this shake hit the spot and we both finished the entire generously sized confection, slurping each drop from the bottom of the glass. I rarely consume such decadently rich foods, but the searing temperatures in a desolate landscape, without any sign of life beyond this oasis, justified the exception. I have made the trip a few times since and Dateland has become a must stop destination on Interstate 8. Here is a link about the history of Dateland.
