At the end of March, the wife and I had vacation time to use and opted for a trip to Myrtle Beach. That, of course, meant time at the beach and plenty of time looking for places to eat and grab a snack.

 

One afternoon, as my sweet tooth got the best of me, I began craving a milkshake as I lounged by a nearby swimming pool and my mind drifted to different places. If it was just any milkshake, my craving would have been easy to satisfy. But I didn’t want an ordinary milkshake.

 

What I wanted no longer exists. It hasn’t existed since 1999 and if it comes back it likely will only be a cheap imitation.

 

What I craved this day, and what I’ve craved dozens of times since 1999, is a Monster Milkshake. For those familiar with this blog and Bridgeport’s Ray Blake you know exactly what I’m talking about.

 

More than once, I’ve written about the locally and probably state famous Canteen Restaurant that Blake owned and operated with gusto from the time he acquired it in 1953 until it closed nearly a half a century later.  He may not have realized it, but Blake was an innovator.

 

To this day, I believe he had the area’s first drive through service. He had the first delivery service. He was the first I can remember that operated without closing – the 1985 floods the lone exception. And he created some unique foods that are still on menus to this day, most notably the Giovanni.

 

Even if he wasn’t the first, he certainly was the first to offer all of those services. And he always had “must-have” menu items.

 

In the spring and summer months, though, a real treat was the Monster Milkshake. Maybe it seemed to taste better to me because of its name or the fact that you could also walk up to the window right along Milford Street and order in swim trunks after a day at the Veteran’s Administration pool. Perhaps it was that the flavors were right and the consistency always seemed perfect.

 

Perhaps it was because it was, in fact, a “Monster.” It was a 46 ounce cup of sugar and sweet bliss that I always ordered vanilla. Think about the size of that for a minute and for you old school beer drinkers who proudly discuss downing a “40,” this had six ounces more in it and it wasn’t liquid.

 

It was a behemoth. It was everything a novelty item should be and the mere fact that I frequently got them as a youth and continued to get them into my adult years tells me very clearly that they were also reasonably priced.

 

 

The Toquinto family’s lack of wealth meant that food items were generally of two varieties – good price and large quantity. If it happened to be good quality, then so be it.

 

Ray Blake managed to hit the hat trick with the Monster Milkshake. It was huge, it was worth every penny and it was delicious.

 

Sadly, unlike the Giovanni that shows up on menus all throughout the area and beyond, the Monster Milkshake ended when the building closed. It’s never been resurrected and even if it was I’m fairly certain the price on it would also be of the monster variety.

 

All I can do is sit back and imagine what once was. Whether I’m on the beach, in the car, doing some yard work or watching television at home, I know I’ll never have it so good again.

 

Still, I owe Ray Blake a debt of gratitude once again for his unique culinary creations that continue to live on my mind. I’m sure many of you have the same memories.

 

Rest in Peace Monster Milkshake. You will never be forgotten.

 

Editor's Note: The legendary menu of The Canteen is above, while cups similar to those in the bottom photo (although the Monster was of a much wider variety) for the Monster Milkshake that cost $2.29 and the 16 once milkshake that cost $1.59.