A trip down memory lane in carbonation and candy
By Michael Sullivan 03/04/2010
Rocket Fizz
105 S. Oak St.
Ventura
641-1222
It was just another ordinary Saturday morning in Ventura two weeks ago: slightly overcast with hundreds of locals bustling about the farmers market in downtown. As always, parking in a convenient location near this hot spot of the organic variety is practically impossible at my usual time — typically 11 a.m. Luckily for us, one space opened up on Oak Street at the corner of Santa Clara Street. Unbeknownst to me, though, this parking spot would lend itself to a sweet trip down memory lane.
After leaving the farmers market empty-handed, my 6-year-old son, Jake, begged me for a lollipop, a sucker, a something that would cement the mother-son bond for life — or until my son’s saliva glands dried up. He had been a good boy and, given that we had parked on the street next to Rocket Fizz, I decided to oblige him. Since we had already been to the one in Camarillo, I knew 1.) I couldn’t lie and say there wasn’t a candy store nearby — he could read the sign and already knew what Rocket Fizz was; and 2.) I had no legitimate excuse not to get him one of his favorites — he rarely eats candy, hence the reason we still have leftover Halloween candy from two years ago.
So away we went. But it wasn’t my son who acted like a kid let loose in a candy store; it was my mother. It was rather strange to see a woman of her caliber getting excited about soda pop and candy, but I digress. While it took my son only a few minutes to narrow down his choice to a sugary and soon to be very sticky treat in the form of a tricolored push pop, I thought this trip was going to be quick and easy. But then, when I saw my mom coming toward with me with a big grin on her face, I knew I had been sorely mistaken. “I found them,” she said, “Mary Jane candies!”
“Oh, Lord,” I thought to myself. Whenever my mom has that sort of excitement in her voice with that proverbial light bulb hovering above her head, I know I am in for the long haul.
She revealed to me she had been mulling over ideas on how to celebrate the 93rd birthday of one of her church’s members, who happens to be named Mary Jane. But once she discovered that Rocket Fizz wasn’t just about the latest gooey treat or highly caffeinated drink, she was on a mission — a mission to make nostalgic a woman who had lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement and the summer of love. And so began our journey to find candy, soda and other random items that would trigger memories for Mary Jane of seemingly simpler times.
Since my mom had already found one of the things she was looking for — peanut butter and molasses Mary Jane candies, originally made in 1914 — she was determined to find something from as far back as she could, preferably one piece of nostalgia per decade. We worked our way through the ’20s with the York peppermint patty and Bit-O-Honey, the ’30s with a life-size Betty Boop Pez dispenser and a Chunky candy bar and, just for good measure, Good and Plenty, which originated in 1893. Next: soda — Squamscot, sarsaparilla, established in 1863; Boylan Bottleworks Vintage Soda Pop, root beer, circa 1891; Filberts, cream soda, made since 1926; and Premium Fitz’s, strawberry pop, circa 1947.
With more than $50 worth of soda and candy, my mom’s excitement finally reached a plateau, as she realized she had to consider just how much candy and soda a 93-year-old woman could consume. Well, I guess we were going to find out.
The great thing about Rocket Fizz is that it isn’t just a place for an adolescent to act out a fantasy of being a game piece brought to life in Hasbro’s Candy Land, but a place where anyone can indulge and enjoy the fun of his or her youth. It doesn’t cost a lot — on average, one soda won’t be more than a couple of dollars, and with the copious amounts of candy and every-kind-of-flavor-imaginable salt-water taffy, there is something for everyone. I would highly recommend checking out this shop. Even if you lack a sweet tooth, memory lane is a great place to visit from time to time.
Taffy and soda tastings are held from 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively.
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