American Dream is home to a plethora of kosher dessert choices, but there’s always room for one more.
Enter Candy Land Shake Bar. Opening just a few weeks ago inside the newly minted Hasbro Gameroom (Court A, Level 2), this counter can serve you a regular milkshake or something a little more extreme. While the “classic” milkshakes are $10 (flavor options: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, cookies and cream), the “crafted shakes” will run you $18.
American Dream has become a big destination for people for all kinds of reasons. It’s a mall, but it’s not just a place for shopping. There’s all sorts of stuff for people to do. The newest attraction at American Dream is the Gameroom powered by Hasbro. The 41,500-square-foot space includes a massive arcade, a separate space dedicated to roller games, a G.I. Joe-themed laser tag arena, a Hasbro gift shop, and several food options. While most of the food options aren’t kosher, the Candy Land Shake Bar is certified under the Kof-K (chalav stam).
Much like the other kosher options in the mall, this is made possible by the religious Jewish ownership. The mall is owned by Triple Five Group, a Canadian company operated by the Ghermezian family. The prominent Iranian Jewish family also owns the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada. With American Dream’s location in East Rutherford, New Jersey being so close to the Jewish communities in and around New York City, the family decided to make it a priority to have kosher food available.
Not only did they seek out kosher restaurants to populate a “kosher food court,” but they also ask prospective eateries if they’d like to pursue kosher certification before they open. Working alongside the Kof-K, they’ve managed to secure supervision for about a dozen of the places in the mall, including the new Candy Land Shake Bar.
So what does an $18 milkshake look like? More than a milkshake, obviously. All four choices are named after famous residents of Candy Land and feature actual pieces of cake atop the milkshake. Princess Lolli, Queen Frostine, King Candy and Sloppy Gloppy all have their own custom concoctions for anybody with a serious sweet tooth. Princess Lolli has a strawberry cheesecake vibe with an actual lollipop sticking out the top; Queen Frostine is centered around blueberry with cotton candy and rainbow cake; King Candy is made of a blend of s’mores ingredients alongside red velvet cake; and Sloppy Gloppy provides the chocolate lover with a complete overload.
If you would like to try any of the flavors of ice cream or types of cake on their own, you can. Though they are off-menu, slices of cake and scoops of ice cream are also available if you ask. These might be slightly more feasible options for the individual, as the crafted shakes are better for sharing.
The Candy Land Shake Bar is open for the same hours as the gameroom (and the mall itself), 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily.
Nati Burnside is a freelance writer living in Fair Lawn and is a man of many interests. He can be reached at [email protected].
