Sweet Occasions and More!

Aw shucks.

I am so sorry to hear this place has closed – I believe all their locations have closed. Well, the one on Bryn Mawr never really opened. Over this past year this place has gone into decline which is so sad since it was a great place to get ice cream, chocolate treats & some knick knacks. It would be nice if they could reopen, but alas that may just be wishful thinking on my part – sigh!!!
previously – this was my sentiment towards Sweet Occasions:
I have been going here for a over a year now & overall is it a wonderful place. It is a throw back to soda/​sweet shops from back in the day & I love it for that. They also have ever so tasty cakes, pastries & savory foods. I am not much for ice-​cream, but I am told by my friends that is fantastic. I do often get cake there & have been a little disappointed lately by the quality – overall I am generally satisfied, but on my last visit – something was off. The staff are very friendly & eager to help out – also have met the owners & they are just super great people. The one huge minus of this place is that there is no outdoor seating. It could seriously use it in this location

Ok fellow Andersonville-​ites (or anyone else who frequents Sweet Occasions), can we talk about the slow and steady decline of this place over the summer?
EVERY TIME my fiancé and I have been there this summer, the ice cream selection has been awful. Last time we went they did not even have chocolate. Please, help me understand what causes an establishment whose main attraction is ice cream to RUN OUT OF CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM?
There are always plenty of sorbets and soy creams and italian ices, but we’re not such a big fan of those, and I’m guessing other people aren’t either… and that’s why those big tubs continue to sit there.
We’ve probably been about four or five times this summer but I think we’ll save ourselves the heart break from now on. It has been continuously bad. I miss all those amazing, ever-​changing flavors they used to stock, the ones that kept me fantasizing about my next trip for ice cream. WHAT HAPPENED?
Also, the baked goods have deteriorated. Last time I was there, there was a fly trapped in the pastry case. Gross.
Please, Gods of ice cream, give us a better ice cream joint in A-​ville. Or bring back the awesome flavors to Sweet Occasions.

I love coming here for ice cream. The interior is very inviting and there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the deliciousness. I was wondering why the ice cream is so good and then I read the container explaining that the ice cream contains full fat everything and that if you want something healthy, eat carrots. Just how it should be. I also like that this place is open year round so I can get my fix even in the dead of winter, when it is still surprisingly crowded. Yum!

Actually I had the prices totally wrong. Two child sized cones (which is more than enough ice cream) was $ 5 even. The ice cream is cheaper than I thought!
They also rotate flavors so if you are in the mood to explore it would behoove you to become a repeat customer.

The location in my hood, a block away, is a nanosecond from opening.
Please have banana and/​or coconut ice cream. Please!

I’m a big fan of SO, specifically this location. I have «sampled» my way through a billion flavors here and no one ever batted an eye. Or caught on to me. Rich delicious ice cream from America’s Dairyland and a wide variety of yummy toppings to boot.
Service is always quick and the place reminds me of a place in my hometown that no longer exists. Staff is always cheery and helpful and never irritated by my indecision. Big plus!

Blueberry cheesecake ice cream for the win! The red velvet cupcakes are sensational. And lo and behold they carry grape ice cream. I love grape ice cream. Well technically its sherbet, but close enough and its delicious.
This location tends to get really busy close to closing time. I guess its a popular post date/​dinner destination. Earlier in the evening it tends to be filled with kids. Middle of day if the best time to go so you can relax and eat delicious sweets in between daytime television.

I think this is my favorite addition to Andersonville over the past 10 years. I love finding a bench along Clark and enjoying my ice cream on a warm summer evening. I stopped by last night and purchased a vanilla milkshake with banana, and it was heavenly! The sundaes are also a favorite, but everything looks so good here. Fortunately, I have the entire summer to try it all!
The staff are very nice and will patiently give out samples and make sure you get what you want, which means they take some time with each customer – if you’re impatient, you might want to forgo the joys of Sweet Occasions and leave more ice cream for me.

I went for the first time a few weeks ago and OH MY GOD. The Ice Cream was AMAZING. Truly… I’ve been dreaming of it daily ever since.
Not too pricey, generous portions, friendly staff, yumm.

Service: Very Inconsistent
Cleanliness: Needs Improvement
Bathrooms: Filthy, Dirty
Sunday night! Place was busy seemed under staffed,
They ran out of change and asked if folks could pay with a credit card, which held up the long line to pay! Tables were dirty.
Despite all that we had a great time, the chocolate cake was amazing, we had 2 ice cream cones and 2 milk shakes! WOW!
With a little more attention to detail, service and update the interior this place could be better than it already is!

Tried this place for the first time today when I needed a break from work. I got the red velvet cupcake and a cup of coffee.
The cupcake was delicious, mostly the frosting (cream cheese, yum!) and I really loved the atmosphere in general. There is plenty of space to sit and read for an extended period of time. The workers were SUPER friendly, which is always huge.
And there are free refills on the coffee. I honestly do NOT want to meet anyone who would choose starbucks over this place… or anyone who would choose starbucks over ANY independent coffee shop for that matter.
I will be back for sure. My hyperactive sweet tooth practically demands it.

Go there for the ice-​cream and the cakes!!! I had Zanzibar chocolate ice cream last night and practically died and went to chocolate heaven. A few interesting ones are: Horchata, lack licorice, superman, cinnaman.
Great place to have coffee and meet up with a friend on a lazy Sunday afternoon too.

I never knew love like this before — it opened my eyes! Yes, these are song lyrics, but they are OH.SO.TRUE!
Allow me to create the scene. Picture it: Summer of 2007 in Chicago. Cranky boy and practical girl go up north in search of Venezuelan food. CB and PG arrive at Caracas Grill. It’s padlocked. CB starts to get bitchy. PG starts to think of an alternative. PG leads boy to some Peruvian restaurant she saw on Check! Please. They are accosted by a way small dining room, non-​chalant host and bitchy patrons. CB and PG leave but CB makes a note to self to get revenge on shop, host and patrons. CB gets bitchier. PG leads CB on a death march throughout Rogers Park in search of food. PG leads CB under El tracks, through alleys, down small side streets and under the boardwalk. CB starts to worry that his bitchy ways have lead him to a mob-​style hit, courtesy of PG. CB and PG finally wind up at some disgusting hippie-​trippy café, complete with dirty silverware, hipsters in Che shirts (just think about that people; SO.NOT.THE.POINT.HIPSTER!!), strung out hostess and a food selection that included burnt beans and chicken butt. CB’s bitchiness is off the scales and PG is getting increasingly irrational to try to deal with it.
After an unsatisfying dinner, complete with barbs, passive-​aggressive behavior and under-​the-​breath mutterings, PG and CB agreed (progress!) on dessert at a place away from the ‘pleasing’ aroma of patchouli + B.O.). We hop on the Red Line and get off at Argyle. We traipse through the streets and make our way to Clark. Andersonville. PG wants Swedish Bakery goods. We head there but at that time of night, most of the good goodies are gone and CB reverts to type. What ever could save this night? Were our heroes doomed? Suddenly, in the distance, CB heard birds chirping, children laughing and familiar refrains of lovely songs. Lured by this siren’s call, we stroll down Clark to. a place so beautiful…
I’m sorry. I needed a moment.
We walk in and are immediately overwhelmed by the lights! colors!cookies!cakes!icecream! We hug and promise to never scwabble again. PG, being practical, gets in line and goes over her choices. CB flits all over the restaurant, complimenting the servers, patting children on the head and spinning around to the tunes of Mariah Carey. CB decides on a slab of strawberry cake (yes, no slices here. They give you SLABS, i.e. your money’s worth) a la mode. But which ice cream? CB wanted Bubble Gum (or was it Cotton Candy?) but the intrepid server intervened and told CB to try it first (take THAT Sushi Samba Nasty server!). IS was right and CB decided on a gallon of Zanzibar Chocolate ice cream. CB was so excited!!! CB got his food and was the envy of man, woman and child, alike. CB showed off his prize to everyone at the restaurant. He heard oohs and ahhs and comments like, «How could anyone possibly eat so much food?» Get ready. Because here comes the lesson.
CB joins PG at table (she got a 7 deadly sundae… I think, Lust) and digs in. CB is taken like a virigin on the wedding night. Enraptured by true lust by the party in my mouth and sensations in my body, the ice cream/​cake combo spoke to CB: «WHOSE IS IT? WHOSE IS IT!!! WHO GIVES IT TO YOU GOOD?! WHAT’S MY NAME?! WHAT’S MY NAME!!! SAY IT!!» «Ohh, it’s YOURS, Sweet Occasions Strawberry Cake and Zanibar Chocolate Ice Cream! It’s yours, it’s yours!!» I moaned and writhed and shook. Mothers covered their children’s eyes at my sight. Fathers took notes. I was a beast and the cake and ice cream, my master. CB had finally gotten what he needed to stop being so damn cranky. After eating, I was spent. PG was quiet, but smiling. Lest you think we were the only ones to have a «Like Water for Chocolate» moment, one musclebound man, upon tasting his ice cream, took off his shirt and snapped the top of his shorts. I kid you not. The food is THAT good.
I didn’t want to leave. I was no longer CB (well, for a little while). I wanted to move to Andersonville and give this relationship a try. The ice cream and cake had made an honest man of me. I was ready to give up boozin’ and easy women. I was ready to settle down. Too bad for me, Sweet Occasions doesn’t belong to just one man (or one woman). Sweet Occasions is for us all. Sweet Occasions won’t be tamed.
I learned true love that steamy Summer night.

I just love taking a walk to Sweet Occasions during the summer, and trying a different kind of ice cream each time. $ 1.50 kids cone and I’m good! I love the atmosphere, it’s a great place to bring friends and just hang out.

The only reason I would go to Andersonville is to have a cone of yummy ice-​cream.
It’s just so goooooooood (even better than Bobtail in my ‘hood)
No need to recommend which flavor you should try. (they’re all YUM)
Latest time I had a little bit of everything flavor (don’t remember the name)
and it’s just perfect.

Wife had a red velvet cupcake and tried to get a $ 10,000 line of credit at this place over the weekend.
Good milkshakes and ice tea. A little pricey for ice cream and sweets, compared to say, Jewel. They are more on par with Bobtail, but without a big crowd. My one-​year-​old nephew prefers the strawberry smoothie.

This is a dangerous place, people, and this is coming from someone who is not a «sweets» person. Id much rather throw down with copious amounts of salt, but for some reason Sweet Occasions lures me in like a cat to tuna.
The interior is awfully cute, it reminds me of old-​fashioned ice cream shops with the little round tables and big candy display. But enough about the building! You want to hear about the crack — er, I mean sweets, right!
The ice cream is like velvet, smooth and rich with big chunks of goodies mixed into whatever flavour you are having (my personal fave is the New York Cherry). I ordered the Triple Chocolate Cake for a friends birthday a while back. I am not kidding when I tell you this damn thing was so rich we could not cut slices thin enough. After two or three bites you were thinking «OK, Ive pretty much had it with chocolate for the next 75 years or so». I think there is still some in the freezer and its like 4 months later.
Go on the website and you will see for yourself. Insane. Baked goods, candy, fudge, cake, ice cream. Its like Augustus Gloop’s idea of orgasmic heaven. Oh, and they will also give you a 20% discount if you bring in a receipt from an Andersonville restaurant showing you had dinner that night. Like you needed an excuse.

No soymilk. All I need is a little soy for coffee and I could get a latte or mocha or something while everybody eats their ice cream.
They do have one kind of ice cream that’s non-​dairy. So I respect that. But I want coffee. And a crumpet, which they have a lot of. So it’s two stars because I’m not going to buy one and walk it over to Starbucks. They have their own crumpets that taste pretty darn good. And couches.

My friend Kelly says this place is an ice cream shop for grownups. It’s true. Not just because we eat children in Andersonville (as evidenced by the flap over Taste of Heaven, up the street, expecting children to behave). But for some reason, there are never a lot of kids here. At least not when I come. And that’s fine with me.
It’s also for adults in that it’s clean, airy, well lit, and comfortable. (and open until midnight on the weekends, for gosh sakes).The staff is smart and friendly. In addition to ice cream, they sell baked goods such as cookies and cake (cut in ginormous slices) — including red velvet cake, for those of you who missed it at Dine! If you want something a little more substantial, try one of the sandwiches, designed by Mimi Chryssikos, the sandwich queen.
They have a great selection of ice cream and sorbet (mmm, tangerine sorbet) which you can get in a cup, a cone, or a chocolate waffle cone with sprinkles. If you don’t want to bust a gut, get a single dip with two flavors. It’s the perfect size.