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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2021
CONRAD’S CONFECTIONERY 107 WESTWOOD AVE, WESTWOOD, NJ 07675 • 201-664-2895 • CONRADS1928.COM OPEN YEAR ROUND – ICE CREAM MAY THRU SEPTEMBER It’s amazing when things have been around for so many years, in an area that you frequent, but yet you have never stopped in. Such was the case with this month’s Inside Scoop. I was having lunch with my sister in Westwood, NJ. After lunch, we took a little stroll around this cute little town with many shops to keep one entertained. We walked past Conrad’s and she said, ‘Oh, you must have been here before.’ I looked at the store front and said, ‘Nope, never in my life.’ She was amazed, as Conrad’s has been satisfying people’s sweet tooths since 1928. Fred Conrad, born in South Africa, moved to the United States in 1922 where he began his confectionery trade in Hoboken, NJ. He took courses in NYC to further his chocolate-making process and opened his own shop in Oradell, which he thought would be a no-brainer as it was the end of the train line from NYC. He found that moving to Westwood, where his true clientele resided, was in his best interest so, when finances were better, he moved there in 1935. At the time there were nine soda fountains serving ice cream sodas and sundaes, along with every drug and stationery store making egg creams and malteds. To move Conrad’s to the top of the list, Fred married the soda fountain model with his homemade candy business. This brought in the school kids for an after-school treat as well as the couples sharing a booth in the back of the shop. When Fred Conrad retired in 1960, his long-time employee Jim Pouletsos, along with his partner Kenny Fournier, bought the business, with Pouletsos buying Fournier out in 1979. This was the first of three generations to run Conrad’s, with JJ Krachtus, Jim’s grandson, now holding the reigns. Throughout these years the same recipes and basic ingredients have remained, while technology has improved the process. Refrigeration in the 1930’s could not complete the ice cream freezing process, so the old-fashioned ice and salt system was employed. In 1938, Conrad purchased a batch freezer, making life much easier, as toting 10-12 blocks of ice to the ice crusher was a bit of a chore. Pouletsos taught his son-in-law, John, who taught his son, JJ Krachtus, using the same batch method as Fred did to make his homemade ice cream. Only the finest ingredients are used, with chocolate chips, nuts and fruit mixed in by hand while the ice cream is still soft. The high butterfat content gives Conrad’s ice cream its richness and superior taste. During our visit, the inside seating was not available, but they have an excellent walk-up window which certainly serves its purpose. There were 20 flavors from which to choose, along with an incredible selection of toppings and ways to mix and match your choices: cups, cones, sundaes and such. Some of the top picks (IMHO) were Coffee, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Coconut, Maple Walnut and Salted Caramel Chip but I had to go for the odd ball – Folk Song Mule: Peanut Butter ice cream with graham crackers and chocolate chips. Along with their homemade hard ice cream, the menu includes their Sweets & Treats, a selection of ice cream sandwiches, fresh fruit bars and Love Bars, a rotating flavor variety of ice cream coated with a dark chocolate shell. This day the temptations were vanilla, mint, raspberry and coffee. Oh, for the want of a freezer bag!
