I was doing a bit of grocery shopping yesterday at the nearby Star Market. When I got to the dairy section, I noticed that they had Dannon coffee yogurt. This is often not available, so I decided to buy a few containers. The problem was that they were on the top shelf of the cooler section and the first row was pushed back. I couldn’t reach it. As I often do when something is out of reach, I ask for help from any shopper in the vicinity who is taller than I am (which is most people). 

So, there was this somewhat tall man and his wife, and I cupped my hands saying “HELLO.” They turned around and I asked if they could help me get some Dannon coffee yogurt. “Of course,” the man said. 

He came over and said, “Funny you should ask me because I used to be the area distribution manager for Dannon.” He went on to say that Dannon coffee yogurt was most popular in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.” I said, “I know because I grew up in Providence and coffee was the big flavor – especially coffee syrup.” He said, “Yes, there were two brands Eclipse and Autocrat, and that they were very similar but there was a slight, subtle difference.” I said that there were two sets of advocates – one for Eclipse and the other for Autocrat – and that we were on the Eclipse side. 

He asked where in Providence I came from and I told him South Providence, south of downtown – Broad Street, Prairie Avenue. He knew it and asked what part of South Providence and I told him that when I grew up there was only ‘one’ South Providence. We talked a little about it now being an immigrant community as it was when I was growing up – only different immigrants. 

He got me four yogurts and I asked his name. Joe, he said. I said I was Marian, we said goodbye,  and we each headed for the checkout counter.

I love these random, amazingly coincidental encounters. 

This one prompted me to learn more about why Rhode Island is stuck on coffee flavor. It turns out that the tradition stems from the arrival of Italian immigrants who brought their love of sweet coffee drinks to America. It is rumored that diner and drugstore owners began to make syrup out of leftover coffee grounds, maybe in the 1930s. The combination of coffee syrup and milk became the official Rhode Island drink in July 1993. But even before it was consecrated with this title, those of us who grew up in that state knew it was the drink of choice – far better than chocolate milk.

The whisked combination of coffee ice cream, coffee syrup, and milk – known as a ‘cabinet’ in R.I. or milkshake or frappe in other places such as Boston and New York – is also a big R.I. specialty. The best explanation I can find of why it is called a ‘cabinet’ is because the blending machine to mix ingredients together was kept in the cabinet.

Certainly, this little story does not cover everything there is to be said about coffee or any other thoughts generated from this vignette. It is really about wonderful, serendipitous encounters, understanding history, and sweet memories from the past.