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Remembering Bailey’s in Wellesley

January 25, 2010 by Bob Brown 18 Comments

Interesting how often we come across mentions of Bailey’s ice cream, a one-time Wellesley hotspot before we came to town. A reader recently wrote that he was surprised that the recently shuttered Brigham’s outlasted Bailey’s. Dorset Cafe’s Sally Khudairi fondly remembered Bailey’s chocolate chip ice cream  in this Boston Globe column. And then earlier this week I came across this mention of it in Bill Simmons “The Book of Basketball”:

“[My dad] hoped for another game like the famous Bird-Dominique duel, when Larry had come through enough times that you could literally feel it coming before it happened. After that masterpiece of a sporting event — really, it was a life experience — we were too wired to head right home, so we found an ice cream shop called Bailey’s in Wellesley and ordered a couple of hot fudge sundaes. I don’t think we said anything for twenty solid minutes…”

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Filed Under: Business

Comments

  1. Tallguy says

    January 25, 2010 at 11:07 pm

    Bailey’s was awesome and it’s closing was the beginning of the end for Wellesley’s unique businesses being replaced by hum drum national chains.

    Reply
  2. Rich says

    January 28, 2010 at 10:27 am

    Bailey’s was indeed one of the better establishments Wellesley has even seen. I think all the kids who played Wellesley town sports in the 80s ended up at Bailey’s after a well fought out victory.

    Reply
  3. Christine Roberts says

    January 30, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    Bailey’s had a wonderful marble soda dispenser (displayed only, not in use) from the turn of the century with buttons for “sasparilla” soda. I wonder where that ended up…?

    Reply
    • Heather says

      June 10, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      https://www.ourstate.com/from-fountain-to-fore/

      Reply
  4. Carolyn B. says

    April 5, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    I went to look over Wellesley College back in 1974 and we stopped at Bailey’s several times. Their hot fudge sundae with peppermint stick ice cream was pure heaven. They also made their own candies and I remember those wonderful caramels which would take 9-11 minutes to consume!! I’ve never found any others a fraction as delicious as those were.

    Reply
  5. Nom Nom Nom says

    April 8, 2011 at 7:45 am

    Lydia Shire remembers Bailey’s butterscotch sauce in particular as it was really fabulous.
    Bailey’s
    I remember someone riding their moped inside the store at closing.
    True story. Miss that place a lot.

    Reply
  6. Jim C says

    April 26, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    I can’t talk of Bailey’s without mentioning the lime or the raspberry rickey. That was a treat. Every now and then on The Simpsons, Mr. Burns will reference a rickey.

    Reply
  7. mary says

    May 11, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    No one who ever had a hot fudge sundae at Bailey’s will ever forget it. Tons of the very best hot fudge dripping down over the ice cream….all over the lower plate. It took forever to eat.

    I remember the old marble soda dispenser along with the old marble ice cream parlor tables and wrought iron ice cream parlor chairs. Going there was like entering a time machine. There hasn’t been anything like it since.

    Reply
  8. Mary b says

    March 22, 2014 at 8:06 pm

    My brother , Michael worked here and met his wife Paula miller. He would come home w hot fudge on his sleeve and a pocket full of coins. Always a special trip !!!! And yes ,, the BEST butterscotch sauce ever!!!

    Reply
  9. jason knight says

    April 25, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    i remember going to baileys in downtown boston as a kid in the 80s and they had the best hot fudge and marshmellow sundaes i have ever tasted. they slowly started to dissapear in town and the last one i remember was in belmont, i never found out what ever happened to baileys but they were the best ever

    Reply
  10. Tom says

    March 21, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    I recall Bailey’s from way back when in the early eighties when my then girlfriend introduced me to this super place in Wellesley for hot fudge sundaes. I am happy that she knew about this classy ice cream stand. I don’t know why Wellesley doesn’t continue this tradition. It seems like a lifetime ago.

    Reply
  11. Dale B. Crowe says

    March 23, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    I don’t remember how my mother got this recipe, but here it is:

    BAILEY’S FUDGE SAUCE
    2 cups confectioner’s sugar
    2 squares of chocolate (I use Bakers Semi Sweet)
    1 small can evaporated milk
    1 stick of butter (I use salted)
    1/2 tspn. vanilla
    Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy pan. Add evaporated milk, then stir in sugar. Let boil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly so it won’t burn. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Keeps in the refrigerator about a week, but I’ve never had it hang around that long.

    Reply
    • Ann lyons says

      July 2, 2016 at 12:45 am

      My grandfather was a candyorker at the Tremont shop in the 60s. Does anyone have a recipe for the coconut cakes?

      Reply
      • Judy M says

        September 9, 2018 at 7:33 pm

        I would love to have that recipe! I used buy them for my Grandmother. One of her all time favorites! Her Aunt used to buy them in Boston.

        Reply
  12. Martha smith says

    February 5, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Baileys butterscotch sundaes are eternally etched in my sensory mind…….the way the butterscotch ran down the side of the dish, carrying with it little portions of whipped cream, the way it pooled on the plate, the way it slightly hardened after it began to cool, the desire to eat every bit, even to the point of being without manners. It was THAT GOOD,

    Reply
  13. Paulette Levy says

    November 19, 2020 at 10:54 am

    Bailey s hot fudge was the best! Their sundaes and lime rickeys are just memorable!

    Reply
  14. Susan Hamant says

    July 9, 2022 at 5:12 pm

    My favorite moca lace… Coffee and chocolate YUM!
    Can’t believe they closed.

    Reply
  15. Nancy Slamin says

    March 25, 2023 at 12:14 pm

    My mother worked at Bailey’s in Wellesley as a manager. Under her direction, I worked there in high school in the candy department. It was a wonderful and timeless place.

    Reply

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