Comments on: Grunnings in South Orange.

By: Bea

Bea — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:37:54 +0000

Moved to South Orange from Michigan with my family in 1983. We walked down Tillou frequently from our home on Harding Drive into the Village for the best chocolates & ice cream at Grunnings. Then, one day my mom got a job there waitressing! (Does anyone remember “Agnes”?) Us kids were thrilled! Many happy lunches with mom at the counter. LOVED the hot fudge sundaes; fresh squeed OJ; and the best chocolates. My mom ate them fresh off the cooling rack – nothing like it. Anyone remember “George” who was a fixture of a patron. Wish Grunnings would re-open! End of a bygone era…

By: patricia buttor

patricia buttor — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:25:36 +0000

Was first introduced to Grunning’s in the 50′s when hiking up to Hemlock Falls from city of EWR on a hot summer day. While students at OLV we often ended up at Grunnings on a saturday nite. In the 80″s we celebrated many of special treats with our young sons who remember with fondness those great banana splits. When our eldest son just finished 4th grade at OLS, his Dad took our son to Grunnings for his favorite treat..our Michael actually cried because he couldn’t finish that giant Strawberry Sunday! We still tease him about that great memory!!

By: elizabeth reed

elizabeth reed — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:00:12 +0000

Living on Orange St and walking to St. Roses every day Grunnings was part of life. After every Imperial Lancers practice we would stop at Grunnings. Coffee ice cream hot fudge (the very best) and a small coke with colored straws!

By: Earl

Earl — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:35:47 +0000

I was raised in South Orange from 1954 until 1967 when my family moved to CA. I have never forgotten going to South Mountain School and walking to Grunnings on the hill for lunch once a week. The mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best I ever had and have spent the last 40+ years seeking the same taste without success. I was hoping someday to return to South Orange to eat at Grunnings, but I guess I waited too long.

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:00:22 +0000

I was raised in Delaware but I first went to the Grunnings on Top sometime in the late 60′s. My big brother was a SHU grad and was marrying a girl from Maplewood. We, the little kids, were taken to get ice cream and I remember well both the ice cream and the panoramic view. I graduated from SHU in ’79. One of the first places I discovered as a freshman was the Grunnings in the village. In my four years at The Hall some of my best times were spent at both Grunnings, with friends or on a date. The ice cream was great and the burgers were very, very, good, second only to another now gone local legend, the Kless Diner in Irvington.

By: colette

colette — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:29:12 +0000

Wow, this is awesome; to have found this site and be able to “trip” down memory lane is so cool. Growing up in South Orange in the 70′s; I can remember Grunnings on the hill fondly. That was to go to spot after dance and / or piano recitals. The ice cream really left a lasting impression on my taste buds. The “clown” sundaes were always the best with the candy eyes and the ice cream cone hat !
I also remember getting green bagels from the bagel shop in the Village every St. Patrick’s Day. Marshall School got an incredible playground built from tires. Memories of buying candy and stickers from Maplewood Village at lunch time while at Jefferson School. (smile)
Ah ! the Good Ole’ days………Now it’s Applegate Farms for ice cream.

By: Will

Will — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:53:27 +0000

I grew up in Plainfield in the 1960s, and Gruning’s on E. 5th Street was one of the places kids from PHS congregated–there, and City Hall park across the street at Watchung and 5th. I didn’t eat ice cream then–I came to like it years later–but I loved getting a cheeseburger, FFs, and a coke, usually a vanilla coke.

Was there a waitress there named Gladys? Something makes me remember Gladys all of a sudden. I can picture her as easily as I can my own grandmother, though she might have worked at the Frontier Diner or the Park Ave. Tea Room.

All of this, of course, is before the PHS riot in 1969. Poor Plainfield. It was a nice place to grow up. Too bad everyone abandoned it just because of a little incident of racial strife. I mean, it was the ’60s, for God’s sake. I haven’t been back there since my father died in 1989, and prior to that, not since 1977. I think that’s when my father moved to Edison.

Anyway, the cheeseburgers were worth remembering. I think it cost $1.26 for a cheeseburger, FFs, and a coke, and then I left the change as a tip.

Anyway, did Gruning’s/Grunning’s have one “n” or two?

I remember Inky, Kim, Connie, Robert, Sam, Brad, Mike, Marty, Kathy, John, Bruce (a couple of Bruces, actually), Wayne, Brenda, Dale, Dana, a whole bunch of people.

By: Mel White

Mel White — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:06:06 +0000

After every concert or piano recital, the deal was to go to The Top for ice cream sundaes. Usually mine was hot fudge on coffee, but I could also go for vanilla with that caramelly butterscotch topping. Yum and yum. I also liked going to the one in town but The Top was for occasions. I lived on Collinwood Road in Maplewood and my dad (Herb McDavit) was Superintendent of Schools there while I went through school. If he didn’t declare a snow day, I had to pay once I got to school! I am watching my weight and have lost 70 pounds but I’d kill for one of those hot fudge on coffee sundaes.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:47:20 +0000

I spent many a happy time in Grunning’s, both top and bottom. In the village (Grunning’s Bottom) my favorite seat was at the counter near the grill. Then when ever a mistake was made with a sunday or ice cream soda they gave it to me. That was the life. One time my friends and I sat in the back room which was up two steps and had booths. Well after we all ate our ice creams and what not we hid the glasses under the booth seat which I noticed was moveable. When the waitress came back with our check we all looked at the clean table and said we are ready to order. She didn’t think it was funny and ran for the manager. While she was gone we put all the glasses back. When the manager arrived we all looked at him like he was crazy. Ahh the good old days.

By: Odetta Lambert

Odetta Lambert — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:59:38 +0000

I didn’t know others felt the same as me. I am fifty years old and Grunnings Ice Cream is still my favorite. Not only did I enjoy the ice cream, but I loved the atmosphere. I discovered Grunnings in 1974 when I started Marylawn of the Oranges. Eating Grunnings ice cream and attending high school are still two of my best childhool memories.