The Midway

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BY JEFF KORBELIK / GZO

The only thing my co-workers wanted to know was whether or not The Midway had funnel cakes.

Except one, who craved a pineapple whip — whatever the heck that is.

And, yes, The Midway will have funnel cakes as well as an assortment of goodies — Twinkies, candy bars, corn dogs, cheese, etc. — fried on a stick.

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Owner Leo Bretta offers up a taste of The Midway. (Eric Gregory)

Soon.

Hopefully by May 1, according to owner Leo Bretta, who opened the sweets and treats place on Feb. 1 across the street from Best Buy on North 48th Street.

In fact, Bretta has heard the question more than once himself.

He understands why it’s asked so much. Funnel cakes, fried treats, snowflakes (flavored shaved ice) … they are why he opened his shop in the first place.

“One day, I wanted cheese on a stick, but there wasn’t anyplace to go get one,” he said. “I thought I should get a place.”

And so he did.

Bretta is a local antiques dealer who appears to have a fairly novel idea. His foods usually are found only at fairs, festivals or sports venues.

Kids will get a kick out of The Midway. So will some adults. Using his antiques background, Bretta decorated the shop with old toys, games and posters. It has the look and feel of an old soda fountain.

The menu features pizza (hamburger, pepperoni or cheese), Nathan hot dogs, nachos, hot pretzels, malts and shakes, cotton candy, popcorn and snowflakes, the store’s most popular item. (At least until the funnel cakes arrive.)

The Midway boasts 80 flavors for its snowflakes and expects to have more than 100 by the end of the month. Popular ones include wedding cake, Tiger’s Blood (a berry/coconut mixture) and Jolly Rancher.

My friends and I sampled a handful of them, and found each tasted exactly like the names they bear,  including dill pickle.

“We actually sell some of that,” Bretta said.

Also during our lunch visit, we treated ourselves to pizza, Nathan hot dogs, nachos and malts. Prices range from $1.50 (small snowflakes) to $8.99 (16-inch pizza).

I was glad to see Nathan hot dogs on the menu. I can’t think of anywhere else in town that sells them. I smothered mine in chili and cheese, which cost 50 cents more.

The food at The Midway is so-so. You’ll find tastier nachos at a Mexican restaurant and better malts at an ice cream shop.

But you’re not going to The Midway for a gourmet meal.

Instead, eating at The Midway is about satisfying guilty pleasures.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve enjoyed a funnel cake and regretted it about two minutes after finishing it.

The Midway is a fun, take-you-back-to-your-childhood kind of place. The best part is it’s open year-round. You don’t have to wait until late summer to get your funnel cake, snowcone or corndog fix.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.