I was only four years old when Crystal Beach closed in 1989, so I don’t have the fond summer memories that are ingrained in the minds of thousands of Western New Yorkers.  Even so, the remnants are treasured, acting as symbols of warm, carefree times. 

Melanie’s Sweets Unlimited, tucked inside of the Broadway Market (999 Broadway), makes reminiscing delicious by offering several of the treats that defined the Ontario vacation hot-spot.  One of WNY’s first purveyors of the Crystal Beach brand—not just loganberry, but also sugar waffles and suckers—Melanie’s seeks to revive the delights of a forgotten gem.

The dessert counter isn’t exactly new to the Taste of Buffalo; in fact, it was an original vendor in 1989 and persevered through 2005, winning “Best Cannoli” along the way.  After five years away from the event, Melanie’s is back in 2011 with different offerings.  Sample their sweets on July 9 and 10—this weekend, already—at Niagara Square and Delaware Avenue.  Here’s a closer look:

Tie-dye Cupcake (8 tickets or 4 tickets):  Instead of cannolis and ice cream, Melanie Krygier-Lamastra wants to feature her cake making talent in her return to the Taste.  Her hand-decorated cupcakes, infused with Crystal Beach loganberry syrup, are exceptional not only because of their taste, but because they cling to the tie-dye resurgence into popular culture. 

“I like to show the public that we’re both innovative and traditional,” Krygier-Lamastra explained.  From the photos, it’s clear that no two cupcakes are alike, and the flowery patterns and bright colors are refreshing.

Crystal Beach sugar waffles (8 tickets):  A favorite of hungry beach-goers, these sugar waffles (pictured below) are not far from funnel cakes.  Appealing to the nostalgic folk, these wide, powder-sugared waffles would make a nice finish to the day.

Crystal Beach suckers (5 tickets):  “At Crystal Beach, no one left the park without buying a sucker on the way out,” Krygier-Lamastra said.  Crystal Beach has added loganberry, cherry, lime and orange to their five original flavors: cinnamon, butterscotch, lemon, peanut and coconut.  Is there a better way to leave a Buffalo event than with a loganberry flavored sucker?  S.J. would say, “No.”

Mucho mocha berry cupcake (4 tickets):  Melanie’s healthy option for the Taste of Buffalo, the mucho mocha berry cupcake is a vegan specialty crafted from wheat flour, rice flour, fresh raspberries, coffee, mocha and almonds.  It’s a little dense in texture, but there’s plenty of flavors intermingling within the small cupcake.  It’s only four tickets, so certainly give the healthy choice a try.