The phrase “like a kid in a candy store” gets bandied about a lot. But take it from us, walking into the brand new West Side sweets shop Sweet Moses is akin to visiting Willy Wonka at work. Owner Jeffrey Moreau did more than simply recreate a 1920s-style soda fountain, complete with period-style equipment and furnishings: He introduced a new generation to the singular joys of soda jerks. Order a root beer float here ($4.50) and watch as those “jerks” pull a frosted mug from the ice box, fill it with root beer syrup and fizzy soda, and top it off with housemade ice cream. Cold, creamy, sweet, and bubbly, the float satisfies all major food groups. If this treat doesn’t put a smile on your face, you have obviously overdone it with the Botox. Find Sweet Moses at 6800 Detroit Ave., in the Gordon Square Arts District; for more information, call 216-651-2202 or check out sweetmosestreats.com. — Douglas Trattner

This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2011.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.