The Egg Cream is an interesting (and tasty) drink. What’s most interesting about it is that there aren’t any eggs in it. There also isn’t any cream!

An Egg Cream is made with three ingredients- chocolate syrup, milk and seltzer.

There are a few theories as to how the Egg Cream got its name. If you’re interested in reading about the topic, check out the Wikipedia page here.

Typically, if I want a good Egg Cream, I might go to a place like Junior’s in Brooklyn or Katz’s Deli. Another place I’ve had them at is Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain.Years back, I heard about a newsstand called Gem Spa, located in the East Village that makes the tasty drink.

When you first walk past Gem Spa, nothing really stands out. There’s lots of items for sale on racks and tables on the sidewalk. The coolest thing you might notice outside is the Zoltar fortune teller machine.Once you walk inside Gem Spa, those not in the know, would walk right past the old soda fountain set-up. It’s right next to the cash register, behind the counter.

After ordering your Egg Cream, the important question you’ll be asked is chocolate or vanilla. (I always go with chocolate.)After the milk is poured, some chocolate syrup will be pumped into the cup. Then a pull of the lever on the soda fountain will add the last ingredient, seltzer.Egg creams are usually served in a glass, so they’re nice and cold. At Gem Spa, you get it in a paper cup. Considering most probably take it away rather than stand, drinking it inside a newsstand, this makes a lot of sense.So how does the Egg Cream from Gem Spa stack up against some of their competitors?

Lucas and I really enjoyed our Egg Creams. They weren’t crazy sweet and they had a nice, chocolatey flavor.

I can’t say that it was as good as at Junior’s or Katz’s but this item is hard to compare. I’d say that if you enjoy this kind of drink, give it a try!

Gem Spa is located in the East Village at 131 2nd Avenue, on the corner of St. Mark’s Place.