Please Don’t Leave Me!

• Posted on June 19, 2015
• by Jamie Stahl
• in Dessert
• 3 Comments.

One of my all time favorite treats is Shaved Ice.  Ever since discovering the ice cream truck while in Elementary school, I loved to get shaved ice to snack on.  In my mind, how could it be bad?  If you like ice and you like sugar, then you must like shaved ice!  When my brother and I were kids, we had a shaved ice machine that you manually hand shaved ice cubes by turning a lever and then we would pour some kind of store bought corn syrup concoction on top.  Throughout my life, any presented opportunity for me to eat shaved ice was successful accomplished.  At day camp I would snack on shaved ice at the carnivals, at Disney World I got shaved ice, while on vacation in Maui I got shaved ice, visiting my brother in Australia I had shaved ice, on a trip to Las Vegas I ate shaved ice, and at various state and county fairs I consumed shaved ice.  There are probably even more places that I am forgetting.  The point is, you can see how much I love the stuff!

Living in New York City has provided me with several shaved ice experiences.  One of these has been from People’s Pops.  I’ve had shaved ice from People’s Pops at a few of their locations throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan (I’ve also had their popsicles, which are delicious).  They use fresh fruits and organic ingredients to make the flavoring and shave each serving by hand.  I imagine the “shavers” must get pretty strong after a few shifts.  I think my arm would fall off!  I remember the first time I had shaved ice from People’s Pops, I ordered a lemon-honey flavor.  It was just like having a fresh lemonade!

Another amazing shaved ice I have come across in New York is unfortunately no longer with us.  Back in 2012 I was out with some friends and discovered a shaved ice shop on MacDougal Street called Imperial Woodpecker Sno Balls.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Literally, a shop devoted to selling shaved ice.  They had a giant board full of flavors, some of which I would have never considered to be added to shaved ice, like birthday cake.  Though the giant flavor board excited me, I never strayed away from my top three favorite flavors: blue raspberry, cherry, and lemonade.  IWSnoBalls had closed for the season and re-opened for the summer 2013 in the Meatpacking District with the same great flavors.  That July I was graduating from Graduate School and I arranged to have IWSnoBalls cater my graduation party because I liked it so much!  I’m so glad I did because after that season, they haven’t come back.  The owner of IWSnoBalls had moved back to New Orleans and opened up the shop down there.  Needless to say, I have been wanting to visit Louisiana for the past two years.

Thinking that my New Orleans shaved ice was a thing of the past, I was beginning to give up hope until about a month ago when I learned about The Gumbo Bros: NoLa Sno.  Through Urban Space, the outdoor food market Broadway Bites opened on June 1st, conveniently steps away from my apartment building.  About a week before it had opened, I viewed the vendor list and saw this NoLa Sno listed.  I immediately researched what exactly it was and learned that in New Orleans, they are known for a certain kind of shaved ice and use a special kind of shaved ice machine to get it really soft and fluffy.  This place used the same type of machine as IWSnoBalls!  I was so excited because I just knew I’d be able to have my yummy shaved ice again.  NoLa Sno didn’t disappoint.  Both IWSnoBalls and NoLa Sno are very similar in that they serve the shaved ice or “sno balls” in chinese food containers, which makes it more fun!  Some of the more “inventive” flavors are even the same!  For example, I decided to be adventurous and stray from my usual three flavors by getting Tigers Blood.  It’s a mix of strawberry and coconut and tasted fantastic.  I’m so happy to have such yummy shaved ice so close to where I live.  Please don’t leave me!

by

by