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Chill Out with These Cool Treats

Wednesday, June 22, 2011



King of Pops, Rena Lasch serves up her Happy Camper Snoballs, Jack’s Cosmic Dogs’ soft serve, and Roots Ice Cream Photographs (pop) by Towner Magill, (camper) by Banner Photography, and (ice cream) by Andrew Cebulka; photographs below (Snoball) by Ashley Chaffin, (Roots owners) by Andrew Cebulka, (Jack’s) by Chrissy Lorenz, and (cart) by Towner Magill

June 22, 2011

Chill Out with These Cool Treats
Summer has officially begun—with a scorcher. Stop the sizzle with icy treats from a fresh crop of cool operators

written by Margaret Allen

HAPPY CAMPER SNOBALLS

Your very own bit of crushed ice on a sweltering day is like heaven in a cup. Icies have always had a spot in the hearts of youngsters and adults alike, so if you spot a kitschy vintage trailer mobbed by a crowd, then pull over and queue up. You’ve found Rena Lasch’s Happy Camper Snoballs, refreshing fruity treats that are leaps and bounds beyond the sugary, Red Dye No. 3 icies of yore. Lasch makes her syrups, such as grapefruit, strawberry, and lime, from fresh produce without preservatives or synthetic coloring. Check her site (and click on the Facebook link) for current stops but count on King Street’s Second Sundays. happycampersnoballs.com
 

ROOTS ICE CREAM

Roots Ice Cream’s Drew Harrison and Matt Frye have definitely turned the traditional summer treat on its head. Basing their menu on locally sourced ingredients, they create uniquely out-of-this-world flavors. This week, cool your taste buds with some Blueberry-Cinnamon, Holy Basil, Chocolate-Earl Gray, and Peach Sorbet. Can’t decide? Try a sampler of four for $5. Find Roots at local farmers markets: Mount Pleasant on Tuesdays; and downtown on Saturdays. This weekend, Roots will also be vending at the “Gimme Change” Avondale Alley Block Party as a part of Geoff Richardson’s ChArt Outdoor Initiative from 2:30 until 5 p.m. (The block party is located in the alley behind Gene’s Haufbrau in West Ashley.) Or pick up a weekly pint via their new CSI (Community Supported Ice Cream). www.rootsicecream.com
 

JACK’S COSMIC DOGS

The wait for the July opening of Jack’s Cosmic Dogs’ new West Ashley digs is almost over. Mere days remain until you can use a special entrance and register, i.e. no wait behind the lunch crowd, to get your soft-serve ice cream on. Until then, head to the Mount Pleasant or James Island locations to take your pick from the basics—chocolate and vanilla—or go for something sassier, like orange creamsicle swirl. If you really want to indulge, ask for Moon Pie Magic, featuring soft serve atop a warm, gooey pie drenched in chocolate. Yum! Mount Pleasant: 2805 N. Hwy 17; James Island: 1531 Folly Rd.; West Ashley: 817 St. Andrews Blvd.; jackscosmicdogs.com

KING OF POPS

Nothing quite quenches the summertime heat like a popsicle, and lucky for us, sweet relief fit for royalty has rolled into town thanks to King of Pops. Find Andy McCarthy, who brought the Atlanta-based franchise to Charleston this spring, and his cart of cold concoctions this week at the Bicycle Shoppe on Meeting Street and on Folly at 110 East Ashley Avenue. You can also find him via Twitter or Facebook for special places he might be. Trust us, shelling out $2.50 for a delicious, all-natural pop in flavors such as watermelon mojito, banana puddin’, and chocolate sea salt is a decision your taste buds will adore. Just be sure to get there before he sells out. @kingofpopsCHS on Twitter; facebook.com/KingofPopsCHS; kingofpops.net

Can’t take the heat? Check out these cool getaways:
Click here for Asheville, North Carolina.
Click here for Penobscot Bay, Maine.