Lake Ice in July

Another way to cool off.

I was anticipating a fancy new shaved ice parlor (fresh fruit, gorgeous presentation etc.) moving into the former Jake O'Connor's building on Water St, Excelsior. Once again, I was wrong. Sort of.

Last week, on our way home from swimming, we came upon Lake Ice, a made-to-fit snow cone type set up in the lil nook of an entrance left behind by Jake O'Connor's. Being the former restaurant's large space has no current tenant, this is a brilliant use of the exterior space among our hot COVID-19 summer.

My kids, and I, were excited by the array of flavors Lake Ice has to offer. And yes, you may mix & match flavors. So of course we did (1 cherry + lemonade, and 1 blue raspberry + sour watermelon). Both were oversized and yummy. We went on the "coolest" overcast day of late, and still couldn't finish the dish before the syrups melded (deliciously) and the ice melted into more of a drink.

The icy treats are served overflowing in shallow paper bowls. The site makes your eyes grow in delight upon being handed this sweet refreshment on a steamy lake day.

I would like to encourage the purveyors of Lake Ice to consider serving the shaved ice in recyclable cups with paper straws, to ensure the customer gets a chance to consume the entirety of their hot weather splurge. For customers, I recommend being inspired to mix up a few of the fun flavors. And, if you have one, bring your own reusable straw (to ensure no paper break-down mid sip).

The Takeaway: Reasonably priced, Lake Ice is open and ready-to-serve Wednesdays through Sundays this summer of 2020. Sizes are easily sharable. The shaved ice chef is masked and styled with gloves.