Finding Imported Icy Treats Inside the Beltway

Map It:  Bethesda   Columbia Heights 

THE ITALIANS may have their gelato and the Turks have maras dondurmasi, but some local cities have their own icy regional treats. Fruity and light, water ice from Philadelphia and sno-balls from Baltimore help to ease the pain of D.C.'s stifling heat and humidity. But you don't have to make the trek north to find some these sweets.

Rita's Water Ice brings a little scoop of Philly to the District. Also known as Italian water ice, the flavoring of water ice is introduced before freezing to ensure a more integrated taste throughout. Coarser than Italian ice, water ice has a texture that closely resembles a 7-11 Slurpee.

Rita's ices contain real fruit, reducing some of the guilt you might have over consuming this sweet concoction. For those looking for something a little more rich, Rita's also offers cream ices and frozen custard, which may be layered with water ice to create a classic gelati.

From a small cart outside the Bethesda Barnes & Noble, John Styer, at right, and his brother sell their Clayboys Shave Ice. Styer packs shaved, not crushed, ice into Styrofoam cups and douses them with a variety of flavored syrups.

Choose one or two flavors from a selection that includes choices like skylite (an unidentifiable blue syrup that probably is closest to blueberry in flavor) and tiger's blood (strawberry and coconut), as well as traditional fruit flavors, such as lemonade, and cherry. For the kiddies and indecisive adults, Clayboys offers an off-menu rainbow shave ice with several different flavors. Be sure to watch carefully to see if you can catch Styer sneaking in his signature Swedish fish.

Though Styer doesn't top his shaved ice in true Baltimore style, marshmallow or chocolate sauce, which he deems "too messy," Clayboys is as close as you can get to the Baltimore sno-ball experience in the area.

Story and photo by Express contributor Jamie R. Liu

» Rita's Water Ice, 3237A 14th St. NW; 202-582-1177 (Columbia Heights)
» Rita's Water Ice, 2318 Rhode Island Avenue NE; 202-636-RITA
» Clayboys Shave Ice, 4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda (Bethesda)