Sno Balls

Sno Balls.

Sno balls.

Oh boy. I’m not sure I should get into this. In New Orleans we have great debates about the best sno balls, or snow balls, in the city. Usually there are neighborhood favorites. Every neighborhood thinks their stand is the best. The so-called gold standard is Hansen’s Sno-Blitz on Tchoupitoulas Street. At least, that’s what the people who live near by say. So do a lot of food critics. There are a lot of food critics. Too many. I like a stand on Harrison Street in Lakeview. I can’t even remember its name. But, I know where it is.

To be sure a sno ball is not a snow cone. It is not shaved ice. It’s something else. I can’t even properly describe the texture of the ice. Maybe fluffy? Maybe dense? I don’t know. I do know that it is one of the best ways to beat our summer heat. There are more flavors than there are names. Well. That’s not quite true. The best shops create their own flavors from raw, local ingredients. Me? I like — no, make that love — the one that should come with heart defibrillator paddles. Chocolate drenched in condensed milk. People use the abbreviation, OMG. THIS is an OMG experience. A real OMG experience. People talk about all things in moderation. Luckily — or maybe not — I only eat about two of these a year. That’s moderation. Right? The last time that I had one before I found this picture was on the Mardi Gras Indian’s Super Sunday. A big sno cone truck pulled up. I ordered my usual. It cost $3.00. It came in a cup the size of a gallon paint can. I thought I couldn’t finish it. No worries. I did.

So.

Back to the picture. Once again, I made this picture on the way to some place else. It’s an example of what I call a little picture. It’s located in the middle of a not yet redeveloped area of the Lower 9th Ward. I suppose that means most of it. Sure does look pretty during the middle of summer. The sign maker used the alternative spelling. I wasn’t sure where the stand was located. But, I found it… you know the rest. That was my two sno cones for the year. Maybe I’ll live really dangerously and have a third. Maybe I’ll even try a different flavor. Or not. I’m a creature of habit when it comes to sno cones. I think most New Orleanians are.