Water Ice

At 2:15 p.m. on a recent hot, sunny day, business was brisk at Rita's (Real Italian) Water Ice store at 5901 Rising Sun Ave. in the Lawncrest section of Philadelphia. A group of mothers had brought a horde of little kids in for a treat. A half-dozen trucks and cars pulled into its parking area one after the other, so that the drivers could place an order. Three teen-agers, wearing the official Rita's red-and-white T-shirts and caps, passed cups full of water ice through two serving windows . . . It is Bob Tumulo's dream to see this scene duplicated in dozens - maybe hundreds - of locations.

Never does a year go by that little Kelly Ann McGinty doesn't have a white Christmas. Wakes up on Christmas morning and the lawn in front of her South Philadelphia home is covered with snow. Been that way going on eight years now. It's not because her daddy's a magician, either. It's because he's a snowman. The snowman. "Want snow? See Jim McGinty," is the word around town. James Henry McGinty Jr., 38, can make snow appear with the push of a button. Can also make women disappear with the snap of a finger.

WATER ICE IS A cherished summer institution in Philly, and those of us who skip dairy, whether for ethical, health or other concerns, can appreciate this cool vegan treat. Sorbet, Popsicles, frozen fruit bars and the like are also delish. But let's face it: "You can always have water ice [or sorbet]" is the cool-treat equivalent of "you can always have a salad. " Nothing against salad or water ice, but we sometimes want that singular richness and flavor associated with ice cream.

For most of us, the ready availability of high-quality ice creams and sherbets has all but killed the practice of making frozen desserts at home. And no wonder. Ice-cream machines, though increasingly easy to operate, take time and call for ingredients that most of us don't typically have on hand. But one frozen dessert requires no mechanics, unusual ingredients or elaborate preparations. Water ice is a snap. Nothing more than sugar and liquid frozen to slush, water ices are made quickly and are ready for eating in a few hours, using nothing more elaborate than a shallow dish placed in a freezer.

Checking out Philadelphia yesterday, the Matthews family stopped to view the Cezanne exhibit, then tried a local treat afterward in front of the Rodin Museum. The family brought Tabori, an exchange student from Sarajevo, to see the sights in the city.

The familiar red-and-white striped awnings are now green - and suddenly six local Rita's water ice stores have become Rocco's. With five locations in Philadelphia and one in Wyndmoor, Rocco's is the new player in the water-ice business that is dominated by Rita's and its 550 stores in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Rocco's, with just 90 employees, opened its doors in May under the ownership of Lori Reyes. "When I was a little girl, my grandfather used to take me to South Philly, and we used to get Italian ice. So I'm trying to go back to the way flavors used to taste," Reyes said.

Some of the hottest days of the summer have made Crystal Serrano's business boom. The 14-year-old is one of several teenagers in a summer employment and training program presented by the Camden Center for Youth Development Inc. After a two-week training program in business development, the 13- to 18-year-olds began selling water ice and jewelry last month at various locations in Camden. As part of their training, the youthful entrepreneurs learn to write business plans, devise marketing plans, negotiate loans for start-up capital, and order supplies.

If at first you don't succeed, then by all means bring more delegates. That's part of Philadelphia's game plan as it again vies for the coveted title of "All-America City. " Each year, the National Civic League sponsors a contest that awards 10 cities on the basis of community leadership, government performance, volunteerism and philanthropic activities. Winning cities are given the "All-America City" distinction, which helps raise a city's stature and attract new residents and jobs, organizers say. Last year, Philadelphia entered the contest for the first time in its 45- year history.

During quiet moments, on and off the job, Bob Tumulo used to spend his time exploring part-time businesses with which he could supplement his pay as a city firefighter. Most never got beyond the inquiry stage. They were too complicated, too expensive, or too risky. Then, in 1984, he thought of water ice, a dessert he learned to love as a youngster in South Philadelphia. And sooner than you can say Rita's (Real Italian) Water Ice, he was in business. He started out the right way. He bought his equipment from a South Philadelphian who had worked in the business for most of life.

Lawncrest has the usual litany of city problems - rats, abandoned cars, vandalism and illegal dumping. Now comes water ice. At a Lawncrest Community Association meeting Tuesday George and Mary Sebold, of the 400 block of Sanger Street, and some of their neighbors objected to a proposed water-ice window in a building occupied by Sensation Tanning Salon and Hair Tech Unlimited in the 5700 block of Rising Sun Avenue. The Zoning Board of Adjustment has set a hearing for Tuesday on the owners' request for a permit to operate the window during the summer.

A water ice shop owner who had just closed his store, was approached by two men early this morning as he entered the front door of his Philadelphia home, then robbed after being forced inside, police said. The 31-year-old victim, whose business is on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby, initially gave the bandits $420. But they forced him to a safe, which he apparently opened and gave them additional money. Police would not verify that amount, but initial reports put it in the thousands of dollars.

Investor David Moross' Falconhead Capital L.L.C., of New York, says it has bought a controlling interest in Trevose-based Rita's Water Ice Franchise Co. for more than $30 million from Pittsburgh's Rudolph family, which had owned the chain since 2005. The chain has 550 stores from Manhattan to Arizona, up from 319 concentrated in the Philadelphia area and the Jersey Shore six years ago. "Rita's has been obviously a very successful, high-growth, super-regional brand, [but]

WATER ICE IS A cherished summer institution in Philly, and those of us who skip dairy, whether for ethical, health or other concerns, can appreciate this cool vegan treat. Sorbet, Popsicles, frozen fruit bars and the like are also delish. But let's face it: "You can always have water ice [or sorbet]" is the cool-treat equivalent of "you can always have a salad. " Nothing against salad or water ice, but we sometimes want that singular richness and flavor associated with ice cream.

Water ice, soft-serve, and pierogis? It's a Port Richmond thing. When Stanley and Lisa Kopertowski reopened the Aramingo Avenue food stand Hank's, they drafted chef Stan Pliszka (Hinge Cafe), who has a solid handle on the Polish foods he grew up on. Most of his food, from kielbasa to beef, is sourced to the neighborhood. You have to try his pierogi - homemade farmer's cheese, sauerkraut, and dough, which his mother, Kathy, and fiancee, Cheryl Guy, come in to prep. Pierogis ($10 a dozen)

Standing in a sunny farm field Friday, Jason Leonard and Zachary Weiserth, both 9, acknowledged that they had never eaten squash, but, having just picked a boxful, they said they'd like to give the emerald veggie a try. They liked something else as well. "I like how we picked the plants to help other people who are in need," Jason said. Yesterday, Jason, Zachary, and 70 other Washington Township schoolchildren did both - harvested and helped. For about a dozen years, Duffield's Farm in Sewell and the Washington Township schools have joined to teach children about where their food comes from and the importance of helping those less fortunate.

IDISAGREE with columnist Elmer Smith regarding the Casey Anthony verdict. I don't feel "they got it right. " But the jury has spoken, and it is what it is. It's truly sad that an innocent child is dead and nobody will be held accountable. This young woman will have the death of her child on her mind, body, spirit and soul for the rest of her life. As a woman and a parent, I know we sometimes fly on emotion. But when cameras are allowed in the courtroom, the dynamic changes. The judge should have cut the cameras when people were fighting to get in, like the trial of a child's death was a circus, and they purchased tickets to enter.

"A cold slice of heaven. " That's how South Philly resident Mike Yampolski responded when asked to describe water ice during a recent visit to John's in South Philly. That poetic phrase is immediately understood by those of us for whom the treat is a key ingredient in our culinary experience. But it doesn't seem particularly helpful in describing water ice to the unenlightened masses beyond the Delaware Valley's boundaries. Water ice is easy to love, but explaining what it is to the unfamiliar is anything but simple.

THEY may scream for ice cream in Paducah, Peoria and Pittsburgh, but here in the City of Quakers and its environs, water ice satisfies that summertime craving for something sweet and cold. As 17-year-old South Philly resident Brooke White insisted so simply yet eloquently during a recent visit to John's Water Ice, at 7th and Christian Streets, the frozen concoction is "the best thing in the world. " While that assessment is surely open to debate, there's no denying water ice is as much a part of our region's culinary DNA as hoagies and cheesesteaks, despite it not having received the same level of publicity those two edible icons have.

Police officers arrived at John's Water Ice in South Philadelphia about 4:30 p.m. Thursday and informed owner Anthony Cardullo that President Obama was coming in 10 minutes. And 10 minutes later, after the building was inspected by the Secret Service, the motorcade arrived. Cardullo, 33, estimates that Obama was traveling with 200 people. "It was shocking," he said. "That many move that quick, move into position, and get out that quick. " How quick? About five minutes.