August 25, 2005
What We’ve Got: Water Ice
Not long ago, DCist bemoaned the lack of a snowball stand in D.C. Now we’ve got word that slushy treats with fruity flavors will be served in D.C. starting on Monday. While many DCist readers pointed out that there are many such refreshing summer sweets to be found in the greater Washington area, Rita’s, which also has a branch on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, serves genuine Philly-style water ice. And it has a prime spot in a traditionally underserved location, at 2318 Rhode Island Ave. NE.
Although we haven’t tried it yet, Rita’s sounds promising. Not only does it serve water, or Italian, ices in such flavors as black cherry, mango and strawberry, you can also get "cream ice" (an airier version of ice cream) and "gelati" (frozen custard layered with Italian ice or cream ice).
Started in South Philadelphia by a former firefighter in the ’80s, these days there are locations up and down the East Coast -- and now the District of Columbia. For fans of swag, the first 30 customers on Monday after 5 p.m. get a free T-shirt; Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., you can get 50% off certain products. Then on Friday, they’re pulling out all the stops with Classic Car Night.
Welcome Rita’s -- you may not serve classic snowballs, but thanks for thinking of us.
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DC/Nova from the same people who brought you Wegmans, prepare for Rita's! As a longtime northern now trapped in DC, I am looking forward to Rita's coming down and providing me some good italian ice. Rita's is awesome.
theres been a water ice place on h street ne for a coupla years now.
nonetheless, rita's is great.
The Philadelphia Ice Company at 1208 H Street NE is really good. My own fav is the the mango but the kids like the bubblegum
This beats having to drive up to South Philly, put a few quarts of Mango Water Ice in a cooler and drive back down to DC...Rita's isn't your typical Philly water ice stand, but their water ice is DAMN good. And let's be clear here - water ice and italian ice are two different things.
That is so exciting!!! I no longer need a time machine back to childhood summers on the jersey shore to get Ritas! Watermelon is where it's at.
It's Wooder Ice, not Water Ice!
Hot damn! Rita's gelati is my favorite ice cream-y treat.
Water Ice? When I go there I'm going to make sure to breathe some Gas Air and pay with my Money Cash.
May I recommend lemon flavor, from my days growing up in Allentown, PA. It's got little chunks of sugared lemon peel or something in the ice. So delicious!!
I went to a Rita's in Burtonsville, Maryland for the first time this week. My friend had a cherry gelati: gelati on top of cherry ice, which I sampled. I ordered a lemon ice. On the website they list all of the potential flavors that are available, but when you go to the actual shop they have a list posted of what has been made up that day. There are also soft custard ice cream selections, shakes, soft pretzels and a "Misto" shake which is a combination milk shake/Italian ice. There was a long waiting line at the shop, but no one seemed to mind. The people seemed to be regular customers, and it appeared everyone liked their treats. I know there are already several Rita vendors in Baltimore and Annapolis, so I am sure they will do well in Washington, D.C.
andrew,
i too made fun of the redundant name. until i tried it. that shit is much better than the italian ice i grew up with.
My parents own a Rita's in NJ. This is awesome.
Yeah, this stuff is freakin' amazing. I've been making treks to Frederick and Burtonsville every now and then when I need my Rita's fix. The opening of the Silver Spring (it's not really Silver Spring) location a month or so ago has helped, but I've been waiting for the Rhode Island to open all summer. Yum!
For those Silver Springians currently thinking, "Wait, there's a Rita's around here?" Jen's comment is sadly correct. Although the location is technically in Silver Spring, it's in that part of SS that's actually out PAST Wheaton on Georgia Avenue. Like near Leisure World.
I still think I'm going to have make a trip out there, though . . .
Rita's is awesome. (I personally recommend Mango or chocolate with chocolate chips.) But Adam is right -- wooder ice is a bit different from italian ice. For those willing to trek to the burbs, I've come to really like Carmen's Italian Ice in Rockville. Not quite the same experience as the Little Jimmy's truck back in Jersey, but very, very yummy.