Tuesday, July 27, 2010
First Bite / Restaurant openings Beat the Heat With Izzie's Ice
Posted by Jack Silverman on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 12:05 PM
A bright orange trailer located at the corner of Rosebank Avenue and Riverside Drive in East Nashville, Izzie's serves up delicious Italian ice (as I can attest from two visits on Sunday alone), made from all natural ingredients — no preservatives, no dyes, no artificial anything. All the flavors are derived from real fruit (with the exception of the cherry ice — but that contains high-quality natural cherry juice).
Sisters Elizabeth Gammans and Alice Carpenter are the hearty souls who brave the heat to keep you cool. With just a small fan to provide relief, a stoic Gammans refused to betray even the slightest hint of discomfort on a 97-degree afternoon. "It's not too bad, actually," she says. "Of course, when this [ice] machine is running, it's a little warm." And to keep customers cool while they slurp up their ice, there's an awning on the backside of the cart. The sisters even bought a small water mister that they can hook up to a hose to provide a salutary sprinkle.
- Izzie's Ice co-owner Elizabeth Gammans, unfazed by the heat
Though Izzie’s Ice opened just last month, the seeds of the business were planted decades ago when the sisters were growing up in Oyster Bay, N.Y., on Long Island. "There was an old Italian man, he must have been 90 years old," Gammans recalls. "He had been at the corner since 1901, selling Italian ice. By the time I was a little girl, he was ancient, and he was still selling the Italian ice, which we loved." The man was Chick Bonanza, and the Bonanza Stand, as it's known, is still in the same location, run by Chick's grandson Philip and great-grandson Philip Jr.
Izzie's is a welcome sight at the corner of Rosebank and Riverside, and not just for their ice. It's the former location of the sorely missed barbecue joint Dee's Q, which closed not long after the death of beloved pitmaster and family patriarch Reggie Crowder — and though you won't find pulled pork or smoky brisket at Izzie's, it's heartening to see another local family enterprise take root on the site.
One other great reason to try Izzie's, particularly for families: A small (roughly 5 ounce) serving is $2, a large (roughly 8 oz.) serving is $3. And in an era when a trip to the frozen yogurt shop can run you $7 or $8 a kid by the time they load on the toppings, Izzie's is a steal.
So why call it Izzie's? Gammans explains that Lizzie's — for her nickname — was being considered, but since her sister was an equal partner, it didn't feel right. A friend suggested Izzie's, and the name stuck.
Izzie's is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. There's also a smaller, mobile Izzie's Ice cart that will pop up at locations around town, and it's available for parties. For information, email izzie@izziesice.com. Izzie's Ice will stay open through October, possibly longer, depending on the weather.
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