Sno Cone - The Hungry Nomad

Gourmand, Ice Cream, New Orleans, Sno Cone, Sweets

SnoWizard SnoBall Shoppe-Uptown (New Orleans, USA)

July 12, 2012 No Comments

And the sno cone series continues. I tried Hansen’s and feel that I officially have a good basis for comparison. Next on the list was SnoWizard located on Magazine street. What I like about SnoWizard is that it has a parking area and out door seating. It is also very organized and clean! The inside of the sno making room is clean and everything seems to be as it should be. Two young girls were working the day I went. Both very nice and professional. One took orders, the other made the sno-cones.

The flavors and options were endless. The girl at the counter offered a tasting which I though was great. After tasting a few I settled on the Dreamsicle Cream stuffed with ice-cream and condensed cream. It is the only way to do it. However, I did not expect it to be so big!

The ice cream was served on top of the sno cone and I had to dig in deep to get to the frozen ice and syrup. Not a problem at all since the flavours all blended perfectly.

The sno was nice and smooth. Not the same as Hansen’s but in my mind just as good (especially since I only waited 5 minutes for this sweet treat). The syrup flavour was very nice and overall I really enjoyed it. I also liked the fact that there are seats for customers to sit down in- a great touch. When there are so many sno cone shops around town little details like that make all the difference in the world.

Gourmand, Ice Cream, New Orleans, Sno Cone, Summer

Hansen’s Sno-Bliz Shop- Uptown (New Orleans, USA)

July 6, 2012 No Comments

A sno cone is one of the top highlights of summers in New Orleans. In the midst of a hot, muggy and sweaty day you can look forward to cooling off with a sno cone from one of many great sno cone shops around town. Hansen’s Sno Bliz shop is a New Orleans tradition and I was told by many that I must try it out before leaving town. And so I found myself waiting in that long dreadful line on one of the hotter New Orleans days to get my hands on one of these famous sno cones.

An hour later… after getting to know my neighbors in line I finally made it to the the inside of the shop. Another fifteen minutes and I was at the front counter. The inside of the shop is…old. I am guessing that they are trying to maintain that old feel to the place so that it resembles what it looked like when it first opened up many years ago. You can look forward to taking a step back in time where life was simple and there was no AC.

Once you get to the counter you are greeted by the owner and her helpers. The owner is the granddaughter of the founders of Hansens. She is warm, friendly and dripping with perspiration from a hard days work. You order your size, flavor and add any extras. I went with the cream of nectar stuffed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of condensed milk. The Count ordered the limonade- he likes his sno cone tart and fresh.

And finally after an hour and twenty minutes (we timed it)- we got our hands on our very first Hansen’s Sno Bliz. The texture of the ‘sno’ was definitely superior to many I have had in the city. As someone put it- it is like biting on to pieces of a cloud. That’s how it feels. It is smooth, creamy, light and fluffy.

One thing I would like to share is the poor hygiene and sanitation of the place. The Count pointed out the fact that the ice was handled by a young man wearing no gloves and pushing the ice into the ‘sno’ machine. He was sweaty and itchy which resulted in him scratching himself all over and wiping off his sweat with his bare hands followed by handling the ice and pushing it in the machine. The counter was a mess and seemed like there was no real order. The staff had to run back and forth between the rooms to grab different flavors. I guess they are trying to change little but it seems that things would run more efficiently if small changes were made. I have been to other sno cone shops in the area which are cleaner and more sanitary. I guess people down here are so fond of their childhood memories of this place that they fail to notice these small details. Would I go back? Certainly? Is it worth taking the risk of getting sick? Completely!

Ice Cream, New Orleans, Sno Cone

Magazine Deli Sno Balls and Ice Cream (New Orleans, USA)

April 17, 2012 No Comments

One of the best ways to cool off from the heat in New Orleans is to have a sno ball. I had my first one just the other day and now understand why there are always long line ups at each sno ball stand.There are literally thousands of stands all over town and some gain more popularity than others based on the flavors, quality of ice and syrup quantity. Some offer preservative free syrup made mainly from cane sugar, extracts and water but most use pre-made syrups.

What is a sno cone you ask? It’s a delightfully simply treat: shaved ice and flavored syrup. I added ice cream to mine which made it extra spectacular. The best part? It is a very cheap way to cool off. Magazine deli is a little stand close to my house. The staff were so friendly and gave me a little history of sno balls and offered their best flavors to taste. I am already a fan.