Ecco La Vita

Apparently I brought back the good weather - since I arrived in Brooklyn it has been hot and sunny. Like, 85 degrees. Like summer.

Some people might not think that NYC is a great place to be in the summer, but it is. There are tons of outdoor concerts, open beer gardens, and the closest the newyorkesi get to a passeggiata is heading to the closest Tasti D Lite or Pinkberry, a poor substitute for il gelato italiano, albeit delicious in its own way. Some of my best memories are of meandering the streets during hot, Brooklyn nights, sharing bottles of wine in the park with my friends or searching for the perfect rooftop with hopes of finding a cool breeze.

Coincidentally, the single thing that best represents Brooklyn in the summer for me is another frozen delight - the Italian Ice. Pronounced "ice-y", they are ubiquitous in nearly every Brooklyn pizzeria and are available in chocolate, cherry, lemon, rainbow, and vanilla chip. It being so summery today, I couldn't resist the temptation do indulge.
But why is it an Italian Ice? I guess it kind of resembles a granita, but only because it's made of ice. This is just an example of how real Italian dishes have evolved so that Italian American cuisine is really a culinary genre unto itself.
So I know, Italian Ices are no where near any kind of Italian dessert - and what kind of a flavor is rainbow, anyway? - but as a Brooklynite, how could I say no?