Sno-cones still going strong
Business is down a little during the pandemic, but ice treats delight.
“I think folks have slowed down because there’s hardly anywhere to go, a lot of people are working from home, they have more leisure time to look around at what’s here.”
— Bob Homer
I met Bob Homer about eight years ago in the space that now houses Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream’s flagship store. He and wife, Karen, had been there close to two decades, serving wonderfully fluffy sno-cones — with Bob tossing a fair bit of the stuff through the small serving window to the screechy delight of many children who’d never before been hit with a proper snowball — mine included.
We didn’t live that close, but visited often. And though I was sad for the inconvenience of their eventual move to Winter Park (to the same Howell Branch strip mall that houses the Donut King), I was happy for the shorter commute, the cheery Crescent City motif of the new shop where we could sit down in A/C and make the goodies last awhile and the cement floor that still allowed for the occasional one-way snowball fight.
They’ve been there since 2013. “We’ve seen quite a few new faces lately,” says Homer from behind his bright blue mask, “but overall, like everywhere else, business is down.”
Homer attributes newer customers to COVID-19, as well. The neighborhood — already quite residential — has seen a fair bit of new-home growth the past several years. There are two or three
new communities in progress right now, all within walking distance of his shop.
“I think folks have slowed down because there’s hardly anywhere to go, a lot of people are working from home, they have more leisure time to look around at what’s here.”
And what’s here is the deal of the century, if you ask me. Treats range in price from $2-$5.50.
In case you don’t remember (because the world pretty much ended after this year’s Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards dropped in February!), Rainbow SnoCones was one of my top picks for Best Frozen Treats.
Why?
“Ice curing.”
Whatever weird magic Homer weaves in this process he’s crafted, which he says has something to do with the temperature of the ice block when it leaves the freezer and how long it sits out before getting fitted into the vintage contraption that crushes and shaves it — the resulting texture is (and I have said this before) supernatural.
It’s icy enough to scratch the itch of customers like me, who enjoy crunching it between their teeth. It’s the right size to catch the syrup and afford the treat a nice, even flavor distribution. Yet it’s light and airy and silky and won’t take very long to melt on your tongue.
Rainbow Sno-Cones has a large menu. More than 40 flavors (some sugar-free!) from banana to tamarind to Tiger’s Blood (strawberry-coconut). I’m not sure if it was inspired by the Charlie Sheen weirdness of years back, but there’s no need to rename it for the Netflix series. It’s one of Homer’s most popular flavors.
There are also “stuffed snocones,” which combine soft serve and ices, and others that employ dairy for a creamy-icy treat. People love them, he says. And I believe him. But I’ve only had a bite here or there of these things over the years.
Because I get the old-school Rainbow. Every single time. (Though if he brings back the cappuccino he had on the menu years ago, I might try that with some vanilla soft serve.)
Right now, there are no seats available inside (COVID-19 safety precautions). Homer has added a few more seats out front and installed a clear-plastic barrier at the counter. He wants to be safe and make customers feel safe.
One way they can — and as a mom, I feel like this is about the neatest thing imaginable — is via “Sno to Go.”
Coolers packed with Homer’s handcrafted white stuff come complete with 40 cups and spoons and three full bottles of flavor ($40), something you can tote back to your cul-de-sac and distribute among the family or the local, extended neighbor family with whom you’ve been quarantining. Just want the snow? $25.
Sweet treats for Corona-campless kids who may not need sugaring up but definitely need running around.
And lest you forget, they don’t have to eat it all. They can just chuck it at one another for an hour or two of normalcy out on the lawn when you run out of syrup.
And nothing says you can’t pour a margarita on yours.
Rainbow Sno-Cones: 3724 Howell Branch Road in Winter Park; 407-896-9105 and Facebook.
Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinel’s new Facebook Forum, Let’s Eat, Orlando!