615 E. Sixth, 708-8285
Sun-Tue, noon-9pm;
Wed-Thu, noon-10pm;
Fri-Sat, noon-midnight
The grueling humidity of Philadelphia summers competes easily with Austin’s own swelter. So this time of year, I pine less for the mid-Atlantic climate than for Italian water ice, a treat that Philadelphians eat to thin their city’s dense, hot air. Recently in this column, I reminisced about childhood trips to Marone’s, a water ice stand in my hometown. Austin’s own water ice shop, Jim-Jim’s, helped catalyze those memories and renew my stamina for the season.
Jim-Jim’s co-owners, Jim Moy and his cousin Robert Chin, also claim Philadelphia as their hometown � Jim’s thick neighborhood accent attests to this. Their favorite water ice stand operates 15 minutes from my Marone’s. Five years ago, a visiting Texan friend of theirs tried water ice for the first time and sparked the idea for their Austin business. Jim-Jim’s opened one year later. For four months each winter, Jim and Robert travel back to their hometown enticed by cold winters, temporarily closing shop. You have until mid-November to visit them before the next trip back.
Jim-Jim’s little storefront is tucked away near where East Sixth hits I-35. There is no seating, only a small order window that exposes passersby to cool AC and the sound of industrial refrigeration. A couple of carts sell Jim-Jim’s water ice where heat hits the hardest: by Deep Eddy pool and in front of Run-Tex’s south store. In the spring and fall, they also set up one on the Drag.
In my opinion, the best water ice tastes more like sorbet � smooth, with a resemblance to fruit. At Jim-Jim’s, sweet flavors like mango, guava, and blackberry pur�e are intensified with corn syrup, then simultaneously mixed and frozen for evenly distributed flavor. Cherry tastes perhaps more of sweetener than fruit, but the bits of maraschinos added to the ice rank it high above a sno-cone made with commercial syrup. Other flavors here aren’t as successful: the pi�a colada reminds me of banana chewing gum; the coconut lacks gusto; and the vanilla offers a taste that I’d prefer in a soda or ice cream instead. If you’re seeking natural flavor, choose from the sweet or tart fruits.
In general, water ice satiates cravings for coolness more than flavor. Compared to a sweet sno-cone, its taste seems tempered: Lemon is as light as a spritzer, with just enough tartness from the fruit. But if water ice has a delicate taste, it’s because: 1) its flavor gets mixed in before it is frozen, rather than doused on top of ice bits; and 2) because its fine grind of ice dissolves immediately in your mouth, as if it’s trying to dilute the very flavor it imparts. Sure enough, Jim-Jim’s water ice will seep into hot blood like an I.V. drip. It is a savored defense from the heat.
Jim-Jim’s sells water ice in four generous sizes and at wholesale for parties. A small ($.90) comes in a medium cup and holds two flavors well. The medium ($1.75) is for the ambitious individual, the one who trekked to Jim-Jim’s from the office in the heat. The large ($2.75) will last someone the length of a walk around Town Lake. A quart ($3.85) can cap a barbecue for four.
� Ronna N. Welsh
This article appears in August 14 • 1998 and August 14 • 1998 (Cover).