JENSIZED LAST ACTIVITY IN MEMPHIS TOWN

Parker Water Ice: a frozen oasis in Hickory Hill

By Jen

If you’re like me and live in Memphis, you love Jerry’s Sno Cones but you aren’t crazy about standing in line in the sun for 30 minutes. Desperate for another option, I found Parker’s Water Ice on Yelp.

Wikipedia says water ice is just another term for Italian ice, which unlike shaved ice, is made by the same process as ice cream. The ingredients — in this case, fruit, flavoring and water — are frozen as they’re combined. Don’t say that to anyone from Philadelphia though. They consider it a local delicacy, and that’s one group of folks I wouldn’t want to piss off.

Parker’s is located near the intersection of Winchester and Riverdale, near the Malco Majestic theatre. It’s not visible from Winchester, but if you’re heading eastbound, turn right when you see the IHOP. Parker’s is in the same little shopping center as D’Bo’s. I wonder if they’ve considered making ranch and celery flavors and partnering up? (Gross. Maybe.)

I went Friday at lunchtime and I was the only one there.

The shop is small: just a counter, really, where you can walk up and order. Flavors are listed on a dry-erase board above but the list isn’t quite current. I asked for the “candy fish” flavor (yes, like Swedish Fish) and the sweet employee told me I was the first person who’d ever requested it. Sure enough, they didn’t have any. Bummer.

I got cotton candy and strawberry daiquiri instead. Not the most inspired combination, I know. I got a little sample on a spoon to make sure the flavors tasted good together.

This is a small. It cost about $2.50.

I ate about half in the car. Well, I guess I ate the whole thing in the car, because the rest I ate during the drive home. The texture was light and thick at the same time. It’s tough to explain: it’s just dense enough that it requires a spoon. If I had to pick something to compare the consistency to, I guess I’d say gelato.

If Hickory Hill is too much of a trek for you, keep an eye on their Twitter or Facebook to see when their food truck is out and about.