Just in time for summer, Frost Bites introduces its mobile shave ice cart to Seaside.
Shave ice, fruit pops, Naples pizza and bakfiet bikes make summer in Seaside a little cooler By Wendy O. Dixon
If you hadn’t noticed, Seaside has become a popular destination since its early days when there were only a few modest cottages lined along a couple of dirt roads. Since gaining international recognition, including the recent designation as the Best Beach for Families on Earth by Travel + Leisure, the world’s leading travel magazine, Seaside has experienced a meteoric rise in visitors. With popularity comes the task of providing services to Seaside visitors without compromising on the quality of the foods and desserts offered by its merchants.
Considering it a good challenge, many of Seaside’s food vendors now offer the small-town friendly bicycle service of years gone by.
Frost Bites
Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer’s day than a cold treat. Frost Bites, famous for its refreshing shave ice, fresh lemonade and frozen custard, offers the flavorful dessert with a fine ice that is more like snow than ice. “We shave using the finest blades to produce a cold treat like no other,” says owner Mike Gullett, who now has a bicycle cart offering shave ice to customers in front of Duckies Shop of Fun, the Seaside pools and other spots in Seaside. “In the summer we get extremely long lines. So we hope this will alleviate the
wait for people.”
With a rainbow spectrum of flavors including strawberry, mango, passion fruit, root beer, raspberry, coconut, orange and watermelon, among others, Frost Bites has something for everyone — even those who want a sour or sugar free treat.
Joined by his wife, Chance, Frost Bites has become a family affair with children, siblings and even an occasional grandparent pitching in. The evolution to a mobile service was the next logical step in providing Seaside guests and residents with summer’s favorite treat.
Service hours: noon to 8 p.m. or later during events. Credit cards are accepted.
Amavida Coffee & Tea
Known for its commitment to fair and sustainable trade relationships for the benefit of farmers and their communities, Amavida Coffee & Tea will soon have a mobile cart serving hot espresso and tea, and will customize coffee and tea preparation similar to its coffee house.
The bike, fabricated in Holland, is a bakfiet, and is among the finest examples of its type, a rarity in North America, according to Amavida owner Dan Bailey. “The average Amsterdammer leaves his bike outside year round, rarely tunes it, and rides it nearly 3,000 miles a year,” he explains. “The average age of a bike in Amsterdam is nearly 35 years old. The bakfiet design is nearly 100 years old with very few modifications. We will customize this old bike design to provide coffee and tea services for the Seaside Community.”
The bike is expected to be ready in June. Service hours will be
7 a.m. until evening. Credit cards are accepted.
Amavida Coffee & Tea will serve a variety of beverages from this classic Dutch bakfiet, or cargo bike.
Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar
Famous for its hot and fresh wood fired, Naples-style thin crust pizza, Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar is a Seaside favorite. With San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, fresh herbs and a large selection of toppings, the restaurant uses an abundance of Mediterranean ingredients. “We spent time in Rome and Naples before we opened the restaurant,” says owner Dave Rauschkolb. “We try to be as authentic as we can, to save you a plane ticket to Italy.”
For those nights you just don’t want to leave your front porch to go out to dinner, Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar will deliver pizza exclusively to Seaside and Seaside Beaches. The delivery service is available seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will deliver to your door. (850) 231-3113 for delivery. Credit cards are accepted.
Raw and Juicy
Specializing in fresh, non-dairy, gluten-free vegan fare, green juices and smoothies, Raw and Juicy owner Jenifer Kuntz says you don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy the healthy (and delicious) foods and drinks served from the Airstream trailer in Seaside. This summer, they, too, will have a bicycle cart serving handmade fresh popsicles made of organic ingredients, fruits, herbs, almond milk, and coconut water. “We put whole fruits, in the popsicles, as well as fresh herbs. We don’t ever use sugar,” she says. “The popsicles are fruit-sweetened with dates, apples and other fruits.”
The Raw and Juicy bike cart is in front of Duckies Shop of Fun, and serves popsicles from noon
to 8 p.m., and later for special
evening events.