BREAKING: Italian Ice Vendor in Park Is Unsanitary

It's strangers' saliva that makes it so succulent. (Afogarty62's Flickr)

During New York's brief fling with spring last weekend, a Park Slope blogger had a rather revolting experience with a mobile Italian ice vendor in Prospect Park. After the vendor sold her friend a pineapple flavor ice instead of the requested vanilla, he strolled happily away, only belatedly realizing that it was the wrong order. So after a few licks he returned it to the vendor, who gladly accepted the slightly-eaten serving and returned it to the source: the communal pineapple ice bucket from whence it came! It's the Ciiiircle of Ice! Blogger F'd in Park Slope rants:

Yes friends, the very same bucket that the original janky pineapple ice was scooped from. He desperately tried several times to explain to them that it had already been tasted “IT WAS IN MY MOUTH!, You can’t do that!,” he pleaded. The reply from the vendor? An assertive: “its ok."

Of course, we have no way of verifying the veracity of this story, but can't you totally see it happening, right down to the vendor's reassuring yet insane response?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on March 26, 2010 12:50 PM

Comments [rss]

JenChungsBaby

Tamarind ices from one of those vendors is the best.

Rocknrope

By "best", do you mean least germified because noone chooses the Tamarind flavor?

JenChungsBaby

People who know choose tamarind.

robingee

Is that a prescription drug?

hecks

he probably didnt understand english and the gesture of repeatedly thrusting your empty hand towards your waiting open mouth, that you thought conveyed "I already tasted that cold icey sir"...in his culture, conveyed something completely different and unsolicited. You freaked him out and he rushed you away. I BLAME YOU

SighR

"But I have a severely infectious unique form of Herpes sir."

Guest

Returning an italian ice, who does that? Those normally run a buck, maybe two in Prospect Park. Just eat the pineapple one and suck it up.

hecks

genius. i commend u sir. return an icey...who does that?

FDTW

Does anyone assume street vendor food is clean? The carts are stored in disgusting conditions when not in use, you can't really expect much. I say it adds flavor, you just have to know what your getting yourself into. No weak immune systems.

Gwinny

While we're at it, Mister Softee trucks aren't clean either. A friend of mine who used to be a personal injury lawyer advised me to steer clear, but I couldn't avoid the siren song of a soft ice cream cone... and boy did I pay for it one day with the NASTIEST bout of food poisoning I'd ever had hours after eating a cone. I had the truck inspected by the DOH, and it totally failed. Those dudes aren't washing their hands either, people.

robingee

Yeah, stick to the pre-packaged frozen treats from ice cream trucks!

Kojak

The moral of the story: Never buy food from street vendors.

I've seen boogers fly into food on a regular basis. If you each from any vendor from time to time, you will unknowingly eat someone else's snot.

tien

Kind of the same everywhere, right? If it's not a booger, it's saliva. If it's not saliva, it's rat feces. On and on.

I can't even cook at home without getting an errant cat hair on my food let alone all my boogers.

Kojak

Exactly. Sometimes its best not to think about it, but I truly believe it happens far more with Street vendors.

But with some Halal food vendors, I'll give them a pass so its so cheap & good.

longacre

I presume the Halal guys know what they're doing because in their home countries they don't have luxuries like portable refrigeration and Honda generators.

Kojak

eat*

Rocknrope

Vendor: "It's ok, cold kills germs."

Customer: "That's heat."

Vendor: "Oh." (continues scooping)

BigRed

I have a great idea: Stop patronizing illegal vendors! (Yes, I see the Mobile Food Vendor permit on the side of the cart, but you need a special permit to vend in parks).