Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls

I love shave ice. And when I heard about Imperial Woodpecker sno-balls and their 46 flavors I made it a Sunday mission to try them out. The owner, Neesa Peterson, started Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls in June 2011. Neesa grew up in New Orleans where sno-balls are big business. She originally moved to New York City to make a career in fashion, but then decided she wanted to share the New Orleans summertime experience with New Yorkers and so made the move into the culinary world. Neesa hand-makes her own flavors, which include wild strawberry and lavender vanilla bean. There are also toppings like sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow cream which can be added between the layers of ice as the sno-ball is created or drizzled over the top. I went with the coconut and condensed milk combo. It was both refreshing and delicious, just what I needed on a hot summers day.

Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls are located at 55 Gansevoort St.

Neesa Peterson, owner of Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls