A.C.'s Icees

In 1978, Allen Cohen said goodbye to Michigan winters and started over in Miami peddling lemonade. An avid runner, he set up shop in Coconut Grove's Kennedy Park, where athletes meet to train. "One of us would always have to do a grocery run to get beverages," he recalls of his decision to gather his savings and start A.C.'s Icees. "I feel very lucky - my office is a park." But don't let the laid-back attitude fool you; A.C. takes his frosted beverages very seriously. There are three flavors: lemonade, cherry/strawberry, and piña colada. All are made fresh every morning and cost only $2.50 a pop. Don't ask for the recipe - it's a secret. One senses a blend of fresh lemon and other fruit juices whipped to the perfect temperature and then placed in coolers inside his truck, ready for scooping. For many locals, the white truck with the yellow awning is a landmark. It is there year-round (except during hurricanes), with A.C. at the window. "On a busy Saturday, we can have up to 400 people," he says. That's a lot of frosted lemonade.