Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

Rita’s Is My 26-Year-Old Ritual | Eater

"The gelati — a layered treat that solves the choice between the chain’s flagship water ice and its thick custard — is presented as a seasonal, almost ritualistic pleasure: a base of soft custard, a middle of crackling slush-like water ice, and a final dollop of dense custard on top. The author sticks to a childhood order of chocolate water ice with chocolate custard, preferring to burrow a spoon to get all three textures at once rather than the uniform Blendini, and celebrates the melting moment when a syrupy, Tootsie-Roll-like pool forms. Eating one in a suburban parking lot (often from the car’s popped trunk, wrapped in napkins to stave off mess) functions as a time machine: each spoonful conjures memories from ages 6 through adulthood, ties to family moments and local landmarks, and offers continuity amid changing storefronts and life stages. Small changes — new novelty flavors and rotating teenage staff — don’t alter the core experience, which serves as a tactile, flavorful tether to home and the author’s past." - Bettina Makalintal