From afar, your eye might be fooled into thinking this gleaming metal cart in front of what is loftily referred to as the Target Plaza in Brooklyn is one of the several hot dog or Halal meat stands that populate the area. Indeed, on this particularly hot day, as I trudged closer, I wiped the sweat from my eyes, thinking it must be a mirage. But as I approached I saw that it was actually an oasis of semi-frozen beverages, and the effect on me upon seeing this was as if the heavens cracked open and the sounds of a choir of angels filled my ears. Such was the level of my anticipation.
I had never noticed the slushy cart here before. Its appearance at this location might be seen as a gutsy move, considering the ICEE-equipped Target just steps away; but honestly, the Target machines are more often than not on the fritz (yes, I check. regularly.), so maybe it was in fact the smartest move they could make.
The slushy flavors: Cherry, Blueberry, Piña Colada, Mango, Lemon-Lime. It doesn’t appear that there is flavor rotation, so don’t go there hoping they will have a lemon-basil slushy any time soon (though that would be tasty!). But these are good basic flavors, and the Target or 7-11 don’t normally offer more variety in any case. The guy working the slushy cart repeatedly called me “Ma’am,” which I was simultaneously charmed and insulted by (polite, yes, but I thought only old ladies were called Ma’am?). In any case, I can’t fault the dude. The service was swift and polite, and the cart seemed to be among the cleaner ones I have seen.
I opted for a small lemon-lime and mango combination, which looks awfully pretty with its tonal variegation, doesn’t it? The lemon-lime was very sweet and intensely lemony-limey, but the flavor was about as artificial as its neon green color. The mango, on the other hand was a winner. It tasted of fresh mango, bright and authentic. My guess is that it is made with real mango or mango juice, as opposed to artificial flavors, as the mango slushy costs a dollar more than the other flavors. But it was certainly worth the extra expense. I might try other flavors in the future, but the mango slushy is what will draw me back to this oasis on Atlantic Avenue.
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