One Step Beyond an Ice Cream Bar on Balboa Island

When I first visited Orange County nearly 20 years ago, my trip included an introduction to the legendary Balboa Bar.

What stands out is a friend’s urgent need to get his hands on one that day and his insistence I could not leave without trying one.

He had spent his college summers in Orange County, and because I was new to Southern California, he was eager to show me the sights. We were on our way to Laguna Beach when he decided to stop off at the Newport Pier. While strolling near the Dory Fishing Fleet, he suddenly bolted away. I chased and found him amid a throng of people lined up outside a beach-front concession stand.

Through the window, I saw what he was after: slabs of vanilla ice cream on a stick, being dipped in glistening, warm chocolate and rolled in chopped peanuts and other crunchy toppings. Children and adults stood mesmerized with their faces pressed to the glass while a man in a white apron made each of us a treat.

Finally, it was my turn. I chose the “everything” topping, which included sprinkles, coconut and chopped roasted nuts. It was cool and creamy on the inside, warm and crunchy on the outside. I will always associate it with a warm summer day at the Balboa Peninsula, and that is the essence of its appeal.

* Balboa Bar--320 calories/23 grams of fat. $1.90-$2.25 at Dad’s Donuts, 318 Marine Ave., Balboa Island, (949) 673-8686; Sugar ‘N Spice, 310 Marine

Ave., Balboa Island, (949) 673-8907; Knot Just Candy, 600 E. Bay St., Balboa Peninsula, (949) 673-1365; and Balboa Beach Treats, 705 1/2 E. Edgewater Ave. at the Balboa Peninsula Fun Zone, (949) 723-5701.