Great Escape: Frozen Bananas and Balboa Bars

Each week, we’ll tell you about one great idea to give you a much deserved break or make your life a little easier—maybe a whole lot easier.

Growing up in Orange County, one of my all time favorite Great Escapes was to go to Balboa Island to enjoy a frozen treat on a stick.

Most places you visit aren’t known for inventing even one famous frozen dessert, much less two, but Balboa Island has that distinction. Local legend has it that Balboa Island is the birth place of both frozen bananas and the Balboa Bar. Certainly they are both deliciously satisfying.

Of course, a frozen banana is a banana on a stick that’s frozen, then dipped in chocolate and rolled in tasty toppings, like sprinkles, nuts or chocolate chips. One of my favorite places to go for frozen bananas on Balboa is Dad’s Donuts. You can order from the sidewalk though a window into the shop and enjoy your treat while browsing through the shops on Marine Ave.

The world-famous Balboa Bar is a rectangle of vanilla ice cream, also on a stick, dipped in chocolate and rolled in sumptuous toppings. Both Dad’s Donuts and Sugar N’ Spice claim to have invented the Balboa Bar, and no one knows for sure, but my preference is Sugar N’ Spice, because they have a more exotic array of toppings. I like the Heath pecan crunch, but also enjoy a mix of peanuts and toasted coconut, while strolling the Balboa Island walkways.

So the next time you need an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, take a trip to the Island and the delicious frozen treat of your choice.