The Sweet Taste of Summer

Gus Kalaris and his wife, Stella (nicknamed Yia Yia, the Greek name for "grandmother"), have been serving up hand-shaved, gourmet ice balls from this bright orange cart with the rainbow-striped umbrella for as long as just about anyone can remember. The stand itself has been around since 1934, or "since your Dad was a lad" - first operated by Gus' father, George. The prices haven't changed much either. Ice balls, depending on size, range in price from $1.00-$2.00, while hot popcorn is $1.50 and a bag of peanuts is just $1.25. The ice is hand-shaved and the syrups, from recipes perfected by George in the late 1930s, come in a rainbow of flavors - pineapple, cherry, lemon, lime, orange, banana, grape, blueberry, rootbeer and the popular Rainbow. The cart can be found each day from about 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., May through November, in its customary location next to the tennis courts in West Park on Pittsburgh's North Side.

While it's hard to beat the ice balls at Gus & Yia Yia's, you can also enjoy the sweet taste of summer at one of these other popular Pittsburgh area ice cream stands and shops. Do you have a favorite place that we've missed? Click on comments below and tell us about it!