“I know it’s snowball season when the paint is dry,” a friend declared while animatedly discussing this year’s impending snowball season.
New Orleanians know what dry paint means. Each year, the Hansen family of Hansen’s Sno-Bliz snowball stand repaints the number on the side wall of their building, marking the season number (this year is their 78th season). When the paint is dry, opening the doors soon follows.
Spoon, slurp through a straw, or rock the spoon and the straw — there is no wrong way to dive into this iconic icy treat.
Known for their pillowy soft snow (the shave of the ice is key to a snowball), Hansen’s is a big deal to many, but every local has a favorite stand and flavor, noting not only how finely the ice is shaved, but also the color, texture, and taste of the syrups generously poured over the “snow.”
Seriously old-school traditionalists order their snowball by color: deep green is spearmint, red is usually cherry, yellow is pineapple, and so on. Cream flavors also have their following for chocolate, nectar, wedding cake or coconut (and more); and then there are those who add condensed milk, soft serve ice cream, or any of a wild array of toppings that can decorate a snowball. Spoon, slurp through a straw, or rock the spoon and the straw — there is no wrong way to dive into this iconic icy treat.
At Plum Street Snoballs, the Orchid Cream Vanilla is an odd beige color… but the flavor is genius.
Which snowball stand and flavor is best? We’ll leave that to you. Here’s a list of 10 spots to start a snowball fight, and we don’t mean over how to spell “snowball” (sno-ball; snoball; sneauxball…).
10 Spots for a Snowball Fight
Hansen’s Sno-Bliz
This Uptown stand (open March 3) is known for traditional and cool culinary flavors like Bananas Foster (Wednesdays only!), Thai Basil, Cardamom, or Satsuma. 4801 Tchoupitoulas St.
Pandora’s Snowballs
Near City Park, Pandora’s is the place to get soft serve on the bottom of a half tangerine, half nectar — or order a wild cherry. 901 N. Carrolton Ave.
Plum Street Snoballs
The Orchid Cream Vanilla is an odd beige color, but the flavor is genius. So is the Lemon Meringue Cream. 1300 Burdette St.
Sal’s Sno-Balls
For old-school locals, it’s all about the Spearmint or Chocolate with condensed milk. 1823 Metairie Ave.
Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls
If Cereal Milk syrup is on the menu, order it. 1 Poydras St.
Sno-La Snowball Lounge
This place stuffs snowballs with homemade cheese cake. Three words: Peanut Butter-Chocolate. 2311 N. Causeway Blvd.
Ro-bear’s Snowballs and Soft Serve
60 syrup flavors! It’s a bit of a trek, but that Chocolate, or a half Wild Strawberry, Half Creole Cream Cheese is so worth it. 6869 Jefferson Hwy.
SnoWizard SnoBall Shoppe
The Coffee Cream, Dreamsicle Cream or the Cake Batter cream, please. 4001 Magazine St.
NOLA Snow
This Lakeview snowball shop leaps into their season on February 29. Traditional flavors rule, but check out the Chocolate Sno-Cream Snoball (frozen chocolate syrup scooped like ice cream). 7040 Vicksburg St.
