Coastal weather hot again

On Balboa Island, $1.75 can buy a portable, personal air-conditioning

unit.

Otherwise known as the famous frozen banana, these icy treats can

provide a few moments of cheap relief from the climbing temperatures

that have hit Newport-Mesa in recent days.

Any time the weather heats up, these frozen fruits dipped into

chocolate and a topping of choice are big sellers, said Helen

Connolly, owner of the Sugar N Spice.

“During the summer, you dream of bananas, because you’re making

them everyday,” Connolly said.

Temperatures neared the 80-degree mark at Newport’s beaches this

weekend, and the heat is likely to continue throughout the week, said

National Weather Service spokesman Noel Isla.

Jay Borenstein and Jennifer Stockton, visiting from Palo Alto,

cooled off Monday with a pair of frozen bananas. Borenstein went for

a double-chocolate banana with chocolate sprinkles, while Stockton

ordered a double-chocolate covered with peanuts.

“This weather lends itself to the frozen stuff,” Borenstein said.

One block down, another couple indulged in a similar source of

cool. Seated on a bench, Jose and Maggie Romo, of Cerritos, enjoyed

some ice cream from Maggie Moo’s.

“It cools you down, and it tastes good,” Romo said.

But as one shop can attest, a quick cool down doesn’t have to come

from ice cream.

Randy Hein, manager of the Balboa Island Pain du Monde, a popular

spot for coffee and baked goods, said iced drink sales have increased

by 25% in recent months.

“I go through so much iced tea, it’s incredible,” Hein said.

Nearly every drink on the menu can be served over ice, and

sometimes the demand depletes the product.

“I’ve had several days when I ran out [of ice],” Hein said.