AW Spotlight
The Ice King of Wellington – A Cool Taste of N.Y.C. and a Blast from the Past
By Krista Martinelli
I remember the first time I tasted the lemon ice at the Ice King in Wellington. “Watch out for the lemon seeds,” said owner Michael Liberta. This is how fresh and lovely this frozen ice is – you might even bump into a lemon seed or two. Love it! So do many others as it continues to catch on.
In fact, Liberta has opened the only other Ice king location in Florida, so we’re lucky to have it right here in the Courtyard Shops at Wellington (next to Tijuana Flats). Some of the best selling points? There are 36 flavors, the recipes have been around for 64 years and it’s a dairy-free, healthy product!
“There’s nobody down here that has Italian Ice like this,” says Liberta. “The consistency of the product, the real fruit, the real pieces inside each serving…it’s unique.”
The top four flavors are pistachio (which they served recently at Flavors 2011), lemon, cherry and rainbow. Most popular among the children is the pink cotton candy ice, which really tastes just like cotton candy. All of the ice is made in New York City and shipped down here. According to Liberta, it just wouldn’t be the same otherwise – a crucial ingredient in Italian Ice is the water, so the New York water needs to be in it.
The Ice King of Wellington opened in August of last year. They quickly attracted “regulars” who come every day or every other day for their favorite flavors of ice. The Ice King gives back to the community and stays involved in many ways. They’ve participated in “Spirit Nights” at Wellington Elementary, Panther Run, Binks Forest, Wellington High School and other schools. As far as fundraisers, they participated in the St. Baldrick’s event this year and worked with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Wellington Chamber. The Ice King brings their ice to every movie night at the Wellington Amphitheatre these days (see schedule). Throughout the summer, they will be at the Amphitheatre every Friday night.
The Ice King has done a great job of getting around Wellington in their first year. They sold their Italian ice at polo every Sunday, during the polo season. They also participated in the Winter Equestrian Festival. So even if you haven’t visited their storefront in the Courtyard Shops at Wellington, you may have tasted their ice at one of these local events.
Mike Liberta seems to have a special place in his heart for charity events that help children in need. If it’s a fundraiser for a children’s organization, the Ice King is usually there. He’s lived in Wellington with his wife and two boys (10 and 5) for twelve years now. “We’re happy with Wellington because it’s such a good family area and the schools are good.” He partners in the business with his aunt, who has been working at the store in the afternoons while Mike goes out to various Wellington events.
The Ice King of Wellington is open Monday thru Thursday from 12:00 noon – 9:30pm, Friday from noon – 10:30pm, Saturday from 11am – 10:30pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon – 8:30pm. Look out for extended summer hours.
The Ice King of Wellington
The Courtyard Shops At Wellington
13860-40 Wellington Trace
Wellington, FL 33414
561-792-2900
(For Coupons, visit AroundWellington.com, then “AW Coupons”).