"Rita's Italian Ice with Carl Tart & Christine Nangle (LIVE)" is Episode 222 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Rita's Italian Ice with Carl Tart & Christine Nangle (LIVE)" was released on September 26, 2019.
"Tomorrow..." - @doughboyspod
Synopsis[]
For our second show in Philadelphia, we're rejoined by Carl Tart (Comedy Bang! Bang!, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Christine Nangle (Inside Amy Schumer, The Simpsons) to review a dessert chain founded in Pennsylvania: Rita's Italian Ice. Plus, another live edition of the Snack Stack.
Recorded live at Punch Line Philly on September 5, 2019.
Nick's intro[]
"Water ice": to an outsider, a baffling term - somehow both redundant and contradictory; ice, of course, being the solid state water takes when it reaches a temperature below zero degrees Celsius.
Ice
But water ice, or 'woorter ice,' is what residents of the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area call Italian ice, a non-dairy, fruit-based frozen dessert that is somewhere between a sorbet and a granita.
With origins tracing back to the 17th century when migrants from the Arab Peninsula brought snow-based sweet treats to Italy, the icy confection traversed the Pacific* in the early 20th century with the migration of Italians to the eastern shores of the U.S. In the rest of the country, the dessert was simply called "Italian ice," but in Philly, for unknown reasons, locals preferred "woorter ice."
And the term stuck like syrupy residue on a satisfied customer's fingers.
In 1984, on a scorching May afternoon in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem Township, Bob Tumolo, a former firefighter, opened a window serving "woorter ice." The fledgling business was a Tumolo family affair. The recipe was crafted with the help of Bob's mother Elizabeth; management duties were handled with brotherly love by his sibling John; and the establishment itself was named after Bob's wife.
Just over a decade later, Bob's lovely wife had her name on over 100 locations, and in 2005, the Tumolo family sold their stake to private equity firm McKnight Capital Partners, who made the cold, calculated decision to expand worldwide. Today, the chain has over 600 outlets across the globe and though "Italian ice" may be what its official name says, to residents of the city where the Fresh Prince was born and raised, it's "woohter ice."
This week on Doughboys: Rita's Italian Ice.
(*Nick said 'Pacific,' but it seems likely he meant 'Atlantic.' - ed.)
Phork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Go Birds! Italian Ice | 4 phorks |
| Mike Mitchell | Mango Gelati | 4 phorks |
| Carl Tart | Cherry Gelati | 4 phorks |
| Christine Nangle |
|
4.75 phorks |
| shared | Cookies 'n Cream Blendini |
There was a bit of sharing of orders between Nick, Mitch, and Carl; Christine went with her parents.
Snack Stack[]
In this segment for live shows, audience members bring snacks to Yusong and Emma, which are accumulated into a big pile. (They put out a call on Twitter before the show.)
The Doughboys end up with a giant Snack Stack, but only pick a couple of things from it to try.
Someone also gave them a book about scrapple.
| guest / host | Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets | Herr's Hot Cheese Curls | A-Treat Big Blue Soda | Boost! |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Snack | Snack | Drank | Drank |
| Mike Mitchell | Snack | Snack | Drank | Drank |
| Carl Tart | Snack | - | Drank | - |
| Christine Nangle | Snack | Wack | - | - |
Roast Spoonman[]
Gritty
| “ | Big Titty Gritty | ” |
–Becky Steele | ||
Quotes[]
| “ | Mitch: In the taxi cab, you told me you were going to go patch up the crack in the Liberty Bell. And I said 'how are you going to do that?' And then you raised your eyebrows. Nick: Like I'm going to spackle it with my ejaculate? |
” |
–The Doughboys | ||
| “ | Nick: You think an attractive doesn't get diarrhea?! Mitch: I know they do! I've seen it! |
” |
–The Doughboys | ||
| “ | 'Dairy Queen' sounds like a fetish, doesn't it? | ” |
–Nick Wiger | ||
"Philadelphia Cream Cheese"[]
brilliant art by erickswar
- Performed by: Mike Mitchell & Carl Tart
- Written by: Mike Mitchell & Carl Tart
- Based on "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John
Philadelphia Cream Cheese -Doughboys Live 9.5.2019-
video
| “ |
I used to eat my bagels alone, you know |
” |
The Feedbag[]
| “ | I wanted to know if there are any chain restaurants or chain restaurant items that you think are criminally underrated? | ” |
–Zachary Joseph | ||
| “ | I was wondering if there are any snacks from your childhood that are no longer in production that you'd love to taste just one more time? | ” |
–Dylan Pinell | ||
| “ | When I was a kid, my grandmother - also named Rita - she took my brother and I on a behind-the-scenes tour of Rita's, and it was awesome. So if you guys could choose to tour any chain behind the scenes, which would you choose? | ” |
–Ross Weissman | ||
Related Episodes[]
| Carl Tart episodes | Christine Nangle episodes |
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Photos[]
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