It’s hard to describe how cool Dana was. For one thing, there was the hair, a bright Irish tangerine color that was beyond exotic in our predominantly Korean, Italian, Indian, and Greek corner of Queens. Among all our little black-capped heads, Dana was a single flame.

Maybe not quite a traditional story, but Dara Moskowitz’s review of the new Grand Italian Ice Café in St. Paul, Nice Ice, in the June 21 City Pages, has a ton of soul packed into a scant 1,751 words (really, 1,041, because the last 710 words are dedicated to the review part of the article). It’s an evocative meditation on the aspirations of immigrant kids, the magic of fifth grade, the intricacies of eating Italian ice, and the fascinating character of one Dana C.–”[t]he coolest thing about Dana, though, was that she didn’t give a hoot.”

Ms. Moskowitz’s restaurant reviews are always a pleasure to read because they break out of the usual review strictures–the “just-the-facts” review that repeats the menu, or the “foodie snob” review that is really an excuse for the reviewer to demonstrate how much smarter they are than the restaurant, or “rah-rah” Chamber of Commerce commission. They’re funny and clever and informative and always wonderfully written. Even if, as the father of two four-year-olds, I’m not likely to make it to some of the high-end spots she reviews for a few years–the Grand Italian Ice Café being an obvious exception to that rule–I always turn to her page when a new issue of City Pages shows up at the coffee shop.