At the Sugar ‘n Spice counter, a banana just taken out of the freezer is coated in hot chocolate — the shell instantly sets into a crisp crust, while inside the flesh stays cold and slightly softened. It is topped with chopped nuts or crumble, and the dessert is ready: a contrast of firm and soft, sweet and faintly salty from the sea air.
Balboa Island in Newport Beach has been, since 1945, the place where this simple dessert became part of local life. The shop began as Dot & Bob Candies, and the frozen chocolate-covered banana appeared almost by accident: the owners' son put the fruit in the freezer, and it was decided not to throw it away but to dip it in chocolate. Since then, Sugar ‘n Spice and the neighboring Dad’s Donut & Bakery Shop have made this dessert a symbol of the island — a touristy, sunny, tightly packed stretch of coast where everything revolves around boat rides and ice cream on a stick.
The owners, Mysa Tran and Khe Lam, while preserving the family tradition, decided to bring it beyond the island. The new establishment will open in December 2026 at 5269 E. Second Street in Belmont Shores — a Long Beach neighborhood with a similar atmosphere: a waterfront promenade, local shops, a sense of resort coziness. The Balboa Bar here will be renamed the Belmont Bar — a gesture of respect for the new neighborhood that is taking in 81 years of history.
The expansion comes amid other new developments in Los Angeles: Holy Basil in the Arts District is launching an evening menu, and three pizzerias — Pizzeria Sei, Pijja Palace and Quarter Sheets — made Food & Wine's list of America's best pizzas. These openings show how the coastal and urban spaces of Southern California continue to exchange culinary ideas.
For Long Beach visitors, this is a chance to try the dessert in a familiar coastal setting, but without the trip to the island. The opening is planned for the Christmas parade in Belmont Shores — so that the new tradition immediately enters the local calendar.
The frozen chocolate-covered banana remains that rare treat inextricably linked to a particular patch of coast and to the people who invented it here and keep it alive.
