Phil from south Philly is serving up the best Italian Water Ice in South Texas at Philly's Italian Water Ice off of Tres Lagos Blvd. - in McAllen.  

“Basically it's three ingredients: water fresh fruit, and sugar, that's it,” Phil DeSimone said. "I've spent months on end trying to come up with the perfect taste and this is what the product ends up as."

Phil decided to open an Italian Water Ice spot in the Valley after his wife convinced him. 

"My wife is from the Valley… She would come home with these snow cones and raspas and I looked at it and I go ‘What's that and I said ‘We have water ice in Philly I grew up eating it’ and I said ‘I'm going to bring that down here, I'm going to try it.’"

No ice, no syrup added, just those three basic ingredients. 

“Everybody's reaction is 'wow this is amazing. This is so much better than a raspa,’” Phil said.

Philly’s Italian Water Ice is even putting a Valley spin on the Italian Water Ice. 

"I create the local favorites, so now you've got the best of both worlds,” Phil said. “So you have my product, the Italian Water Ice, and then the local favorites for example the mangonada and then I do the RGV style.")

These include a pickadilly flavor, but you won't find actual pickles in this one unless requested. The flavor is the exact same as a pickadilly in every single bite. 

If you want a regular flavor like sour apple, orange cream, and the classics like grape, cherry, and lemon, he can make it. 

Philly's Italian Water Ice is open Thursday to Monday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekends. 

So the next time you're looking for a different treat to cool you off with a burst of flavor in every bite, head to Philly's Italian Water Ice in McAllen. They're Valley Made, and Local Strong.