POP ART

Today I talked to Stacy and Matt.

I am walking down on Vermont Avenue, an animated street in Los Feliz. The cold moist ocean air - that Angelenos call June Gloom - has finally cleared. The sun is out. On the sidewalk, between the bookstore Skylight and the French restaurant Figaro, I notice a small stand. Under a colorful umbrella, two people are chilling on beach chairs with an icebox next to them. Stacy and Matt are selling artisanal popsicles. I check their menu on the chalkboard and pick one with a Blueberry Nectarine Lemongrass flavor. The ice cream is light and refreshing. While I eat it, I watch people passing by. A muscular man with a Chihuahua on a pink leash walks quietly.

Stacy and Matt have been friends for ten years and recently decided to create this business together. They called it Pop Art. Today is their second day of business. We introduce each other and Matt hands me his business card. Under his name, it reads: Chief Popsicle Officer. Last week he was still working as an attorney but he left his job to do that. As for Stacy, she took a year off from her PHD in Chinese History to dive into this adventure.

It all began when Stacy met a guy in Atlanta who was selling popsicles on the street. She thought this would be a great job for her. Then she talked to Matt. He was up for it. "We put everything together in two weeks. The license, the equipment, the company, everything," says Matt. I am impressed by their professionalism and seriousness. "We are the most serious popsicles sellers in the universe," Matt says. "At least on Vermont," he adds. Stacy laughs. To make it happen they ordered molds from Brazil. "It's the only country you can find molds to make large amount of popsicles - up to three hundreds," says Stacy. This morning they threw away two sets because the texture was not perfect. "The taste came out good though. But we don't sell people popsicles we wouldn't eat. We're finicky," they say. On the terrace next to us, two sophisticated women clink with red wine and call the waiter.

Stacy and Matt's popsicles are made of organic products and flavors. And the names too are delicious: Strawberry Rosewater, Key Lime Pie, Watermelon Mint, Strawberry Cheesecake, Raspberry Lemonade, Mango Cilantro, Mimosa (like the Champagne cocktail), Pineapple Jalapeno (a little spicy), and Mexican Hot Chocolate (very spicy with dark chocolate chunks). "We want flavors that sound a little crazy and that are good too," says Stacy. They tried a Bloody Mary flavor lately but Matt didn't like it. I ask them how they find these originals ideas and combinations. "We just mess around with stuff," says Stacy. "We play with it. It's a little like alchemy," adds Matt.

For Stacy this job is the perfect one. "It's great. You got to seat outside, talk to people, and make food for them." Matt enjoys it also but for different reasons. "I'm my only boss. I'm the only one yelling at me right now." The only downside to it is the sun. "Sun is a killer. We've got too much Irish blood," says Stacy. True. She is a redhead and her face and arms are covered with tiny freckles. It is 4pm. Stacy and Matt have sold about thirty popsicles so far. It is a good start. The next time I feel like eating a tasty popsicle and having a laugh, I will stop by this Pop stand for sure.