Dish of the week: The 2nd Street from Flavor Brigade

Some desserts are engineered to take you to another place, and the 2nd Street at Flavor Brigade does exactly that — straight to the rowhouse-lined neighborhoods of Philadelphia and the boardwalks of South Jersey. This Oakland gem, run by a Philly transplant, brings authentic Philly-style water ice and custard to Fruitvale Avenue in Dimond.

The 2nd Street is a layered masterpiece: your choice of Italian water ice (what we called “wooder ice” back home) topped with creamy Strauss frozen vanilla or chocolate custard, served unmixed so you get distinct layers of flavor and texture. I grew up on the original Rita’s Water Ice in the Philly burbs, and I can tell you the 2nd Street is the real deal. Flavor Brigade’s Italian ice is made with real fruit purees, creating intensely flavored, almo