The Perfect Smoothie!

I FOUND IT!!!! The Perfect Smoothie.

It was a simmering, hot August day -- 100-plus -- and I'm driving down Irwindale Avenue in a town called Irwindale, near my office in West Covina. For me and other outsiders, this is a town known more for its industrial warehouses than its culinary culture.

But I wasn't too picky. I just needed to cool off on my lunch break, and maybe something a little different than the regular food hub: McDonalds.

And there it was...The Produce Place -- essentially a fruit mecca, full of everything from apples to pineapples.

No, I didn't get fruit. I got something better - the perfect smoothie.

My criteria? Not much. Just sweet and cold -- and not bland, like every other smoothie I've had in my life.

This fit the bill perfectly. I'm addicted. It could be 100 degrees or 10 degrees, I'd still go in for a strawberry smoothie. Actually, I tried to make one myself and failed miserably.

So I went back to get the scoop.

Here's what I learned about the concoction after talking to owners Betty and Charlie Herrera.

There's a secret: the syrup.

I had the pineapple syrup in mine.

Boil the pineapple with sugar (I'm not sure I get it, but I'll try).

Add some apples, strawberries, pineapple, champagne grapes in a blender.

Get a giant ice shaving machine -- I'm guessing somewhere between $300 and $500, maybe more. The ice flakes are important, Betty said.

Turn the blender on. Blend for about 30 seconds. Pour it. Drink it. Love it.

You've just had the perfect smoothie.

I thanked Charlie and Betty for giving me the basics, and left knowing I'll be back -- on my next lunch break.

Life is sweet.

Here's the address: The Produce Place, 5121 Irwindale Ave., Irwindale, Ca. 91706

Phone: (626) 430-7269.

Check out how it's made -- in living color: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43734740@N03/sets/72157622714792342/