Endless summer

Corn
Served in a little terra cotta crock on a sunny yellow plate and with a sunny disposition of its own, the corn soup ($5.95) at Max Soha is a simple take on a Midwest summer favorite. Neither chowdery nor overly brothy, this corn soup is made straight from ground corn, which makes for an interesting texture (in a good way) and authentic flavor. Although it lacks a little zest, with some fresh ground pepper this soup is perfect for a lazy lunch at this Italian favorite on Amsterdam and 123rd Street.. The meal is both reminiscent of summer and warming on a chilly fall day.
—Allison Malecha

Frozen desserts
Artopolis is perhaps best known for its coffee, tea, and pastries, but its often-overlooked gelato counter is worth a second glance, especially for those looking to replace low-calorie frozen yogurt with something more decadent. The café, with its bright yellow awnings on Amsterdam between 113th and 114th streets, not only offers the typical flavors of chocolate and vanilla, but also specialty flavors like hazelnut, which is particularly rich without ever tasting too sweet. At $3.75 for a small cup, it’s a comparable splurge to Pinkberry with twice the taste.
—Christine Jordan

Margaritas
Find a more fun-filled summer favorite at Blockheads: the margarita. At this Mexican outpost on Amsterdam and 106th Street, the limey cocktail is best served up blended and infused with a flavor shot ($1 extra). Choose from mango, raspberry, strawberry, and pretty much any other summer fruity flavor. At $3-$4 a pop, the margaritas go down way too fast, but at least there are free chips and fresh salsa to munch on between slurps. It’s enough to make anyone forget that there is class in the morning.
—Allison Malecha

Smoothies
Now that JJ’s Place no longer offers its smoothies à la carte, Columbians looking for icy, fruity goodness on the go will have to look elsewhere. At Nussbaum & Wu (Broadway and 113th Street), a limited but adorably-named smoothie menu is available year-round. Flavors like “The Barnard Scholar”—a classic strawberry banana mix—and “The Columbia IQ Special”—a strawberry, banana, and blueberry combination—are made to order with students’ choice of fresh squeezed OJ, cranberry juice, or milk. At $4.50 for a small, it can be hard to justify spending so much on a drink, but these smoothies can be just the thing to cool students down as school heats up.
—Christine Jordan