CoCo's offers spot to chill in Auburn.

• Position: GO!

Byline: Barbara M. Houle

COLUMN: TABLE HOPPIN'

CoCo's Tropical Ice, 1 Swanson Road, Auburn, is a place where you can layer your favorite flavored ice with soft-serve ice cream for a cool refreshing treat known as gelati.

That's not all.

More than 12 flavored ices are made daily from juices and purees. Flavors include mango, coconut, root beer, Oreo, lemon, pina colada, strawberry, cherry, banana, mint chocolate chip and more.

Donna Flandreau of Orlando, Fla., and her sister, Tracy Fullen of Worcester, opened CoCo's Tropical Ice earlier this month. They have created a tropical-inspired decor that is whimsical and fun.

CoCo's is a new concept in the area, according to Fullen, who said that several customers have told her that the Italian lemon ice made at CoCo's reminds them of the homemade frozen lemonade or "lemon slushy" they enjoyed at Steve's Spa on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester.

Flandreau said CoCo's uses only the best ingredients in its ices. Real fruit, such as fresh strawberries, add natural flavor, she said. "Fat-free and cholesterol-free. Customers love it."

FYI: Flandreau owned Tangles Hair Salon on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester before moving to Florida. She said she plans to travel from her home in Florida to help out at CoCo's.

The dish on CoCo's: If you're hungry for more than a frozen treat, you can get a hot dog, $1.75. Add a topping, such as chili, for $2.50. Pretzels, chips, soda and water also are available. So are root beer floats!

CoCo's Tropical Ice is across the street from Shaw's supermarket in Auburn. The store seats 20 inside: 8 outside.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. The owners plan to extend hours during summer months.

Ask about CoCo's party buckets. Yes!

And, free flavor samples.

Northworks Bar & Grille, 106 Grove St., Worcester, has introduced a summer menu.

Weeknight $9.99 specials include Mondays, fish and chips; Tuesdays, baked stuffed shrimp; Wednesdays, lobster and crabmeat pie; Thursdays; seafood kabob.

Look for a new Asian "feature" to the menu.

Appetizers, 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, are half price; peel-and-eat shrimp, 35 cents each, Wednesday nights.

On the new bar menu: A selection of margaritas available by the glass or pitcher, plus a variety of frozen drinks.

Wormtown Brewing Co., 455 Park Ave., Worcester, has introduced two new beers.

The official unveiling of Sweet Tat's Breakfast Stout took place...