19 Charles Street: This NYC-based delivery service is designed for local gourmands who love to cook but are too busy to shop for groceries. Ingredients from vendors such as Murray’s Cheese, Raffetto’s and Ronnybrook Farm Dairy are delivered weekly, after which subscribers use them to craft simple (under one hour) recipes developed specifically for them. One of their more popular items this season is their house brand iced coffee concentrate. Sold in liter bottles for just $15, the elixir is cold-brewed New Orleans-style with chicory. After being diluted with water, milk or cream, each bottle yields approximately 10 cups of coffee. Now, from where can we order some beignets to go with it?

Chameleon Cold Brew: Chameleon co-founders Chris Campbell and Steve Williams met at a neighborhood 4^th of July fête in Austin, where the company is based. The low key nature of their serendipitous meeting remains core to the brand, as the duo has remained steadfastly committed to its Texas roots even as their product goes national. The key to the Chameleon formula is its 24-hour cold-brewing period, which ensures a less acidic flavor than most coffees. Though it can be consumed straight up in a shot for an extreme jolt or mixed into a traditional iced coffee, some of the brand’s favorite blends—including one that involves Nutella—sound unusually ambrosial.

Kickstand: Last spring, at least one food vendor on wheels suggested that food bikes may be the new food trucks. Though handlebar-outfitted eateries have yet to gain mass appeal, bike-based coffee cart Kickstand’s new cold-brew concentrate may be redefining its business model. The Brooklyn-based outfit brews weekly using single-origin beans sourced from Café Grumpy’s Greenpoint location. Packaged into 16-ounce $11 bottles, the concentrate is available for delivery on Sundays and Mondays to six different Brooklyn neighborhoods as well as lower Manhattan. Of course, with Grady’s, another Brooklyn-based purveyor of artisanal cold-brew concentrate, having just launched last month, a java turf war soon may be afoot.

The Break: Anyone wishing to capture the look of 1970s SoCal should look no further than The Break. The surf shorts brand is designed in LA and manufactured in a small shop in the OC using premium fabrics. Extolling excellence over excess, only 100 units of each design are sold, lessening the chances that more than one surfer on the same beach will be wearing matching gear. They are as functional as they are fashionable, with snaps, zippers and Velcro in strategic locations, and traditional colors, stripes and bold prints complimenting a basic summer wardrobe. All of the trunks are made in the signature above-the-knee style that has beach bunnies buzzing this summer.

Olasul: This contemporary swimwear line whose name is a synthesis of ola, meaning “wave,” and azul, meaning “blue,” seeks to spark the bond between man and ocean. Though that might seem like a tall order, Olasul shorts reflect the ethos of the unspoiled South American coastline from whence they’re derived. Founder Lorenz Korder Fort was raised in Peru and manufactures the line between Lima and the States. In addition to emphasizing a flawless fit, the shorts herald an exceptional color palette and ethereal print options, including one inspired by the sunset. Those whose thighs aren’t ready for an audience have the option of a slightly longer inseam.

Onia: Onia, which is Hebrew for “ship,” makes simple, yet sophisticated, shorts that are utilitarian enough for surfing. Expertly manufactured, the brand prides itself on its unique cotton-nylon blend that feels as good as it looks. Indeed, the fabric is engineered to dry fast and prevent wrinkles. Similarly thoughtful construction ensures superior durability: mesh lining counteracts daily wear and tear, metal closures on drawstrings hamper fraying, and a locker loop encourages wearers to not drop their drawers on the bathroom floor. While the label doesn’t yet have its own boutique, Onia shorts are sold in a number of stores throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Made-to-Order: As anyone who’s tasted ice cream from a freezer-burnt pint can attest, freshness matters. Several parlors are taking that to heart. San Francisco’s just opened Smitten has a liquid nitrogen machine that mixes ice cream on the spot. A mere 60 seconds after choosing between flavors like ‘Maple Brown Sugar Butternut Squash and Candied Yams’ and ‘Strawberry and White Balsamic,’ customers can dig in to a new batch. Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights recently welcomed Ample Hills Creamery, which pasteurizes its ice cream on the premises. As such, it’s the only parlor in New York City that has been verified by the Department of Agriculture as a true dairy plant.

Sandwiches: The rise of the ice cream sandwich is rendering moot the debate over “cup” or “cone.” Two years ago, Coolhaus began peddling its “architecturally themed” sandwiches on the streets of Los Angeles. Since then, they’ve expanded their truck routes to Austin and, as of last month, New York City—all while planning the opening of their first brick-and-mortar shop. Meanwhile, the Wu Tang-inspired C.R.E.A.M. in Berkeley lives up to its motto of “Cookies Rule Everything Around Me.” On the East Coast, those who are willing to wait in line for the mix-and-match dessert sandwiches at New York City’s The Meatball Shop will be pleased to know that the downtown restaurant has two new locations coming soon.

Delivery: If leaving an air conditioned apartment to hail the ice cream man sounds like too much sacrifice, there are new delivery options that make indulging even easier. Parfait, an organic purveyor in Seattle, now delivers right to customers’ doors. Those who place an order online receive their pints the following Tuesday or Thursday. Deliveries come in a reusable insulated tote bag that is the recipient’s to either keep or return in exchange for a free ice cream voucher. And although they’ve relocated to Palm Springs, CA from Washington, D.C., the duo behind Sweet Bite Creamery promises that its D.C. fans won’t have to go without, thanks to its cross country delivering “ice cream fairies.”

Rock Beach: For the past six summers, creative agency JellyNYC’s Pool Parties have served up Sunday bacchanalias of free concerts. Last year’s swan song, in Williamsburg’s East River State Park, marked the end of an era, but the spirit will live on this summer at the inaugural Rock Beach series. The six-week concert event is moving into Floyd Bennett Field, former site of New York City’s first municipal airport. Though details remain vague, artists expected include Odd Future, Fleet Foxes, and Hercules and the Love Affair. Attendees may not need to even worry about being too buzzed to bike home: if enough sponsorship dollars come through, they’ll be able to camp at the site overnight.

Rockaway Beach Food Stands: While most boardwalk cuisine is limited to juvenile fantasy ‘meals’ of fries, soft serve and cotton candy, a new slate of Rockaway Beach eateries is more akin to the type featured in an Edible Communities publication. Among the big names joining urban pioneer Rockaway Taco this summer are Caracas, Blue Bottle Coffee and BabyCakes. Famed wood-fired pizzeria Roberta’s and local, sustainable butcher shop The Meat Hook are teaming up on Rippers, a gourmet burgers-and-dogs surf shack. And Motorboat & the Big Banana, a new venture from Jean Adamson (Vinegar Hill House) and Lindsay Robinson (Diner, Bonita) promises to preserve the beach fries tradition, alongside oyster po’ boys and fish and chips.

Veggie Island: Last summer, a modest farm stand adjacent to the aforementioned Rockaway Taco introduced local fruits and vegetables to Rockaway Beach. While providing fresh berries to surfers was laudable on its own, this year the produce purveyors behind Veggie Island are thinking bigger. After reaching their $15,000 fundraising goal on Kickstarter this month, they’re aiming to expand beyond merely importing Hudson Valley greens for summer salads. Rather, Veggie Island “wants to foster the natural connections between the people, their environment, and the food we eat.” This will happen through the launch of an expanded retail venue, as well as a community outreach program that will encompass gardening, cooking, youth internships, and environmental educational programs.