Breakthrough milkshakes, juices, popsicles and lots of hot dogs demonstrate summer is truly here.

If summer were a shoebox spot for food and drink it would be The Ice Box (601-3633) at Mid Valley Shopping Center in Carmel Valley.

Now that personality tornado Rachel Wahl bought it from her former boss – Fadi Alnimri also sold neighboring Athena Cafe (624-3056) to focus on new-this-week international eatery Treehouse Cafe (626-1111) in Carmel-by-the-Sea – it does more than the gourmet Marianne’s Ice Cream in 14 flavors ($3.50/single; $4.50/double), plus toppings ($.50), fresh juices and smoothies, though those are done with renewed energy, creative and otherwise.

Check out the all-fruit Good Morning (carrots, strawberries, apple), Healthy Glow (cucumber, blueberries, pineapple) and Fruitlicious (strawberries, melon, banana, ginger) smoothies made for $5.25 (20 ounce) or $6.75 (24). And customized juices with 11 inputs to play with – garlic! kale! carrot! – for $6.75 and $8. Plus protein powder, superfood or chia seeds for $1 a pop, in either.

“I need another chalkboard,” says Wahl, a Peninsula native, Stevenson grad and longtime hospitality industry vet. “I have so much going it’s kind of overwhelming.”

Wahl’s also adding basic-but-increasingly popular panini – cheese layered with either turkey, ham or tomato ($5 each) – and crepes with Nutella and banana ($4), ice cream and fruit ($4) or turkey, cheese and avocado ($6).

Particularly eye-catching for folks floating around in the sun halfway to Carmel Valley Village, though: the homemade organic popsicles ($2). Flavors like Meyer lemon-cantaloupe and watermelon-lime change constantly and sell out quickly. Sour plum and pink lemonade are on the way. New special shakes – 50/50 orange sherbert and vanilla bean ($6/20-ounce), for instance – are also proving popular.

“It’s been awesome,” Wahl adds. “I have amazing customers.”

But it’s what lands between Ice Box’s buns that has been the most surprising best seller.

They had me at “Prunedale.”

But the onion rings, shredded cheese, bacon and barbecue sauce deepened my crush for the Prunedale Western ($6.06) at Diggetty’s (633-6100).

Same goes for the condiment bar, floats ($2.49), BYOB banana split ($2.99), miniature carousel, and motto (“Fun on a bun”). The fountain side patio tables gussy up the strip mall too.

Diggetty’s represents a forgotten institution for far too many communities – especially here – a venue driven as much by air hockey, nachos and nostalgia as really good Nathan’s dogs on giant garlic Coney Island buns.

But while other local tube-meat masters don’t have arcade games and air hockey, they each do their own thing with similarly unique character.

Take Mark Hyle. He quit his job as a builder to power through permitting hell with the county to set up his Quick Bites hot dog cart – epic name, BTW – at Carmel Post Office in the Crossroads midday weekdays (11am-2pmish). He sizzles onions with mild and spicy sausages, slices ’em open, melts on a slice of cheddar and packs the caramelized onions, sliced tomato and gherkin pickles on top for $3.50. Sodas are $1, chips $.75.

Or Brian Christensen, the semi-secret superchef at Brophy’s Tavern (624-2476) also known for fried chicken-ham breakfast sandwiches, frog legs and sweetbreads, who stocks the largest dog in the district. His half-pound footlong with Nathan’s meat on a Philly cheese steak roll – aka “the homewrecker” – is $10; with a $5 pint, so is the quarter pounder on a pretzel roll, the Chicago-style with tomatoes, celery salt, pepperoncinis, deli relish and yellow mustard, or the regular with spicy mustard, onions, relish and jalepeños (they’re also $5 a la carte, but what fun is that).

Or Salinas Donut (796-0807), waiting there with all-beef dogs and all the accoutrements ($3.50) to go with donuts on the Greyhounds that leave from next door – or the grill master outside Nielsen Brothers Market (624-6441) 10:30am-3pm daily. Star Weekly editorial intern Josh Marcus says the dogs are the reason he was late to class once a week; the hot and Polish varieties ($2.99) are spicy, crisp, and snappy, the franks ($2.99) the same as those served at Niner games.

Or Ken Stratton, whose business model at A Plus Marina Quality Water (883-3915) includes mailbox rentals, filtered water, Gizdich Ranch pies and – just like Ice Box – Marianne’s Ice Cream, 32 flavors strong. Fridays through Sundays he stocks 100-percent beef Miller dogs, with quarter pounders ($3.75), still hefty regulars ($2.75) and a 10-item topping bar – plus bacon-wrapped beauties ($3.25-$4.25).

“Hot dogs are like mom’s apple pie,” Stratton says. “They’re [almost like] part of America’s national anthem.”

That’s what Wahl is learning at Ice Box, where she does Miller’s dogs ($4.50) with a condiment bar, and combos with chips and Mexican Cokes ($6.50).

“The response has been incredible, to the shop and the hot dogs,” she says. “The hot dog fans have surfaced, out of the woodwork, far and wide. A whole family from China all had dogs today.”

Send your undercover, underappreciated and/or underdog dog spots to edible@mcweekly.com. And summer on.

QUICKBITES

•Local powerhouse family of restaurants Sarita’s Mexican, which enjoys spots in Seaside (394-4407) and Prunedale (663-0229), now has its big values on plates in the old Pronto Pizza next to Monte Vista Market in Monterey near Del Monte Center.

•Fandango Restaurant now owns Wine Spectator’s 2013 Best of Award of Excellence. A big toast to that.

• The Wharf Marketplace (261-8807) appears on schedule to open – “softly” – late next week. Without a hood in place, it’s TurboChef ovens that allow for hot panini, pizza and roast veggies to go with salads and smoothies. GM Brant Good reports construction is about done and the last produce displays are arriving.

•Montrio Bistro (648-8880) has half price specialty drinks – which rank among the best around – Monday, Aug. 5, as part of its new and impressive Marvelous Mondays program for rewards card holders.

•Aubergine (624-8578) has three nice events coming in a hurry, each a great way to experience one of our best restaurants without declaring Chapter 11 Mi Pueblo style: Food for Thought seasonal ingredient dinner “Spices” Tuesday, Aug. 6, with four wine-paired courses ($85); “Vegetarian the Easy Way” class Wednesday, Aug. 2, with Chef Justin Cogley ($100); and Terroir travel-inspired dinner Vietnamese, with four more paired courses ($85) Aug. 20.

• This column’s tour through Moss Landing last week left out a new funky, stylish hub for artisan design and unadulterated inspiration in Driftwood (632-2800).

• Michelin 2-star whiz out of Amsterdam Chef Onno Kokmeijer and local legend Chef Cal Stamenov do six wine-paired courses for Aug. 8’s Bernardus Heritage Dinner at Marinus Restaurant ($150, 658-3595).

•If you’re wondering how it’s sensical for people to be packing heat in Starbucks and for McDonald’s to think its wages work for workers, I have the cure: 1,000 pounds of lobster, cat sushi and a porn star food instructional. Truly. Visit the blog.

• The Salinas Public Library (758-7311) hosts a gluten-free workshop and cooking demonstration 1pm Saturday, Aug. 3.

•Aug. 1’s Indy Market Place (394-6000) pop up ($25/adult, $20/military, residents, students, $10/kids) dishes pickles from Happy Girl, fresh tri-color rigatoni from Bigoli Pasta,steamed mussels in white wine sauce from Local Catch Monterey (345-5153) and desserts from Emi’s Biscoterria (238-4721).

• Kara’s Cupcakes (375-2253) is open at Del Monte Center.

•Sweet Elena’s (393-2063) celebrates National Coffee Month all August with fancy coffee, an OJ and a morning pastry for $7. Check the fly art from enviro designer, artist and native spirit dweller Tracy Parker too.

• “A hotdog at the ballgame,” Humphrey Bogart said, “beats roast beef at the Ritz.”