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A Patriotic Popsicle Plus a National Picnic Month Deal

There aren’t many things more American than a popsicle on Fourth of July.

One potential exception: David Hasselhoff.

Think about it. He’s everything any self-respecting, red-blooded American wants to be. As Knight Rider he owned an indestructible black Trans Am so smart it often outwitted him in conversation, though maybe that's not so much of an accomplishment for a car of Kit's caliber. Baywatch wouldn't have worked without him and his hairy chest. His was likely the best Comedy Central roast since the one on his busty Baywatch co-star.

He's the king of celebrity memes on the Internet. Him eating a cheeseburger hammered remains some of the best amateur food videography ever completed, though it is a little sad. But that's part of his power: Show me a star who better captures the good and the bad of our cultural obsession with celebrity and I'll buy you a Hoffsicle.

Yes, that is right: The Hoffsicle is here, just in time for National Ice Cream Month. Lay your peepers on that bad boy.

In (vaguely) related notes, thanks to proud American Ronald Reagan, July 17 is National Ice Cream Day. Hula's in Monterey (655-HULA) is celebrating by trumpeting the qualities of its house made, fresh coconut ice cream. Personally, I am more impressed with their loaded happy hour (2–6pm Tuesday–Saturday and 4–6pm Sunday and Monday) and Mahalo Mondays, where they give 10 percent of revenue to local nonprofits that rotate through each month. July spotlights Big Brothers Big Sisters; August boosts Animal Friends Rescue Project.

July, it turns out, is also National Grilling Month and Picnic Month.

Wild Plum Café and Bakery (646-3109) is celebrating through July 31 with a couple of promotions worthy of passing along:

Chef Pamela Burns' "Summer Lunchin'" deal translates to a healthy, fresh box lunch to go that includes one of her noteworthy sandwiches or entrée salads, an organic piece of fruit, homemade cookie and bag of chips. Not bad at all for $9.95 plus tax. That's 11:30am-2pm daily.

Her "BBQ Box Dinner" is also a hearty bargain, with two pieces of barbecued bird, a homemade roll, French potato salad with roasted corn salad on top, a small green salad and a Wild Plum-selected sweet treat for only $12.50 plus tax from 3pm until close.