And the Best Juice in Prospect Heights Is...

Floating around Prospect Heights searching for fresh juice on the blistering cusp of August ends up rewarding and thirst-quenching.

Though I only found two bona fide juice bars (Healthy Nibbles and Natural Blend), I certainly found five excellent glasses of fruity or vegetable elixirs. My list also includes the Milk Bar, Ample Hills and Rawstar.

The criteria? The juice tastes great, was house made daily—maybe that minute right in front of my eyes or in the nearby kitchen. It also needed to either be cooling, healthful or in some cases, a meal unto itself.

Here are my finds in order of preference. The winning concoction, Natural Blend’s carrot and orange juice.

1. Natural Blend: 769 Washington Ave. at Sterling (718) 783-1737.

A Jamaican family that prepares hearty, vegan foods alongside a rainbow of liquid refreshment owns Natural Blend. Juices are made while you wait, hopefully consumed quickly for maximum health benefits.  

Hang out on one of the tall stools while downing a glowing glass of carrot-orange juice or one of the many smoothies, designed to do everything from boost energy or your immune system, improve your digestion or love life. Cold cases brim and entice with beautiful banana and zucchini breads, vegetarian rice and curry dishes, tofu salads and stews, non-dairy kosher ice cream.

2. Milk Bar: 620 Vanderbilt Ave. at Prospect Place (718) 230-0844.

Not sure how they do it, but the Milk Bar’s limeade proved a perfect pick-me-up when the heat was unbearable and the need to hydrate became urgent.  

I was told limes are squeezed every morning, then upon ordering, combined with liquid sugar and water. I thought it might be better without sweetening, but was informed I probably wanted the sugar “to take the edge off.” 

This simple drink was so delicious and refreshing, I could easily have finished a quart or more. Try as I might I cannot replicate their version so look forward to joining the laptap crowd who calls this place home.

3. Rawstar: 681 Washington Ave. at Prospect Place (718) 975-0304.

It takes a while for the Green Juice (a heady, grassy mix of spinach, kale, cucumber, lemon, ginger and parsley) to materialize, but quality goods made with TLC take time and this tranquil raw food restaurant is not the place to pop in and out.

Relax, listen to the New Age music while enjoying the tiki-hut vibe of bamboo-covered walls, driftwood, low couches and a portrait of Bob Marley.

Chef Mawule Jobe-Simon and his sister Daiema Lawrence hail from Trinidad and are enthusiastic about raw food, a novel and growing trend to some people, a long-standing way of life to others.   

4. Ample Hills Creamery: 623 Vanderbilt Ave. at St. Marks (347) 240-3926.

Only open eight weeks, this corner spot was an immediate hit for young and old, extended families and hipster couples. Rich, creative ice cream combos (maple-bacon, anyone?) are all made in-store.

A new special totally welcome during the heat wave is a glass of frozen strawberry-lemonade, so thick you want a spoon, so refreshing you want to order a few rounds. The seasonal treat is concocted from organic fruit, cane sugar and a touch or cinnamon. Staff is super friendly and smart (an iPad serves as the cash register).

Now if they could only figure out how to avert the blaring sun from all the happy, hungry folks clamoring for a cold one.

5. Healthy Nibbles: 305 Flatbush Ave. at Prospect Place (718) 636-5835.

Sharing brick-walled space with a no-frills frame shop, Healthy Nibbles is the real deal for serious juicers. Whether you choose a fertile shot of wheatgrass (a bi-weekly routine for some customers) or a cleansing tonic of beets, carrots, apples and ginger, all of their combinations boast properties that detox, control blood pressure, fight cholesterol or simply energize, something we all need during the dog days of summer.