Dec. 4, 2023

A Mexican ice cream shop from the owners of Giliberto’s Mexican Taco Shop opened today.

La Michoakanita, featuring frozen treats made on-site and Mexican street food snacks, is in the original home of Giliberto’s at 712 S. Minnesota Ave.

Ana Coconi, whose family owns the mostly regional chain of taco restaurants, started making plans for the ice cream shop two years ago when Giliberto’s moved into the former Wendy’s building next door.

The new shop offers treats like the ones Coconi enjoyed growing up in Guanajuato, a Mexican state north of Mexico City.

The menu features ice cream, sorbet and paletas, which are fruit-filled popsicles. Customers can choose from a variety of toppings for those treats: fruit, candy, sprinkles or even a scoop of ice cream on the paletas.

The vibrant color for most of the paletas comes from the fruit used to make them, Coconi said.

There are milkshakes that come with a churro, agua frescas in seasonal fruit flavors, mangonadas, chamoyadas, hot chocolate and coffee drinks.

Fresas con crema has strawberries and strawberry ice cream in a sweetened cream sauce, topped with granola, coconut flakes and whipped cream.

Customers can find Mexican street food snacks like Tostilocos,  chicharron prepardos and elote, or seasoned corn on the cob. There are traditional Mexican fruit cups and bowls like the sandia loca, or crazy watermelon, which is served in the shell of a watermelon.

The shop seats 40 customers in hot pink booths and at a few tables.

Winter hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. In warmer weather, La Michoakanita will stay open until midnight.