Photo by Lauren Kirsch
The South Side’s bicycling sellers of paletas, those frozen Mexican confections on sticks that put popsicles to shame in their variety of flavors and textures, will be gone once the snow hits the ground. Some specialist grocers and restaurants stock them all year round, and one offers a boggling assortment of the treats.
La Monita De Michoacan Paleteria (1117 W. Lincoln Ave.) displays its namesake wares behind the same kind of curved glass case common to ice cream parlors, all the better to be tempted by the deliciousness on offer, whether in flavors of dubious nutritional value (bubble gum) or a reasonable facsimile of breakfast (granola, fruit and chili powder). Between those extremes are familiar options such as creamy strawberry. La Monita also serves ice cream and frozen yogurt. A few fried, spicy, crunchy munchies may be had as well, like pork skins with hot sauce.
Leave your plastic and checkbook at home- cash is the sole acceptable tender here.