Nothing suits so well as ice cream on a hot and sultry Mazatlán afternoon…read more
An ice-cold Mexican Coke might do in a pinch, but when the heat's on, when you need something sweet and refreshing to make the day "soportable", that's where La Nueva Michoacana comes in.
Located on a busy outside corner of the Mercado Pino Suárez - itself a block-square structure packed with stalls selling everything but frozen treats - La Nueva Michoacana sticks to its knitting, offering sorbets and ice cream - mamey and guava are excellent choices - and paletas, in flavors that include two of my favorites: grosella (red currant) and limón con chile.
And for the tired shopper - the store is located amid Mazatlán's Centro district, where much shopping is to be found - La Nueva Michoacana provides chairs, positioned between two open doors to catch the breeze, and graciously allows non-customers to rest themselves.
Such hospitality can lead people to be hospitable.
I recently walked into the shop, bought a treat, and sat my large self in the last available seat, a plastic lawn chair that objected to what was happening.
The man sitting next to me quickly offered the wrought iron seat he occupied. I agreed, and when we'd swapped and settled, I asked, "Were you afraid my chair was going to explode?"
"Yes," he said, with a chuckle and a grin.
Grateful for his generosity, I offered the man, whose name was Salvador, half of the pan de elote I'd purchased inside the mercado.
He took it, and as we ate, we agreed that such abuela food is getting harder to find in public, and is thus doubly gratifying, once found. For a few minutes, we chatted about our homes (his, east of Mazatlán; mine in San Diego) and our governments (both shockingly and inexcusably corrupt).
Eventually, Salvador's kids arrived, and he introduced me to his happy family with a quick recap of the whole chair business. Everyone laughed, the kids bought paletas and soon, Familia Salvador went about their day.
But first, we took a group selfie, which my new friend was kind enough to email to me. And in our email exchange, we agreed to find a way to visit one another again.
All of this, thanks to La Nueva Michoacana.
