A Mangonada is one of Daniel Castro’s favorite desserts at La Fresa Ice Cream & Mexican Restaurant — the paletería, or Mexican ice cream shop, that he runs with his mother, Monica Alatorre. It’s a blend of house-made mango sorbet, chamoy syrup, fresh-squeezed lime juice and chili-lime Tajín seasoning, crowned with a tamarind candy straw. Sweet, slightly sour and spicy, the treat ($7-$16) is a light, refreshing way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
“Chamoy … it’s a red sour syrup that Hispanic people will put on everything — popsicles, ice cream,” Castro says. “You’re craving the taste of chamoy, Tajín and the fruit. That combination … in our hearts, in Mexican culture, we hold that very closely.”
Since opening its doors in 2018, the shop, which also serves savory foods such as tostadas and tortas (Mexican sandwiches made with telera bread, baked in Columbus) has found a loyal customer base. Many recipes are from Alatorre, who was born in Mexico.
“There’s a huge demand for this sort of stuff because there’s a high population … of Mexican folks that stay here in Akron and even in Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio,” Castro says. “People drive far to come to us.”
La Fresa offers around 50 varieties of popsicles ($3 each), from tequila to Gansito brand Mexican cake. All popsicles are made in house and most contain fruit, nuts or more additions.
“We put a slice of the Mexican cake in the popsicle,” says Castro of the cake flavor. “You’re gonna taste the chocolate, the vanilla breading and the raspberry filling.”
Also order Columbus-baked flan, house-made ice cream or a piña loca ($20) — a hollowed-out pineapple, filled with cut fruit such as watermelon, cucumber, papaya, cantaloupe, mango, strawberry, banana and apple — topped with Tajín, chamoy and a squirt of lime juice. “You’re gonna get an explosion in your mouth,” says Castro. “It’s a different experience.”
Connected to La Fresa is another shop called Dulcelandia, or Candy Land. It sells piñatas, devotional statues, canned goods, tamale ingredients and more.
“You have to come to a traditional Mexican shop to find these candies, and that’s what we wanted to provide,” says Castro.
La Fresa represents more than just mouthwatering confections: The business also allows Castro and Alatorre to share their culture.
“It is such a special feeling when … I see them so happy and so satisfied with their food,” he says. “It means the world.”
447 Darrow Road, Akron, 234-706-2143, lafresaakron.com
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