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August 08, 2005
Happiness on a stick - only in Nashville
OK, I can make this work. How about Extreme Fun? Extreme Food? Extreme Gastronomical Delights? You get the idea.
Elaine Glusac recently wrote an article for Saveur magazine (Aug./Sept. 2005) about Las Paletas, a tiny shop located in Nashville's 12 South district on the corner of 12th Ave. and Kirkwood (across from Sevier Park) that specializes in gourmet popsicles, or paletas, as they're called in Spanish.
There's no sign out front, but if you find your way there, you can browse freezer cases of delectable frozen Mexican fruit bars. They offer unusual flavors such as lime, hibiscus, avocado, prune, and cucumber with hot pepper and corn. The three-year-old shop is run by Irma and Norma Paz, sisters who grew up eating these treats in Guadalajara.
The sisters were first going to open a smoothie shop, but then a Wild Oats opened down the street and they didn't think they could survive the competition. So they turned their attention to paletas. A chance encounter with a friend led Irma on a journey that ended up in Tala, a small village in Mexico where she found a connection into the industry.
In Mexico she learned that there is a saying that a man should do three things in his lifetime: He should have children, plant a tree and write a book. Irma's teacher considered her to be his way of writing a book, because she was going to share his knowledge with the world.
"There's something about these popsicles," says Irma. "People taste them, and they're transformed." The shop is open from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Popsicles are $2. (And you can't beat that with a stick.)
I will definitely visit Las Paletas while in Nashville - and take pictures so y'all can enjoy with me. (Though I will probably opt for a more traditional flavor - like watermelon or lemon.)
Posted by Shawn Lea at August 8, 2005 03:47 PM
Comments
Las Paletas is indeed worth a cab ride, bicycle ride or a walk! My personal recommendation is the grapefruit - it is fabulous!
Posted by: Claire at September 4, 2005 04:45 PM
OK, someone has to try a prune paleta and let us know if they somehow manage to make that taste good :>
Posted by: Sue Pelletier at August 9, 2005 06:27 PM
The hotel does have a downtown shuttle - it's $14 round trip. Unfortunately 12 South is a good distance from downtown though.
And I wanted to thank you Shawn, for the FYI on Las Paletas! I have lived down the street from that neighborhood for two years now, and I never knew that place was there! My mouth is watering just thinking about it... and I may head there after work today. :)
Posted by: Janet at August 9, 2005 11:39 AM
It's great you're going to experience Nashville.
And by doing so you will learn the one rotten thing about attending events at Opryland... it's a $50+ R/T cab ride downtown where all the interesting stuff is.
To best of my knowledge, Opryland doesn't run a regular free shuttle downtown (but they should). If I'm wrong on that, let me know.
Posted by: RichW at August 8, 2005 06:17 PM
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