MSP - Best Piñatas and Mexican Candy?
I'm looking for a place that has a really good selection of piñatas. I'm specifically looking for a bumblebee, but another critter - perhaps a spider - might do in a pinch. So I want a place with a really good selection so I can wing it (so to speak) if necessary.
I've seen piñatas at El Burrito Mercado, El Mercado Central, and Midtown Global Market (the candy stand). But my recollection is that the selection isn't that great at any of these places.
Where would you go for your specialty pinata?
Thanks,
Anne
P.S. I've mentioned candy to keep this chow-related, but I'm really just interested in the piñata. For the treats, I plan to go to the candy stand at the Mercado Central (unless there's somewhere even better).
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Midtown Global Market
920 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407
El Burrito Mercado
175 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107
Mercado Central
1515 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407
By AnneInMpls
on Jul 10, 2008 01:39 PM
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I've seen butterflies at Target. Not sure if they have them now or not. I'm sure these came all the way from China.
And I'm sure you can get candy at Target too but probably not authentic Mexican. : )
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Yeah, the problem with Target is that they don't sell tamarind-flavored candy hair (mini pelon). Or mango jawbreakers (bolitochas) with a hot-chili filling. Or my favorite - goat-milk caramel (cajeta) lollipops. Maybe someday...
Anne
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We always get our pinatas at Mercado Central, which, of course, you've already mentioned. Our last one was an adorable tiger--orange and black striped. If they can do a tiger, I'm sure they can do a black and yellow striped bee, which would be cute! If you ask the gal for a bug or spider or something specific she might have one tucked out of sight a little--that little shop is bigger than you think. I suppose she might even be able to order one for custom order one, if you have enough time.
The other thing she'll do is "consult" with you on the right type of pinata to get. The pinatas come in various thicknesses depending on how old the kids are and how long you want the breaking of the pinata to last (not long, or stretch out over a half hour).
I love the Mexican candies (we tried some fun ones, including a chicken flavor at one of the Midtown Global Market chowdowns) but actually eschew them for pinata purposes (ironically) because I know some parents have concerns about the safety of some of the Mexican candy. So, we've gotten our candy at Sam's Club (lousy, I know). But, last time I was at Cost Plus (the Edina one), I noticed they had a lot of really neat imported candies. I don't remember any specifics, but I remember thinking I should make a mental note to check that out next time I do a pinata. But, I don't remember any of it being especially cheap--I suppose you could mix them with more affordable candy.
Last suggestion, again, I know it's not authentic, but Party America has a zillion pinatas. I could find a bug or a bee on their website, but they do have some neat dragons and dinosaurs, http://www.partyamerica.com/category/... as well as a spiderMAN pinata. Also, it might be worth a phone call to see if they could special order for you. You could still buy the Mexican candies to put in it, if you didn't mind making two stops.
Finally, don't forget the paper sacks for the kids to hoard their candy stashes!
I know this wasn't the answer you wanted, but I do hope it was helpful in at least some way. You've listed all the places I'd check for a real pinata. Please let us know if you end up finding the bee! Good luck!
~TDQ
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TDQ, this is a great tip, since I'd be going to Mercado Central anyway for candy. And I had no idea that they came in different thicknesses - this is brilliant!
I'll probably end up making my own bumblebee piñata. (How hard could it be? she asked naïvely.) But that tiger sounds wonderful for next time.
Anne
EDIT: Thanks for the partyamerica link - what great piñata ideas! I really love the black dragon.
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