My New Favorite Treat - Paletas

[mikeinla10]

I live not too far from Mateo's on Sepulveda and have fallen in love.

Their strawberry paleta is simply the perfect summer treat. The pineapple is awesome too. I tried mango w/ chile also but wasn't thrilled with a spicy frozen fruit bar. But I'm still glad I tried it.

Anyway, what are some people's favorite places for Paletas?

And sorry in advance that I had never had a Paleta until a couple months ago. My bad. It's a complete mystery to me that both agua frescas and paletas have not become more popular in the US. In my mind, they should both be as popular as ice cream, doughnuts, froyo, iced tea, soda, etc. Who doesn't want fresh fruit, some sugar, and some water?

[Dommy]

For price, quality and location... it's hard to beat Mateos!

But for more advanced Paletas, Los Alpes in South Gate is it! And for Fancy versions... Sweet Rose always has a few seasonal ones...

--Dommy!

[Feed_me]

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday (Sunday) when I noticed Mateo's on Sepulveda open later than it's been recently. The counter person told me (this was 6/17/2012) that their current closing times are M-Th 8:30-ish to 9pm, and F-Sun to 9:30pm. So if you got a hankering go to it. I would call first http://www.mateosicecream.com/index.p...

[Baron]

Thanks for the tip. I've driven past this place for years. So I tried it. What a hidden gem for ice cream and fruit lovers. Can't wait to go back and try some other flavors, Mateo's on Sepulveda!

[mikester]

Neveria la Flor de Mexico is awesome ! They have a sweet corn one that is soo good, but actually I enjoyed all of the ones I tried (and I tried as many as I could).

[Servorg]

Mateo's is also perfectly situated for the bicycle riding aficionados among us, as it is directly above the Sepulveda "on and off ramp" of the Ballona Creek Bike Path, which runs from National on the East end to the Pacific Ocean on the Marina Del Rey/West end.

[mikeinla10]

You're welcome, Baron.

What did you get? Did you try the paletas? What flavor?

[Baron]

I had the strawberry, the pineapple and the Mellon awaits in my freezer. I also had some wonderful ice cream, coffee with some chocolate chips. Next time I go, I'll take home some of their fresh cut up fruit and try some of their other goodies. I've been on a fruit kick lately so this place is going to see more of me. I plan to stock up on those fruit pops.

[BrewNChow]

Went in today per your rec, had a leche quemado (burnt milk for you gringos) con pitaya paleta and got a mango con chile and a coco for the freezer for later.

The paleta was bomb, and eating it shirtless in the sun was a nice way to kiss winter goodbye

[bulavinaka]

I don't know what's making my nipples harder - the paletas, your bare-chestedness, or kissing winter goodbye... I jest of course.

The cut coconut is one of the rarer finds here. I'm assuming they do it fresh daily, as cut coconut doesn't keep for long. I always get this because I'm too lazy to crack open my own coconut.

[Servorg]

"I don't know what's making my nipples harder"

For me it's rubbing the plaeta over my (shirtless) nipples...that does it every damn time... ;-D>

[bulavinaka]

So you're the guy I saw riding shirtless down the bike path with the paletas stuck to your bare chest at 2AM this past winter morning... Damn, that really made my...

[Servorg]

You may want to take a look at this "Paean to Paletas" http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/825298

[ipsedixit]

Both in downtown LA: Paleteria La Michoacana and Velarde's Fruits.