The woman behind the unique Mexican popsicles, ice creams, and desserts at La Newyorkina is Fany Gerson. The half Mexican-half Jewish chef also happens to be the mastermind behind one of the city's best doughnut companies, Dough. Anybody who comes on our Midtown Sights & Bites tour knows that firsthand since we end with samples of her amazing yeast bombs.
Fany combines flavors from her heritage into her creations. Originally from Mexico City, she went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America before working at Michelin-starred restaurants and eventually starting two very successful New York businesses.
The What:
La Newyorkina has been her passion project for many years, bringing traditional Mexican ice cream and paletas (popsicles) to New York. She opened her first location in Red Hook, Brooklyn just days before Hurricane Sandy devastated the neighborhood. After the shop was forced to close, she continued selling the refreshing ice pops from carts across the city, most notably at Astor Place and two locations on the Highline, which you may see on our High Line & Chelsea Tour. And in 2017, she finally opened up a cute little tiendita (store) in Greenwich Village where visitors can watch the traditional nieve de garrafa sorbet being paddled by hand.
The paletas come in flavors as diverse as tamarind, mango, and cucumber lime. There is even a chili station where the employees recommend you add some spice to the sweet popsicles. Some of the other more rare desserts she offers are chamoyadas (a sweet/spicy/salty/sour icy concoction), spicy candied pumpkin seeds, and Mexican wedding cookies.
The Why:
Ice cream is available all over New York, but not quite like this. And the refreshing fruit based popsicles are important in the heat of the summer (they're actually important all year round). And this is the place where you can celebrate Mexican sweet culture and give your tastebuds an unexpected ride. It's another example of the diversity of New York and shows you can get just about anything you can imagine here.
The Where:
La Newyorkina
240 Sullivan Street
New York, New York 10012
(646) 861-0727