Providing authentic recipes straight from Michoacan, Odiloa Olvidares has opened a new hot spot in our Leyden area this past summer: La Michoacana.  The shop features traditional street food that can be found right in Michoacan, Mexico.  Some popular items on the menu include mangonadas, elotes, etc.

The famous “mangonada”, as explained by Olvidares, includes “mango, guava, tamarind, strawberry, or lemon sorbet with a drizzle of chamoy (Mexican spicy pickled fruit sauce), a sprinkle of chili powder, and a splash of lemon to top the sweet treat off.”  Many first-timers to the treat wonder if it is very spicy, but the kick of the spice is quickly chilled by the sweet, rich, and homemade sorbet.  Another fan favorite contains a lot of spice: elotes.”  Elotes consist of boiled corn, mayonnaise, butter, cotija cheese, and chili powder. This savory snack is served in either a cup or straight on the cob, but both ways surely satisfy late night cravings.  

Not every item on the menu has a kick of spice to it.  La Michoacana offers a various selection of sweet, irresistible ice cream.  Mega fan and frequent visitor of the hot spot, Tom Zdanowski says his favorite is the “Ferrero Rocher” ice cream.  Zdanowski explains it as a “nutty, chocolate delight with bits of Ferrero Rocher.”  A best seller flavor is “Oreo.”  The flavorful concoction includes creamy vanilla ice cream with chunks of Oreo for that perfect cookies n’ cream taste.  Ice cream is served in either a cup, cone, waffle cone, or waffle bowl.  The store also sells “paletas,” ice cream on a stick, in various flavors.

La Michoacana also has traditional American items on the menu.  Best known are milkshakes, frappuccinos,funnel cakes with ice cream, banana splits, fries, and nachos.  Like the authentic Michoacan items, every item on the menu is made from natural ingredients from homemade recipes.

These tasty treats are offered daily from 9 am to 10 pm, right across the street from Leyden on Rose St, as a part of the strip mall.  The area includes a health center, an eye doctor’s office, Positano’s Restaurant, a barber shop, Mai-Quesi II, and La Michoacana.  As a new addition to the strip mall, Olvidares really believes that his snack shop will succeed.  “I chose this location because I had previously worked in Schiller Park.  I was originally looking to open in the Schiller Park Plaza, but I believed in this location more because of how close it is to East Leyden High School and how welcoming the area is,” said Olvidares.  He also explains that opening La Michoacana close to Leyden has opened up the opportunity to hire students part-time.  Olvidares has made it a mission to serve customers delicious, authentic, and natural snacks at a low price.  Prices on the menu range from $1-$6 for the tasty treats.  

So next time you get that little craving for traditional Mexican street food and American classics while getting the most “bang for your buck”, head on over to La Michoacana, right across the street!