Thanks to Cardinal Corner for their support.
If you’re craving something sweet, Robert Street certainly isn’t lacking in drive-thrus to swing by and pick up some dessert. However, there are two locally-owned, globally-inspired options in Signal Hills worth getting out of your car for.
Micho Love
1201 S. Robert St. #4A / Facebook.com/MichoLoveMN
The recently renamed Micho Love (formerly Michoacana Pedir de Boca) opened in 2018 and expanded in 2020. This bright Mexican ice cream shop has adorable anthropomorphic ice cream characters on the wall and colorful decor that serve as a cheerful backdrop for your food photography.
It serves up a wide variety of paletas (popsicles), ice creams, agua frescas, and unique offerings like the tangy and spicy mangonada. The mangonada is one of my favorite items—a dish of smooth mango sorbet topped with chamoy (a jammy fruit sauce), chunks of fresh mango, and sprinkled with tajin. The huge selection of ice cream ranges from the kid-friendly (Superman) to the traditional (cookies and cream), to flavors you won’t find anywhere else in town (tamarind).
We tried cookies and cream, pistachio, Ferrero Rocher, and strawberry on our last visit, all stacked into a flaky waffle bowl. Our favorites were a tie between pistachio and Ferrero Rocher. Both were ultra creamy and flecked with nuts adding the perfect amount of texture.
A visit to Micho Love isn’t complete without taking some of their paletas home. This year, I found these to be the perfect dessert to serve at COVID-cautious gatherings. The paletas are individually wrapped and please kids and adults alike. You can choose from water-based paletas, like strawberry or pineapple; specialty paletas like my favorite, the fruit and yogurt paleta; and cream paletas, like caramel and chocolate abuelita. Now that summer is right around the corner, I know we’ll be stopping in frequently after a visit to the park or grabbing paletas for family barbecues.
Tii Cup
1193 Robert St. S. Suite 100 / TiiCup.com
Tii Cup opened in late 2020 (we provided a sneak peek here). This family-owned spot has five other locations in the Twin Cities. Their menu of boba teas and other treats is endlessly customizable.
To make things easy, you can start with one of their popular or signature drinks—like golden milk tea, Thai tea, or tarococo milk tea. Most of their signature drinks come with boba, sweet and chewy tapioca pearls. Or you can create your own drink choosing from dozens of different flavors of tea, mix-ins (such as different bobas, seeds, or fruit jellies), and levels of sweetness.
My kids are partial to adding in popping boba, which are sweet fruit-flavored pearls that pop when you bite into them. If tea isn’t your thing, opt instead for an Icii, which has the texture of a fruit smoothie, or an Oreo snow, that tastes like a decadent chocolate milkshake. Both are made with finely shaved and fluffy ice.
On my last visit I had one of the specials—the brown sugar milk tea—a simple tea latte with a decadent caramel finish. I also enjoyed the strawberry motiito, a refreshing riff on a mojito. The drink was effervescent with chunks of real strawberry and fresh mint leaves. I added popping strawberry boba to give it a tart kick.
Tii Cup also has a small three-item menu of Taiwanese street food to order alongside your drink—popcorn chicken, tofu squares, and fried calamari. The modern dining room is currently closed, but you can order in person or online and have your drinks ready when you arrive, or take your drink on the small patio if there is space.
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