Photos by Jamie Plain
If your taste buds are begging for something new, skip the usual spots and roll into a world of flavor at La Michoacana de Owensboro. What began as a colorful dessert trailer is now also a full-fledged storefront just off KY 54, bringing even more of the Villanueva family’s signature flavors to town.
Edilmar and Sulie Villanueva, who also own and operate a community favorite food truck in Tacqueia de Bendicion de Dios, launched La Michoacana as a way to share the fresh, vibrant sweet treats they fell in love with on family trips to Mexico. Now, they’re serving up those same bold flavors right here in Owensboro — whether you’re walking up to the trailer or swinging through the new drive-thru.
“We never imagined doing ice cream, but the Lord opened the door,” Sulie Villanueva said. “We’ve always loved visiting these types of places when we travel to Mexico — it’s something close to our hearts. So when the opportunity came up, we decided to go for it.”
The trailer’s main offerings are mangonadas, paletas, and nieves. Mangonadas are a refreshing frozen dessert that combines sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory flavors. It’s comparable to shaved ice in texture and is often garnished with tamarind straw and chamoy sauce, which is sweet, salty, and spicy all at once.
A paleta is the exotic cousin of a basic popsicle. They can be made of fresh fruits such as strawberry or mango, or can have a creamy texture (imagine a pudding pop that got reinvented as a healthier, more glamorous version of itself).
Nieves are somewhere between sorbet and ice cream, with La Michoacanda offering traditional fruit flavors such as lime, mango, watermelon, and strawberry in addition to more playful options such as bubblegum and the mysterious “Angel’s Kiss.”
On the non-dessert side, La Michoacanda showcases popular street snacks such as elote (Mexican street corn), chicharrón preparado, and Dorilocos, which feature layers of chips, cheese, peanuts, cucumbers, and spicy toppings.
Everything is made fresh by the Villanuevas, often from scratch and always with care. There are few, if any, preservatives involved. Though Edilmar Villanueva is an experienced cook, the family took classes and consulted a friend from Chicago to perfect the authentic processes.
For the Villanuevas, the food enterprises are a true family effort. Their children — Bradley, Jasmine, and Angelina, as well as son-in-law Jose Roblero — all help.
The new brick-and-mortar location is located in the space that most recently housed The Peach Cobbler Factory after years of being a Baskin-Robbins. It offers dine-in and drive-thru service — and the same family-focused atmosphere they’ve always fostered.
“It’s a great spot with lots of traffic, and it’s be nice to have a place for families to come and sit down and enjoy themselves,” Sulie said. “We’re just really grateful for the opportunity.” OL
