Intergalactic and Planetary, Popsicles and Ice Cream From Paleta Planeta Splash Down in San Jose | Eater SF

"Born in 2021 when brothers Mauricio and Luis Salazar began selling paletas from their parents’ garage, this Mexican popsicle shop built its reputation in San Jose through experimental flavors and expanded from a ghost kitchen inside Zuñiga’s Restaurant and a paleta cart to a standalone paleteria that opened downtown on Saturday, September 21. The shop stays true to an outer space aesthetic—walls adorned with moons and stars, a Jupiter disco ball and mini disco ball UFOs above the tables, and a life-sized astronaut—while the counter displays large tubs of ice cream (banana brownie, bubble gum) and rows of vibrant paletas, including birthday cake, ube brownie, and pistachio cheesecake. Some creations draw from the Mexican candy aisle—the mazapan paleta uses bits of mazapan, the Gansito paleta features a whole frozen Gansito, and there are paletas with suspended sour gummy worms, whole Reese’s, or chunks of Ferrero Rocher—while other paletas are seasonal and made with fresh fruits rather than extracts or frozen fruit; the strawberry cheesecake paleta mixes housemade strawberry jam with rich, tangy cream cheese, and avocado is offered with either chocolate (to bring out richness) or coconut (to boost its nutty flavor). Paletas are produced by dunking molds into a flash freezer to make them in minutes and keep them from becoming dense; flavors refresh daily though many popular flavors remain in rotation. The storefront also offers customization—dips in white or dark chocolate; toppings like peanuts, tajin, or cookie crumbs; and drizzles of cajeta, condensed milk, or chamoy—and specials such as a mini fruit paleta dressed with tamarind chile candy, chamoy, tajin, and fruit sorbet, plus ice cream scoops topped with a torched marshmallow. The brothers have expanded the team with family members and plan to use the downtown location across from city hall and near San Jose State University to connect with the community through paint nights, vendor pop-ups, and “Pop with a Cop.”" - Octavio Peña