Fruity, frozen treats? We’re in! Popafella Paleta Bar (paleta, FYI, is just a fancy Spanish word for popsicle) kicks off the all-too-short summer this weekend with a weekends-only pop-up popsicle shop in Kanata South.
Husband-wife team Darren and Catalina Viau (he’s the chef, she focuses on the marketing) launched Popafella this year after realizing that there was room in the market for healthy vegan frozen treats (think real fruit and no artificial flavours). Darren, for the record, is the chef behind The Cookery Bistro, a popular Kanata sandwich and salad stop.
Wondering about the name? It’s a merger of Rockefeller and popsicle. “The word Rockefeller is synonymous with luxury and we wanted to evoke the same feeling when people think of our popsicles,” Catalina explained. They were also inspired by one of John Rockefeller’s most famous quotes: If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.
These popsicles are first of all pretty, but are also the product of much time, love, and expertise spent pairing the flavours and perfecting the mixtures and freezing process.
The duo are in the process of transforming the pop-up spot into a popsicle shop with teal, white, and gold decor and a popsicle-inspired photobooth provided by MDRN Photobooth Co. There will be seating available.
And for those who don’t want to drive, the studio, where the pop-up takes place, just happens to be located a few steps from the Trans Canada Trail so you can walk or cycle over.
A few flavours that have us drooling:
Strawberry Limeade: Strawberry, lime, organic sugar
Orange Dreamsicle: Madagascar vanilla, fresh orange, organic sugar, mango
Basil Blueberry Lemonade: Basil, fresh lemon, organic sugar
PB&J: Organic peanut butter, organic strawberry, banana, organic sugar
Fudge Life: Organic almond milk, organic cocoa, organic sugar
Find it: Popafella, 65 Denzil Doyle Ct., Unit 109 (Kanata)
Date: Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (and continuing on weekends throughout the summer)
Price: $4 each
City Bites Hot Tip: Bring friends! It’s buy two, get one free for the June 2-3 launch weekend.
City Bites Hot Tip #2: Don’t panic if you can’t make it for opening weekend. Popafella plans to pop up just about every weekend this summer, so do a quick check of their site to confirm before you head down for a cold treat.