Gilroy’s newest ice cream shop isn’t your run-of-the-mill Baskin-Robbins. It’s a festive destination brimming with color, fresh fruits and spices.
Named after the country’s coldest state, the atmosphere inside Neveria Alaska, which is Spanish for “Alaska Ice Cream Parlor” is anything but chilly. The service is friendly and warm, and interior colors of orange and yellow, along with hanging banners in the bright red, white and green hues of the Mexican flag, invoke more of a “South or Central American” ambiance than “North Pole.”
“One of my kids said ‘Alaska’… because the state of Alaska is cold – and I liked the idea,” said store owner Francisco Mendoza, of how he came up with the name.
Located at 7291 Monterey St. near the corner of Seventh Street, Neveria Alaska opened in May and is owned and operated by brother/ sister team Francisco Mendoza, 39, and Maria Zepeda, 44, of Gilroy. Francisco previously worked in construction while Maria used to clean offices. Together, the siblings decided to pursue their American dream by starting their own business.
“I need to stop in and try it,” said Eric Howard, former chairmen of the Gilroy Downtown Business Association Board. “I think it’s great. The more stuff you can get like that the better.”
Neveria Alaska touts Mexican-inspired flavors such as pinenut, corn, tequila, arroz con leche, horchata, pineapple and coconut. Other flavors are inspired by South American novelties such as pisco, a grape-based liquor famous in Chile and Argentina. And for the less adventurous, there’s usually a traditional favorite in the mix like cookies and cream.
“Really, what people come for are the Mexican flavors because they’re hard to find,” said store Manager Jesus Becerra. “Normally, they’d have to drive to San Jose or L.A. to get something similar.”
Ice cream isn’t the only treat in the store for customers looking to try something a little off the beaten path.
A bevy of mangos, pineapples and watermelons sitting on the store counter can be sliced to order and seasoned with tamarind (a sweet and sour spice that comes from the pod of a tree native to Africa), or drizzled with a tangy, red hot sauce called “chamoy.” A glimpse through the door of the store’s refrigerator reveals a cache of coconuts and pineapples, which can also be sliced to order.
“We wanted to make it playful and to welcome families because it’s a hard area to welcome families,” said Becerra, who grew up in Gilroy and notices that not many children play in downtown Gilroy these days.
Francisco and Maria say business is going well.
Drive by the store on any given afternoon, and it’s common to see clusters of children and their parents enjoying ice cream at the colorful tables and chairs positioned just outside. Becerra says it’s nice to see some life and vibrancy on the same block as Garcia’s Club and Restaurant, Aloha Club, Al Cuts barbershop, and the empty shell of Baja Burgers, a longtime local favorite that shut down last year.
“It’s great to see people from this area hang out in this area,” Becerra noted. “Some students stop by for snacks two to three times a week. A few customers like to walk to the ice cream store after work.”
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Erika Castro, 30, stood with her husband and two daughters as they ogled at the selection of flavors. Castro’s youngest, a 3-year-old with long black hair named Giuliana Valadez, enjoyed some samples.
“Do you want this one?” Castro asked Giuliana as she tasted the rainbow sherbet.
Giuliana nodded while a young employee scooped up a generous pink and green blob of sticky delightfulness. Giuliana gave the ice cream a lick, then politely offered the cone to her dad so he could try some, too.
While flavors such as sherbet and bubblegum are always popular with the younger crowds, Becerra says adults enjoy leaner options like the slices of spiced fresh fruit.
The store also offers snow cones, banana splits and lovely edible fruit arrangements that can be seasoned with tamarind, salt, chili or hot sauce.
Additional items such as fresh natural fruit and vegetable juices have proved popular in the mornings.
A drink called “rojo,” or “red,” is a juice made from a healthy mixture of beets, carrots, orange juice and celery. Another choice called “Piña loca,” or crazy pineapple, is a concoction of orange juice, jicama, watermelon, cucumber, salt and lemon drizzled with a secret red sauce and piled into a fresh pineapple. The item sells for $9.99 and is considered a family recipe.
Becerra says Sunday is always the busiest day, with a line of church-goers traipsing out the front door as families wait their turn.
“Every time I see them, I am reminded of when I was a kid,” said Becerra, who remembers attending church with his family every week, then gathering afterwards for a meal and some quality family time.
Francisco and Maria buy their ice cream from a San Francisco-based independent contractor that has made ice cream for four generations. Becerra often requests custom flavors such as horchata.
“It’s kind of like Willy Wonka – anything I can think of, she’ll make,” Becerra said, of the store’s provider.
Each week during the summer, Neveria Alaska offered a special ice cream flavor, which was announced on their Facebook page. Some of the featured flavors included Red Bull, horchata with strawberries and arroz con leche – a flavor that became so popular, it became a staple.
Customers can also order “ricos cocos frescos,” or delicious fresh coconuts, which consist of fresh coconut shavings served in a bowl with salt, lime or chili seasonings for $4.99.
For Francisco and his two children, owning an ice cream shop is a dream come true. Francisco says he and his children have always loved ice cream. If one thing is certain, he certainly stands behind – and enjoys – his own product.
“He eats a lot of ice cream – like double the amount I do,” laughed Becerra, who remembers watching Francisco sample more than 10 flavors of ice cream before finishing a container he had already sampled.
And it’s not just Francisco whose sweet tooth is hooked.
“I’ve got people from San Jose that come in here on weekends – that’s how good it is,” said Becerra. “They’re coming to Gilroy, which is nice.”
-Located: 7291 Monterey Road in downtown Gilroy
-Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeveriaAlaskaGilroy?ref=stream
-Phone: (408) 767-5059
Ricas Mangonadas, $4.99
-Mango ice cream, fresh chunks of mango and hot sauce served in a cup like a smoothie.
Mango con chile, $2.99
-Fresh mango seasoned with chili.
Mexican hot dog, $3.50
-A hot dog wrapped in bacon served with jalapenos, pico de gallo and ketchup
Nachos, $3
-Chips, piled high with cheese, jalapenos and tomatoes
Aguas frescos $2.99
-Or “fresh water,” it’s a refreshing mix of blended fresh fruit, water and sugar.
Exotic ice cream flavors, $2.50
-A few examples: Pinenut, corn, tequila, arroz con leche and horchata
Piña loca, $9.99
– Called the crazy pineapple, this combination of orange juice, jicama, watermelon, cucumber, salt and lemon is drizzled with a secret red sauce and piled into a fresh pineapple. The masterpiece is crowned with a Mexican and an American flag.
*Menu item prices range from $1.99 to $9.99
