• Melissa Pasanen
• Jessica and Joel Nevarez

Seasonal icy treats will give way to heat when Mexi-Cuban Cravings opens on Friday, March 1, in the wooden food shed just off Five Corners in Essex Junction. Co-owners Jessica and Joel Nevarez bought the small, red-roofed building located in a grassy area at 3 Main Street from East Coast Ice, which operated there for two summers before leaving to focus on its mobile business.

The couple will serve Mexican and Cuban takeout food daily and year-round. During the warmer seasons, customers can eat on picnic benches.

The menu will include street tacos filled with slow-cooked carnitas or grilled carne asada; Cuban-style arroz con pollo served with plantains; and weekend specials, such as the traditional Mexican soup called pozole. Almost everything will be cooked from scratch, including salsas starting with dried chiles, which will range from medium to very hot.

Many of the recipes come from Joel's father and mother, who were originally from Mexico and Cuba, respectively. "He's the Mexi-Cuban of Mexi-Cuban Cravings," Jessica said.

Jessica, 47, previously worked as a traveling nurse, and Joel, 49, most recently cooked in the kitchen of a Williston retirement community. They described themselves as avid home cooks who love to feed friends and family.

As its name indicates, the couple's venture was also inspired by their cravings for food they enjoyed in San Diego, where they lived before moving to Vermont with their kids in 2017. "We were missing the authentic San Diego Mexican food, like good street tacos," Joel said.

Learn more on Instagram @mexicubancravings or call 713-8898 to order ahead.