Though it waves in English speakers with the label "ice cream shop," at Paleteria Fernandez, popsicles are the prize. You'll find typical Mexican varieties like tamarind, mango with chili, and "rice pudding" as well as familiar friends like cherry, lemon, and lime, but my instincts sent me looking to the far end of the spectrum. ("I think that's spicier than you'll like it, sir," the counterman said, though not quite in those words.)
This slab of focaccia ($2.75) was so large and so soft you could use it for a pillow, except that you'd be picking olives, onions, and roasted red peppers out of your hair. Other eat-on-the-spot choices include ready-made sandwiches, salads, and the like, but the main attraction is the bread — perhaps 20 varieties, each hand-labeled with name and pedigree. Sweeter options include macaroons, croissants, and a reverse-engineered "Ring Ding."
The Kneaded Bread
181 North Main St., Port Chester, New York
914-937-9489
Waggin' Tail cream soda (12 fl. oz.; $1.50), one of three Freaky Dog flavors, is sweetened with cane sugar rather than corn syrup (and at that price, it had better be); otherwise, just OK.
Marini's Deli
340 Willett Ave., Port Chester
914-939-4201
Bakery-café-minimart with a well-filled display case and lots of room to sit down with your selections, like a flaky slice of spinach-and-egg pie ($3.20).
Panaderia Uruguaya las Gemelas
204 Westchester Ave., Port Chester, New York
914-937-4322
Mais brand suco de goiaba (guava juice; 335 ml.; $1).
Fera Brasil
47 North Main St., Port Chester, New York
914-939-3940
Frozen-dessert shop that also maintains a small display of hot snacks by the register. The counterman called this a papa rellena ($1), but in contrast to the usual mashed potato, stuffed with ground beef and deep-fried, this version (shown in biteaway view) had an exceptionally thin, crisp skin, and the diced potato inside was paired with chicken.
Sweet Cream
118 North Main St., Port Chester, New York
914-939-0140
