01 Apr “Tacos and Cones Season” is Here! by Amy Emke
It’s spring in Pawling, which, thanks to a certain favorite seasonal restaurant, my family refers to as “Tacos and Cones Season.”
Yes, “Tacos and Cones Season” is here, and I arranged to meet with owner Alyssa Cantisani to find out about what she has planned for the restaurant this year.
First things first: Tacos and Cones will re-open on Tuesday, April 2! Hooray for the first official “Taco Tuesday”of 2024! Alyssa said that in previous years, she’s opened up on April 1 and when she announced this on facebook, people would ask in the comments if it was an April Fool’s joke. This year, she’s mixing it up and starting April 2, if all goes as planned
Alyssa definitely knows what to expect– this month will be the beginning of her fourth season since purchasing the business at the ripe old age of 24.
It’s pretty unusual for someone her age to own their own restaurant, but Alyssa brought a wealth of knowledge about the ice cream business with her when she purchased Tacos and Cones from the previous owner in 2020. Raised in Yorktown, Alyssa began working for King Kone in Somers at the age of 14, and continued to work there on and off for over 10 years, learning every aspect of the business.
Alyssa’s age has led to some funny misunderstandings with her customers, who sometimes confuse her with her teenage employees, asking her why she’s not in school or attending the PHS graduation. One time a customer put a $20 bill in the tip jar, saying to her “Hopefully your boss shares the tips with the employees and doesn’t keep it all.” Alyssa reassured the surprised gentleman that she’s the owner and saves all of the tips to give to her employees, even when she’s working at the restaurant by herself.
Even though Alyssa loved working in the ice cream business when she was younger, after graduating from high school, she pursued a different career path, earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and then a graduate degree in sports management. She was even lucky enough to land a job in her field after graduating.
“I worked for the Springfield Thunderbirds. They’re an AHL team. I had just gotten the job, but then COVID hit and a month later, I lost it”, Alyssa explained.
Having lost her job, she moved from Massachusetts back home with her parents. She again went to work for King Kone for about another year, before she learned about the opportunity to buy Tacos and Cones.
“I loved working at King Kone all through high school, and I loved having the time off for a few months in the winter to focus on my classes, too. I love to travel, and one of the things that I love about owning a seasonal business is that it gives me that opportunity.”
I asked Alyssa what are some of her favorite travel destinations.
Without missing a beat, she replied, “Europe is my favorite place to go. I love it there! But I haven’t been back there since before COVID. Since I’ve owned Tacos and Cones, I’ve gone to more beachy places like Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and some places in the U.S. too.”
Lest anyone think that Alyssa is not a hard worker, Tacos and Cones is open seven days a week from April through November from 11 a.m.- 9 p.m, and Alyssa can be found working there most days.
“When Tacos and Cones is open, I really never have a day off– even when I’m not working there, I always need to be by the phone to deal with issues that come up, things that break or when we run out of any items,” she said, “ I love it , but it can get pretty intense. It’s easier to keep up that pace when I know that I’ll have a few months off when the season ends.”
Although the ice cream and the seasonal nature of the business were the main draw for Alyssa, she says she loves tacos, too! She spent the first couple of seasons trying new recipes, listening to feedback from her customers, and tweaking the menu, but this year she plans to keep the menu the same as last year. In addition to several varieties of tacos, she also offers delicious favorites like taco bowls, crunchwraps, Mexican street corn and burritos.
“People seem really happy with the menu we have now, and we’re pretty much at capacity for new menu items, due to the small size of our kitchen, she said.
At this point in the conversation, I couldn’t stop myself from sharing with Alyssa that I am a big fan of her menu, joking that Tacos and Cones has taught me that I could be a vegan if I lived solely on their vegan tacos, which contain buffalo-style cauliflower and an amazing vegan ranch dressing.
She laughed and told me that I’m not the only one who has mentioned this to her. Her younger brother, who often works for her at the restaurant and is not exactly a fan of eating vegetables, also loves that cauliflower and will sometimes eat a whole bowl of it.
Alyssa has three younger brothers who have all helped out with the restaurant, but her youngest brother, Michael, who just turned 18, has worked there the most.
“He’s been working here since the business opened, but now he works for Dutchess Auto Body. That’s more his speed.”
Alyssa also said that her Dad has helped her a lot, repairing and building things for the restaurant and even working there when she’s short on staff.
There’s one other family member who helps Alyssa at Tacos and Cones, or I should say “Family-Member-to-Be,” Alyssa’s fiance, Charles. That’s right, Alyssa is getting married! Not only that, she’s getting married this month! Therefore, just for the month of April, Tacos and Cones will be closed on Mondays, so she can do wedding things.
Alyssa met her husband-to-be at that ill-fated job with the Thunderbirds, and he has enthusiastically supported her purchase of Tacos and Cones from the beginning.
“He washed all of the dishes every night during our first season, he spends every night after his regular job helping me close up. I’m very grateful for him and the staff loves him. Now that we’re more in the groove of things four years later, he works here less, but still comes in when I need his help. He’s kind of like the Dad of the group, and he’ll do things like buy the staff dinner from other restaurants, if they get sick of eating tacos, ” she said.
Personally, I can’t imagine ever getting tired of the delicious food at Tacos and Cones, and my whole family is enthusiastically anticipating our first Taco Tuesday of the year. If you haven’t tried them yet, you’re in for a treat! Check them out at tacosandconespawling.com or visit them at 9 East Main St. in the Village of Pawling.
Happy “Tacos and Cones Season,” everyone, and don’t forget to save room for ice cream!