The Stop: Beacon HillThe Vibe: Mexican-Asian fusion. Block by block on Beacon you might find yourself in a small tienda selling calling cards to Mexico, or a salon devoted to people with Filipino locks.The Cafe:

La Bendicion (2544 Beacon Ave., S., 329-1039), as the distinctly Spanish-sounding name implies, caters mostly the hill’s Hispanic population. It sells a variety of Mexican basics–beans, queso, and home-made tortillas. But in a nod to its neighbors, La Bendicion also sells Asian candies, including sugary marshmallow ice cream cones filled with jelly.This small tienda is a little overwhelming when you first walk inside. The walls are covered with posters, clothing items, and baseball caps; deflated futbols sit in the corner; the shelves are packed with products. If you’re a first time visitor, here’s what you do. Walk past all the brightly colored packages vying for your attention and head straight to the counter. Immediately buy two tamales, as recommended previously on Voracious. Then, while they are heating up, explore the rest of the market.In this case, ice cream and cocoa do not go together.The day I visited, mole tamales were on the menu. Mole is an unsweetened cocoa-based sauce, traditionally served with chicken. It’s simultaneously rich, thanks to the cocoa, and spicy, thanks to whatever else is in the recipe. Tamales can be dry or tasteless if made incorrectly. But La Bendicion doesn’t have that problem–they are perfectly moist, filled with chicken, spices, and that delectable mole sauce.While waiting for mine, I added a couple of other items to my purchase, a soft Mexican cheese to eat at home with the tamales and a bag of those bizarre Asian marshmallow ice cream cones, because how could I possibly resist?If you love stale cotton candy more than anything, you’ll like the cones. But if over-processed sugar sets your teeth on edge, stick to what La Bendicion does best: warm tortillas and chocolate-covered, chicken-filled tamales.