Our Weekly Bread: Las Tortas

There's an old Mexican adage that, when translated, reads: Ain't nothing about a sandwich that can't be made better by rolling it up in a tortilla.

Oddly, Las Tortas has taken this saying (which I actually just made up) and turned it on its head. There ain't nothing about Mexican food that that can't be made better by slapping it between two pieces of toasted bread.

Tortas are nothing new, thank god. I've been eating them in Colorado and California for a dozen years or more. But unlike almost every other kind of cuisine I've sampled, I don't think I've ever had a bad one. Which makes it all that much more difficult for a tortas restaurant to stand out among a slough of other tortas shops.

Las Tortas stands out. With this torta, the marinated chicken and steak oozed with spicy flavor, while the avocado, onions and tomatoes (essentially deconstructed guacamole) were fresh and delicious. Beans and cheese were the glue.

The giant hunks of telera bread held the whole thing together - not as well as a tortilla, maybe, but like a fine cross between a toasted sub and panini.

And the Jalisco is just the beginning. There is a seemingly endless list of ingredients and combinations (including chorizo, eggs, ham, and a sort of Mexican chicken fried steak) to choose from at Las Tortas, and a register-side diagram explaining the whole program.

Ain't nothing about a torta that Las Tortas hasn't made better.

See past sandwiches in the Our Weekly Bread archive.