Los Reyes de la Torta

Just as I was losing hope, about to abandon this blog to the nether-regions of the Internet, Los Reyes de la Torta came into my life and renewed my spirit that tasty tortas do exist north of the border (albeit only 162 miles north, but north none-the-less!).

I wanted to try Los Reyes de la Torta since reading about it in the Seattle Times over a year ago. Unfortunately, as I lived in Seattle at the time and now reside in the Bay Area, my chances to dine in Phoenix are limited. Cathy, Gabriel and I actually visited family in Goodyear, Arizona (just outside Phoenix) shortly after I read the article, but never made the half hour drive to the restaurant. (Important side note: While I love my in-law's dearly and enjoy visiting them, their house, or maybe it's the entire state, has a way of sucking all desire to do anything but sit on the couch and watch television. I'm not sure why this is (it can't be blamed on the heat since I've experienced the strange phenomenon during the winter), but it's a struggle to overcome this vortex during each visit.)

Anyways, during our most recent visit for Christmas we mastered the art of sitting, watching and eating (poorly). We did it for about five days straight and probably would have kept it up for the remaining two had my brother-in-law, Chris, not intervened. Our idea: Instead of sitting around the house eating poorly, why not go drive somewhere else and eat poorly!

First stop: A cozy brunch spot in Gilbert, Arizona, where they serve killer cinnamon buns and a decent omelet. It was a filling meal, but I wasn't about to let it prevent me from having a torta for lunch. Fortunately, everyone (Cathy, Gabriel, Chris, Brooke and Olive) was on board so we killed a few hours at a park and driving around aimlessly till we ended up at our destination.

Los Reyes de la Torta sits in a small, non-descript strip mall in Phoenix's Sunnyslope neighborhood, also known as "Little Oaxaca," according to the Seattle Times review. The restaurant is surprising large, split by a wall in the middle, making it look like it's two separate eateries. We were seated on the cafeteria-esque side of the wall and treated to the echoey surround sound of two opposing televisions playing the same Mexican polka band. It made for nice background noise as we scoured the colorful menu laden with a multitude of choices, including an entire page devoted to tortas (an entire page!). I opted to split (Actually, Cathy said she wasn't hungry and only wanted a few bites, but like usual she ended up finishing half my meal despite the fact that she also ordered an incredibly large (and tasty!) oatmeal drink...but I digress...) the pollo milanesa (who knew there was such a thing!) torta with chips.

At this point I was sweating. I knew Los Reyes de la Torta had to pull through. Otherwise my guests would wonder what all the torta hype is about. Why do I waste my time writing about tortas and why did I drag them all the way out to this place. And why not one of the other 12 torta places we passed?

When the torta arrived, I knew Los Reyes de la Torta was on my side. A lot can be said about a torta upon first glance. At most restaurants the torta is an afterthought, filler on a menu that no one will ever order. If someone actually does, they'll just slap some burrito ingredients on a loaf of bread and call it a meal. These are easy to spot - little chunks of meat, unmelted shredded cheese, bits of tomato, burnt bread. Restaurants that care have numerous options for what goes into the torta - milanesa, ham, chorizo, eggs. And when they arrive, the crisp roll is overflowing with fresh ingredients - refried beans, slices of cheese, avocado, tomato, onion. The sandwich at
Los Reyes de la Torta fit the bill perfectly. It was a masterpiece. Perfect layers of avocado, tomato, jalapenos and pollo milanesa (seriously, who knew there was such a thing!). My mouth waters just looking at the picture. It was so good and so filling, it made me forget that the torta was served along side Ruffles potato chips. But who cares, Los Reyes de la Torta could serve their sandwich with a side of mushed peas and I wouldn't complain!

So, does Los Reyes de la Torta top El Tigre? No. El Tigre holds a special place in my heart, but Los Reyes de la Torta comes awfully close and it definitely didn't embarrass me, it only reaffirmed that I'm not wasting my time writing about tortas.

Los Reyes de la Torta
9230 N 7th St
Phoenix, AZ 85020

Canchola's Restaurant

I didn't set out to have a torta on this day. I was actually in search of a baño...

We spent the day enjoying the Dia de los Muertos festival in Fruitvale. The crowd was large, and so was the line for the porta-potties.

Cathy, Gabriel and I started down International Boulevard to our old-standby restaurant, Marsicos La Costa (see previous entry). When we got there, we were greeted by a handwritten sign: Bathroom out of order. While we enjoy their $1 tacos, when you gotta go, you gotta go, so we went on to the next restaurant: El Huarache Azteca. Again, a hand-written sign: No baño. Our usual criteria for choosing a restaurant was completely out the window and we were settling for the first place that had a working bathroom. The winner: Canchola's.

Once inside, we squeezed through the tightly packed restaurant and placed ourselves at a small table in the back corner (near the bathroom) and waited to be noticed by the busy waitress. Since I had fallen behind on writing my torta reviews, I had vowed to myself that I would order something else. But as soon as I noticed the torta milanesa on the menu, I knew I was doomed. It's a rare find so I had to try it.

I can't say what Cancholas is typically like, but on this day it was filled with families, who seemed to be enjoying large-portioned meals. It's a simple place with a friendly waitress who didn't speak any English so I had to rely on Cathy to place my order. (Editor's note: Though she won't admit it and she's embarrassed to use it, Cathy's Spanish is quite good. Mine, on the other hand is quite poor. My Spanish is a lot like my 16-month old son's English: Despite our blank looks, we understand a surprising amount, but when we try to talk a bunch of random words come out: i.e. Spanish speaking waitress: ¿Que quieres comer? me: Mama, Tree, Pelota.)

Anyways, the torta fit the restaurant. It wasn't elegant and I didn't expect much from it. The roll was flat and only lightly filled with some mayonnaise, lettuce and a strip of milanesa, but it was tastier than I would have thought. The presentation wouldn't win any awards and the taste didn't leave me craving more, but I wasn't disappointed I ordered it. But, once again, I vow to take a break from the torta, unless of course there's milanesa on the menu.

Canchola's Restaurant
3731 International Blvd
Oakland, CA 94601

Tres Amigos

The torta at Tres Amigos is close to really good, but just misses the mark. I'll blame it on the crowds that swamped the Half Moon Bay eatery during the annual Pumpkin Festival in October. The service was good, but it was obvious they were a bit overwhelmed by the swarm of patrons.

The large, foil-wrapped torta promptly arrived at our table, but it was a bit cold. The cheese was only partially melted and the carne asada was luke warm. In spite of this, the torta still redeemed itself with a nicely toasted bun and the perfect amount of grease - not too dry, but not too sloppy.

It was difficult to truly appreciate the torta knowing that it could be so much more. I left wondering what the torta would taste like when everything is done just right. I'll be back on a less crowded day to find out.

*I lost the receipt, but if memory serves correct the torta was about $6.50.

Tres Amigos
270 Cabrillo Hwy S
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Mariscos La Costa

Disclaimer: I’m partial to Mariscos La Costa. It was the first restaurant I tried in the Fruitvale district of Oakland and much like a first love, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Mariscos La Costa is a simple place. Orders are taken at a window and the dining area is a small, enclosed patio with large roll-up plastic windows. It’s friendly and comfortable and judging by the name, they’re probably best known for their seafood, but I find it hard to break from the habit of ordering the $3.75 burritos, quesadillas and tortas (it’s like they’re giving food away!). I’ve had all three and I’m rarely disappointed.

On my last visit I had the asada torta. The lightly toasted bun is covered with a thick layer of mayonnaise and filled with bits of meat, chunks of avocado, lettuce and tomato. The sandwich is tasty, but it’s a bit heavy on the mayonnaise and it’s missing cheese. The asada is good, but I prefer the chicken, which has a stronger flavor (unfortunately they were out of chicken on this visit). I found myself craving bites of Cathy’s asada quesadilla, which is stuffed with melted cheese and drips with a tasty grease, which the torta lacks.

I’m not disappointed with the torta at Mariscos La Costa, it just pales in comparison to the quesadillas and burritos. But, much like a first love, I’m quick to forgive and forget and I’ll return for another torta soon.

Mariscos La Costa
3625 International Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94601

Otaez Mexicatessen

At $4.50 the regular torta at Otaez is a steal. I ordered a steak torta with cream and just nodded yes when the cashier asked, “everything?” I was a little disappointed when the cook called out “steak sandwich” when my order was ready. I didn’t want a sandwich, I wanted a torta. I realize a torta is a type of sandwich, but it takes away some of the allure when it’s referred to as just a sandwich.

I wasn’t disappointed when the torta arrived at the table. My first thought was, “well, if nothing else, the roll will fill me up.” As a life-long glutton and lover of inexpensive Mexican food, I’ve come to realize that quantity is sometimes more important than quality - sure I might have to spit out a few bites of my burrito, but at least I’m full and only spent a few bucks!

The Otaez torta roll was a massive loaf of French bread toasted to perfection. There was little worry of grease soaking through the bread, which is key unless you like a soppy meal that falls apart in your hands. The torta itself was beautiful: A cream-lined roll overflowing with beans, cheese, onions, cilantro and steak. But the taste was a bit bland. The steak wasn’t marinated and didn’t hold up on it’s own. The cheese was lost in the beans and the taste of the rest of the ingredients was subtle. I had to resort to salsa to give the torta some sort of flavor. I don’t know that I’d order another steak torta from Otaez, but I’d be willing to try another kind, knowing full well that at least I’d leave on a full belly.

Otaez Mexicatessen
3872 International Blvd.
Oakland, CA

The tour begins

I was on my honeymoon in Mexico City when I fell in love. It wasn’t with my wife, it was with the torta.

For five weeks Cathy and I traveled through Mexico, starting in Mexico City, studying Spanish in Morelia, then making a coastal loop from Zihuatanejo, through Acapulco, up to Taxco and back to the capital.

We started the trip as vegetarians, hesitant to eat anything that might make us sick, but as we grew more confident with our travels, we grew more confident with our eating. As time passed we grew restless and let our taste buds wander; lengua, menudo, taco de ojos. My only regret was that we didn’t start our eating adventure earlier. Perhaps it’s better that way, after all, we did discover some interesting vegetarian restaurants and enjoyed the puzzled looks we received when we ordered dishes “sin carne.”

But it was my last meal of the trip, a quick bite to fill up before heading to the airport, that became my most beloved memory.

El Tigre is a small, exposed eatery at the corner of Mariscal and Iglesias that specializes in tortas. “¿Que es favorita?” I mumbled to the friendly server behind the counter in my butchered Español. “Tradicional,” he responded. I took his advice. Sandwiched between a crisp French roll was a thin strip of milanesa­–a breaded meat fillet– along with tender pieces of chicken, ripe avocado, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and savory Oaxacan cheese. Tradicional es mi favorita tambien!

A perfect trip topped off by a perfect meal. My torta benchmark has been set high and I’ve been searching for its equivalent ever since.

I’m always excited to find a restaurant that serves tortas, but I can rarely bring myself to order the Mexican sandwich. I figure I’ll be disappointed so I stick with burritos. Even a bad burrito can be good, but a bad torta is a true disappointment. I’ve come to realize anything can pass for a torta. I’ve had tortas that were nothing more than cheese steaks without cheese.

That’s why I decided to start this blog - as incentive to start ordering tortas. I may be disappointed, but at least I’ll have fun reviewing my experience. And who knows, maybe the research will pay off and I’ll find a torta that will top El Tigre.

I don’t have high expectations for this blog. My only hope is that I can take some nice photos, share my experience and probably put on a few pounds. Estoy listo...