Happiness is a belly full of tortas
Barriga Llena translates as “full belly,” and that’s exactly what you’ll have after polishing off a huge torta at this tiny jewel box of a restaurant on Aurora Avenue North.
Framed photographs on the restaurant’s yellow walls make the connection to Mexico City; the tortas help you taste the connection.
Wonderful, squishy sandwiches on soft rolls sport lots of meat - carne asada, chorizo, pierna (pork leg meat) - with garnishes such as avocado, melted quesillo cheese and even pineapple.
Order at the counter; the menu above it is a clever rendition of the Mexico City subway line, with various tortas representing subway stops. Meat is king here and makes an appearance on every sandwich but one. That one has three types of cheese: quesillo, queso blanco and queso amarillo.
You won’t find combo plates, guacamole or tortilla chips at this restaurant - nothing but tortas, and that’s all you’ll need. Except for maybe a Jarritos (the national Mexican soda pop). All the flavors, in their rainbow-colored glory, are lined up in front of the cash register to help you make your choice (I like the tamarind).
The menu is in Spanish, though I found that if you stand and chew your lip long enough, the friendly guy behind the counter will smile and hand you a menu with English translations.
We took a seat and noticed a steady stream of takeout orders, although a few tables were filled for a late lunch on a Friday afternoon.
My skinny friend only ate half of her torta and took the rest home. I, on the other hand, finished the whole thing, hence my own “barriga llena.”
Check please
The Española: This torta had a layer of fluffy scrambled egg, crispy around the edges, and a long piece of chorizo sausage cut lengthwise and laid crisscross over the egg, with melted quesillo (a mild white cheese), ripe slabs of avocado, lettuce and tomato. The chorizo was a chewier, drier version - exactly the kind I like - with a fragrant, spicy kick. And, refreshingly, it wasn’t salty.
The Argentina: That delectable chorizo and a thin slice of breaded steak came with the same toppings as the Española. We were also given a tray of hot red sauce and a mixture of jalapeños and carrot. I tried (and liked) it every which way - plain, with the hot sauce and with the peppers.
Leigh Haddix: haddixleigh@yahoo.com