I have a confession: I am a picky tortilla eater. I will side-eye the hell out of you if you whip out a bag of Mission Tortillas for anything other than to use as poor man frisbees, and if you try to serve me enchiladas on flour tortillas, you will go on my blocked list. It’s fresh tortillas or bust.
And, before you start griping that you can’t FIND fresh tortillas around here, I’m going to stop you. You can find fresh tortillas – maybe not at City Market, but if you stop your happy ass at Tortillas Doña Maria next time you’re on a mall run in Farmington, you can. As I found out recently, Doña Maria is the place to procure fresh tortillas, and they even have freakin’ corn. Oh. And they’re super affordable. We’re talking $3.70 (plus tax, of course) for a dozen corn tortillas, and $4.45 for flour. My half-Mexican heart is so happy.
A friend and I picked up two dozen early last week on a whim while on a Farmington run for another story and it was a killer choice. The moment we walked through the glass doors, which are covered in cling wraps boasting photos of their delicious food, that this was the right choice to make. Everything about the little Farmington restaurant, from the menu (which is in Spanish and English) to the minimal decor, was authentic.
We ordered a couple dozen tortillas and some lunch, and then grabbed a red booth and took in the vibe. That’s the beauty of this place – Doña Maria has a full menu AND a tortilleria – and as we waited, we watched. There were people dotting every booth – men sitting alone and tucking into tacos and groups of construction workers stuffed alongside a round table waiting for their food.
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Our tortillas and lunch – a carne asada torta and chicken flautas – arrived quickly and were piping hot. I had to stop myself from digging into the tortillas right at the table, as I had plenty of carbs in my lunch alone. And, like Doña Maria’s tortillas, they proved to be authentic, delicious carbs, crafted from the Mexican food gods in the back. By the time we found the bottom of our plates, we couldn’t have possibly fit a single tortilla in our bellies.
It wasn’t long before I dug those bad boys out at home, though. Flour tortillas hot off the skillet, especially covered in butter and salt, are the perfect comfort food, and I ate entirely too many to count. The corn tortillas went in a pan of homemade enchiladas, and will now be my staple tortilla when making Mexican food. They were the perfect size, shape, and consistency.
If you’re going to eat tortillas (or Mexican food in Farmington), you need to eat Doña Maria’s tortillas. There’s no excuse to deprive yourself of the real deal, and there’s NO excuse to eat Mission Tortillas when you have such a fine option just across the New Mexico border. And, while you’re there, pick some up for us, too. We’ve already exhausted our supply.
Tortillas Doña Maria is located at 1930 San Juan Blvd, Farmington, NM. For more information, call 505-564-8241 or visit tortillasdonamaria.com.
Angelica Leicht
