The problem with tortas

Eating a pambazo the other day at La Chingada – a small place that I have really enjoyed in recent months that’s quite friendly in contrast to its somewhat crass name – made clear why I often hesitate to order tortas, Mexican-style sandwiches found at taquerias around town.  A pambazo is basically a quickly pan-fried torta drenched in a guajillo pepper sauce, a piquant knife-and-fork sandwich.  I enjoyed the version at La Chingada but that sauce-soaked telera roll was obviously of the dull, lousy Mrs. Baird’s-like quality.  The same issue occurs with the torta at another Mexican spot I’ve had some very good food from, Master Tacos.  The tacos are great there, but the torta is handicapped by cheap-tasting bread.  That happens at too many places.  Most Mexican restaurants here, in fact, in my experience.  The tortillas might be made in house or are otherwise good quality, but the bread, either the telera or bolillo rolls, is of the inexpensive, overly processed variety.
 
As with other types of sandwiches, the bread is substantial part of the whole; it’s not going to be a good sandwich without pretty good bread, at least.
 
There are certainly exceptions to the curse of Mrs. Baird’s afflicting area Mexican eateries.  The fairly new Urbe, from Hugo Ortega and team, has excellent breads for its torta-like creations and Mexico’s Deli on Dairy Ashford, still possibly Houston’s torta king, has long served quality rolls for its innumerable sandwiches.  But, unfortunately, when thinking about a torta at a Mexican restaurant, you might want to think more about something else.

Lame, processed-tasting supermarket bolillos; the problem at many places.