Chow Bella

Cafe: La Tolteca

We've been known to travel great distances in search of Mexican pastries. Perhaps that's why we almost drooled right through the Cafe page while reading this week's New Times.

Food Critic Michele Laudig on La Tolteca:

The smell alone is enticing, and I get a little giddy about the overwhelming selection. Should I go with pastel-colored, shell-shaped conchas, puffy round pastries called ojos ("eyes") and orejas ("ears"), or perhaps tender fruit-filled empanadas? Yes to all of the above. A large cup of horchata is probably a good idea, too.

Past the panadería is the counter where you can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner from an extensive menu posted above the cash registers. Nearby, there's a bar stocked with four kinds of salsa (beware the truly hot habanero; even the "medium" has a serious kick), lime wedges, and a potent mix of pickled jalapeño, carrot, zucchini, onion, and green beans...full story

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Jonathan McNamara

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