Tortilla Factory

Tonight my parents took us out to dinner. Funny how they can do that when they are in Michigan and we are in Virginia.

Actually, Kristin and I went to grab a bite to eat at The Tortilla Factory in Herndon. We found a $50 bill my parents had given me and decided we had to break it sometime. Kristin and I have been eating at Tortilla Factory for years. She really enjoys their burritos and tacos. It is my dream to swim in a vat of their refried beans.

Tonight when we sat down I asked our waitress, a familiar face who has probably been working there for 10+ years, which was her favorite item on the menu. She replied without hesitation, "Machaca." The menu describes the machaca as 'spicy, shredded beef.' Though I tend to be a wimp when it comes to spicy Mexican food I decided to order a side with my Frijolada Salad.

As usual, the food came in minutes. I tentatively took a bite of the machaca. It was quite good. Then, after a second, boom! the kick hit. I got Kristin to try some. We spent the next few minutes trying to figure out what they used to spice the beef. Kristin figured either black or cayenne pepper. But there was another flavor that we couldn't identify. I finally stopped our waitress and asked. She replied, "White and black pepper, and a little salt. Oh, and cilantro." It was the cilantro that gave it the unique flavor.

I enjoyed mixing the machaca in with my black bean salad. A few times during the meal I dipped one of the nacho chips into the refried beans on Kristin's plate. Their refried beans have a nice texture and partner very well with the chips. Twas a meal I most enjoyed.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

UPDATE: A couple of Tortilla Factory tidbits. They have coupons on their site. They are home of the Herndon/Reston Folk Club's Open Mike Night, which they have been hosting each Tuesday evening for 15 years. I am dying to check it out. Kristin doesn't want to. She hates.