La Niña Opens Its Doors on Washington Avenue

The staff of La Nina is pictured outside the restaurant located on Washington Avenue in Chelsea.

Columbus Hospitality Group, the same restaurateurs that brought you the Theater District’s Teatro, the South End’s authentic French Bistro Mistral, and several other acclaimed restaurants in Boston has recently opened up their newest venture, a tortillería, just off Broadway Chelsea at 181 Washington Ave, La Niña.

The idea to open a tortillería in Chelsea was born when the owner of CHG’s wife, originally from Mexico, realized that there was nowhere in the area where you could get a hot, fresh tortilla like home.

“In France you have your baguettes, in Italy, your pasta. Tortillas are the bread and butter of Mexican cuisine,” says Brandon Child, La Niña’s manager.

Crafting the perfect tortilla is no easy feat, however; it’s a practice – the temperature, the water, the corn, and the altitude all must be in harmony. Thus, Brandon Child and some staff members traveled to Los Angeles to learn the art. In due time, they returned to Chelsea with the proper ingredients and machinery to get their tortillas cooking. Using water and non-genetically altered corn from Illinois, they were able to put together the perfect recipe. The corn needs to be cut, ground, shaped, and then baked. Altogether, the process takes about 18 hours to come to fruition.

Of course, tortillas aren’t all that’s available at La Niña. The tortillería also produces all homemade tostadas, chips, pico de gallo, cilantro, guacamole, and their own signature version of the popular Dorito chips. With a combo of cheese and chili powder, you’ll find yourself addicted to these unique chips, and they’re perfect for guacamole dipping!

At La Niña you’ll also find glass bottles of Coca-Cola imported from Mexico. Unlike in the United States, Coca-Cola produced in Mexico uses real cane sugar for an extra sweet taste.

Of course, all of these items are reasonably priced and a great idea for parties or simply cooking dinner at home. The authenticity is unmatched by any other local restaurants. Once you taste the tortillas from La Niña you will be hooked – I can testify!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *