Saul Ortiz Executive chef, Tacos & Tequila (Luxor)

“I remember going to middle school in Mexico City. We had to take the subway to get to school. There was one specific station on the subway, one stop where you open the doors and the smells of tortas would just grab you by the nostrils and pull you out. They were Cuban-style Mexican tortas, because they were pressed, but you could smell the fresh bread being toasted.

"For our lunch special we do three tortas, and they all incorporate these traditional flavors that take me back to my childhood. We get these really nicely baked bolillos from a Mexican bakery. It’s not like any other bread. It resembles a French roll, but it has a sweetness almost like a Hawaiian bread with a nice texture like a brioche. It has all these things at once. It’s not going to get soggy when it soaks up all the juices from the meat, but you can still kinda crunch it up a little bit. Bread is so important on a sandwich.”