New downtown hipster deli open now but wouldn’t you rather eat a torta?

My daughter Becky loves to go to Chapter One: the Modern Local, with her boyfriend Alan.  She says they have the best drinks in town.  Now the guys who opened that restaurant have expanded with a new venture – a hipster deli called C4: the Cure for the Common.  It is located across from the Memphis at Santora, in the historic 1931 Empire building at the corner of Third and Broadway, near Chapter One.

For lunch, C4 plans to offer a variety of sandwiches – from classics like corned beef and pastrami to specialty creations such as a beef tongue sandwich served with baby octopus and heirloom potato salad.  Sandwich prices will range from $6 to $18 – the latter price reserved for some “crazy,” yet-to-be named sandwiches, Hall said, according to the O.C. Register.

C4 will be a deli shop in the area–a place that’ll sell chorizo and carne asada, for sure, but also some pastrami, morcilla, and other wonderful meats, along with the sandwiches to feed ravenous government workers, according to the OC Weekly.

C4’s Facebook page mentions House-cured meats, house-baked breads, house-made pickles. Draft and bottled beers, wines by the glass and by the bottle. Sandwiches, soups, salads, beer, wine, cheese.”

Their website offers an interesting description of what they hope to accomplish – It will speak to the Art Deco exterior of this historical building, the Empire Building, with Craftsman warmth as well as grandiose odes to 20’s stylized Art Deco sunbursts, long lines and the sheer, stark beauty that Rockefeller would’ve been envious he didn’t design and own for himself. Gotham City meets Frank Lloyd Wright, while maintaining the non-“Disney-esqe” way of making it actually feel like it authentically has been operating for decades with an inviting warmth.

But does Downtown Santa Ana need another hipster eatery?  If you ask me the best sandwiches in town are not the sort you will pay through the nose for at C4.  Give me a torta any day!  What is a torta, you ask?

In Mexico a torta is a kind of sandwich, served on an oblong 15 cm firm, crusty white sandwich roll, called a bolillo, telera, birote, or pan francés, depending on the region. Tortas can be eaten cold or hot, grilled or toasted in a press in the same manner as a cuban sandwich or panini.

Garnishes such as avocado, poblano, jalapeño, tomato, and onion are common. The dish is popular throughout Mexico, and is also available anywhere with a large number of Mexican immigrants. In Northern Mexico, the torta is very frequently called lonche by influence of the English “lunch“, as it may be eaten during lunch break.

The sandwich is normally named according to its main ingredient:

• Torta de jamón, ham-filled torta
• Torta de aguacate, avocado-filled torta
• Torta de adobada, adobo meat-filled torta
• Torta de huevo, scrambled eggs-filled torta
• Torta de milanesa, milanesa meat-filled torta

But the torta ahogada, the “drowned” torta of Guadalajara is so called because it is smothered in a red sauce. Different fillings are available and they may be mixed to create an original torta.

Due to the practicality of being hand-carried, tortas are sold at massive events such as football matches, parades, and outdoor concerts, but they are also available for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at dedicated establishments or sold as street food by food carts.

There are no tortas at C4!  They just offer these:

No thanks….I will stick with tortas!  And they are a better value too, at $3 to $9 at most restaurants.

You can buy delicious tortas in Santa Ana at:

• Tortas Sinaloa – at 701 S Harbor Blvd
• Torta Ahogadas Los Primos – at 2301 W 5th St
• La Chiva Torta – at 454 Mortimer St
• El Pollo Norteño – at 202 N Grand Ave and 1525 W 1st St Ste A
• Taqueria Carniceria Tapatia at – 1118 W 1st St
• Cancun Juice – at 2302 S Bristol St
• Las Tortugas Grill – at the Corner of King and Stanford
• El Gallo Giro – at 1442 S Bristol St
• Taqueria Tapatia – at 202 S Bristol St
• Jugos Acapulco – at 307 E 1st St
• La Cemita Poblana – at 519 S Main St
• Potzoldencano – at 1003 S Bristol St
• Chago Ahogadas – at 819 S. Main St
• Jugos Vallarta – at 1312 W 1st St
• El Rincon Chilango – at 1133 W 17th St
• La Torta Loca – at 2031 E. 1st Street
• Taqueria El Triunfo – at 2502 Westminster Ave
• Taqueria 2 Guys – at 925 W Warner Ave
• Rigobertos Brothers Taqueria Taco Stand – at 100 S Mountain View
• Antojitos Clemente – at 210 W 1st St
• Tacos Ruben Y Mulitas – at 1221 E 1st St
• Alebrije’s Grill – at Cubbon St and S Main St
• Don Jacinto Pollo Grill – at 2413 S Fairview St
• Taqueria Azteca – at 2610 Westminster Ave
• La Vida Taqueria – at 3620 W 1st St
• Taqueria Acapulco – at 2419 McFadden Ave
• Taqueria Los Grandes – at 1736 W 5th St
• Tacos Y Mariscos Sinaloa – at 1620 E 1st St
• Los Panchos –  at 1208 E McFadden Ave
• Jimenez Ranch Market – at 1303 N Main St
• Tacos Sinaloa – at 1430 E 17th St
• Gammy’s Cafe – at 415 N Grand Ave
• Taquerias Guadalajara – at 1904 W 1st St
• Clemente Seafood Restaurant – at 124 W MacArthur Blvd
• Los Reyes Del Elote – at Corner of Main and Chestnut
• El Pico de Gallo Grill – at 901 W 17th St
• Sahuayo Primo – at 2056 S Main St
• Taquerias Guadalajara – at 305 E 4th St
• Salmeron’s El Tapatio – at 1214 E Pomona St
• Taqueria Del Sur – at306 W 4th St
• El Jalapeno’s Mexican Food – at 1221 E 1st St
• Taqueria Castillo – at 413 W 17th St Ste 107
• Clemente’s Seafood – at 210 W 1st
• Super Antojitos Express – at 1702 N Bristol St
• Tito’s La Especial – at 701 N Harbor Blvd
• Brito’s Taqueria and Restaurant – at 122 E 17th St
• La Cocina De Mi Abuelita – at 2640 S Bristol St
• Taqueria Zamora – at 3121 S Main St
• Sariñana’s Tamale Factory – at 2218 W 5th St
• Mary Restaurant – at 1819 S Main St
• Alexa’s Catering – at 201 S Mountain View
• Adalberto’s Mexican Food – at 2429 N Tustin Ave
• El Ensenada Grill – at 2501 N Grand Ave
• El Bukanas – at 1920 W 1st St
• Reynas Market – at 902 W Mcfadden Ave
• Alebrijes Grill – at Sycamore and Pomona
• Tacos Mexico – at 2102 S Bristol St
• Alberto’s Mexican Food – at 1425 E Edinger Ave
• Taco Mexico – at 100 S Harbor Blvd
• Taqueria America – at 1701 E McFadden Ave
• Baja Fish Tacos at 3664 S Bristol St
• Charlie’s Best Burger – at 140 S Grand Ave
• Carnitas Uruapan – at 2106 W 5th St
• Taqueria El Triunfo – at 903 S Bristol St
• Costa Azul Restaurant – at 2401 S Fairview St
• Pollo Ranchero Restaurant – at 1227 W 1st St
• Costa Azul 2 – at 800 W 17th St
• Taqueria El Triunfo – at 1840 S Standard Ave
• Arsenio’s – at 751 S Harbor Blvd
• Zapata’s Grill – at 3314 S Bristol St