Serving up Nostalgia with homemade Gorditas

Ifyou’re familiar with the smell and taste and feeling that come with growing up eating homemade flour gorditas from Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, then expect to be swept up by a wave of nostalgia as soon as you step into a new Mexican restaurant in Lakewood named after its signature recipe, Nostalgia Gorditas.

Located at the corner of South Street and Bellflower Boulevard, Nostalgia Gorditas opened last month, replacing the longtime and beloved Don Ruben’s Mexican Grille by longtime Lakewood residents Arlae and Javier Chio. Married for 24 years, Arlae and Javier have raised their four kids in Lakewood. He’s a soccer coach in the parks and Arlae is a PTA mom. Both have led successful working careers, but three years ago, they started catering birthday parties and special events with recipes that Javier’s grandmother and mother passed down to Arlae. Their catering business grew exponentially during the pandemic, where they turned to offering their gorditas at trendy, local pop-ups. Sure they always talked about opening up their own restaurant, but they didn’t know their famous gorditas would lead them to opening up a restaurant. It has been an incredible journey to get here, said Arlae.

Nostalgia Gorditas isn’t your typical Mexican restaurant, though. There is no carne asada, and that surprises a lot of people, Javier said. “People are used to eating tacos, and tamales and sopes, and we love eating all of that, but gorditas de harina, [gorditas made of flour] are signature to Torreon, Coahuila. People in the States are familiar with gorditas that are fried and are made with corn flour called masa, the kind of corn flour that is used in tamales and sopes, but that’s not how gorditas from Torreon are made,” he added.

“Our gorditas are made with only flour. People from different states in Mexico make food differently and often, use different ingredients. You won’t find gorditas like ours anywhere else.”

Along with the gorditas, Nostalgia Gorditas also serves up family recipes for guisos, or stews, which go inside of the gorditas – very similar to flour tortillas but smaller in size and a bit thicker. According to the Chio’s, in one month the community has spoken and according to their biggest seller, their Chicharron en Salsa Verde, [pork belly in green salsa], is Lakewood’s favorite. Their second biggest seller is their Rajas con Queso, which is a stew made out of poblano peppers, cheeses, corn and a secret cream sauce.

“For years, we knew we had something special with my family’s recipes,” said Javier. “Having the opportu- nity to share my grandmother’s recipes with the community I call home, is surreal, because for us, this is the food we make for dinner, this is us opening up our family dinner table to our community. When you come to eat at Nostalgia Gorditas, it is an extension of dinner with my family.”

Nostalgia Gorditas is family owned and family operated. As parents, the Chio’s have raised their kids with the same values that have been passed down from generations to generations. “We are a united family that does everything together, so to see my eldest sons cooking their great grandmother’s recipes and enjoy doing it, fills me with great pride,” said Arlae.

Torreon, Coahuila is a place in Mexico that doesn’t get enough credit, said Javier. People are familiar with gorditas from Mexico, but not the way they’re made in Torreon.

Among the guisos [stews] on the menu are a Chicken Tinga, similar to a braised, shredded chicken stew with a little spice. Also on the menu is a Guiso de Calabaza, a zucchini and corn stew. Nostalgia Gorditas is currently offering a soft opening menu, which is specific to gorditas stuffed with guisos.

“I love seeing people enjoying our food, and staying a while," Javier said. Nostalgia Gorditas is a place where you can eat good food in a family environment, because we’re a family here.”

Nostalgia Gorditas pays homage to Javier’s late grandmother and mother. “There’s nothing better than eating good food that inspires nostalgia from our childhoods,” said Javier. “That’s where the name for the restaurant came from; eating gorditas reminds me of my childhood, growing up in Torreon, where the food was good, and family was everything.” ♦