NEW ADVENTURES
Tortilla Flat
1 Main Street, Tortilla Flat tortillaflataz.com
A New Outlook Tortilla Flat’s new ‘caretakers’ are looking to freshen it up By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
K
atie Ellering, one of Tortilla Flat’s new owners, isn’t about modernizing the remnant of the Old West
town. She and her fiancé/operations director, Chris Field, just want to bring a fresh look to the tourist attraction, which boasts a population of six. “The most important thing to remember is we—the owners—are temporary,” says Field, who lives in Gilbert with Ellering. “We’re transitioning what Tortilla Flat was into the 21stcentury. We’re not a sports bar or a strip mall that’s going to be gone in 10 years. Th is is a historical Arizona property that will be here for another 100 years. Our goal, as caretakers, is property maintenance, and we want to keep the look and the feel and provide programming to make sure we’ll be able to pass it on.” Ellering has owned it since September with partners Ryan Coady, Tom Misitano
and Dale Evans. “We thought this was such a unique thing, and we were like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this,’” Ellering says. “We got together and made it work.” So far, the team has upgraded the kitchen and the food on the menu, except—Ellering and Field are quick to add—the famous chili recipe that’s been around since the 1940s. “It’s a time-honored tradition, and that will not change,” she says. The chili, which is also found on the chili dog, is part of a hearty American menu that includes the Mucho Macho nacho ($15.99);
Roosevelt “Dam” Good wings ($7.99 starting price); Gaucho cheesesteak ($12.49); Ol’ Faithful BLT ($11.49); chicken street tacos ($12.59) and fajita salad ($14.39). “We have great food,” Field says. “We do. Is our food better than what you’ll find elsewhere? Maybe. We’re trying to create an experience. It’s a little gem of an experience.” After having a meal in the saloon, guests can head to the Tortilla Flat General Store and Ice Cream Shop, where they can enjoy its well-known prickly pear gelato, or take home prickly pear barbecue sauce or a Tortilla Flat “Killer Chili” packet.
Beloved attraction
The owners have heard plenty of heartwarming stories from visitors to Tortilla Flat. They see children dressed up as cowboys and cowgirls and the awe on their face when they’re out there. “They’re used to growing up in the city, and when they come out here, they play in the dirt and see cactus everywhere,” she says. “They have a lot of fun. They have a lot of fun with the dollar bills, too.” “I got a letter a few months ago that had a dollar bill in it. A young kid had taken one of the dollars off of the wall (at Superstition Saloon and Restaurant) and had written us a letter of apology and sent us the dollar bill back. It was really cute.” The couple have been visited by folks who have donated the collectibles that fi ll the saloon, like the saddles that sit atop handcarved bar stools and worn leather goods
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85085 | AUGUST 2020
