Mi Barrio Tortilleria: The Last Tortilla Kings of Brooklyn | Food Skills
Written by SOURCE on March 25, 2019
Bushwick, Brooklyn was once an epicenter for Mexican cuisine in New York City, earning the nickname the “Tortilla Triangle” in the process. Today, Mi Barrio Tortilleria is one of the only tortilla factories in the area that remains, churning out hundreds of thousands of tortillas each and every day.
In this special edition of Food Skills, owners Miguel and Nelson Carrera give First We Feast a rare glimpse into Mi Barrio’s decades-long history on Flushing Avenue. From the keys to producing the perfect tortilla, to the men and women who have worked at the factory for more than 20 years, the brothers explain how Mi Barrio has managed to thrive amid a rapidly changing neighborhood.
In recent years the Carreras have been able to transform a struggling tortilla factory into a booming food-service empire, supplying Mexican goods to neighborhood taquerias, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. Here, as they tour Mi Barrio’s factory and its surrounding blocks, Miguel and Nelson share the details behind their family’s uniquely American success story.
