La Morena is back in business

Chicken tostada at La Morena Tortilleria (Credit: Judy Lowery, Daily Press)

Fantastic find: Chicken tostada

Price: $1.75 each

Where to go: Tortilleria la Morena, 318 Oyster Point Blvd., Newport News; 249-0052

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday

It's has been slightly over a year since we first found incredibly delicious tortillas at La Morena on Jefferson Avenue. We were hooked on their easy, very affordable meals — until the sad, sad day when a "closed" sign replaced the sight of friendly staff in the shop window. While there are many delicious south-of-the-border meal options in town, few places could match the authenticity of the food and the friendly, gracious demeanor of this restaurant's staff. Luckily, this Tortilleria is back in business at a new location, and with an expanded menu. La Morena has moved west to the shopping plaza at the corner of Warwick and Oyster Point Boulevards. And after many an overcast day without, we were finally able to order a heaping plate of La Morena's chicken tostadas. This item is still only $1.75 for a good-sized tostada and it's just as tasty as ever. The crispy, homemade corn tortilla is layered with refried beans, chicken simmered in a chipotle-based sauce and a variety of add-on choices, including lettuce, cheese, cilantro, lime and sour cream sauce. Sauce options include a dark and smoky chipotle picosa (spicy sauce) as well as the green sauce — verde cilantro picosa — a tomatillo based green sauce with some heat. We also tried steamed chicken tamale ($2.25). This tamale relied heavily on cornmeal laden with chilies, reminiscent of a spicy cornmeal cake. Some hearty soups and a cactus salad piqued our interest, and will undoubtedly be on the order next time. You also can order a pound of still-hot corn tortillas to take out for $1.74, tax included. At home tonight, tear the tortillas and crisp them up in the oven and you have the best ever chips for salsa dipping.

Judith Lowery, Creative Services and Cindy Laraway and Leslie Werner, News enjoyed every bite.