Cemitas Don Adrian

Cemitas Don Adrian in Van Nuys has been around for nearly a quarter-century and their Puebla-style tortas only continue to get better. Cemitas get their name from their sesame seed buns that give these sandwiches a classic look and subtle nuttiness when nicely toasted. Luckily, we’ve never had a cemita at Don Adrian that we didn’t love, but their menu of 20-something tortas can definitely lead to some sandwich-induced stress over which one to get. Let us make it easy for you: order the milanesa de lomo de puerco. It comes with breaded pork loin, bright queso fresco, avocado, your choice of jalapeños or chipotle salsa, and stringy Oaxacan cheese (for an additional $1.99). The thin and perfectly crisp pork is a nice contrast to the sandwich’s soft cheeses and avocado, while also absorbing the smoky chipotle salsa that always gets our brow sweating. The only thing that could possibly go wrong with your Don Adrian order is that you like your torta too much and forget to try the other two dozen options on the menu.