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The owners of Tortilleria Allison make 100 pounds of masa dough a day. Some tortillas are set aside for sale by the pound but at times sell out by midday.<\/p>\n
Shannon Lee\/For the Times Union<\/p>\n
A haze of wood ash from a burning fire floated into a pot of boiling dried corn kernels some 3,500 years ago in what is now present-day Mexico. This process, known as nixtamalization, changed the chemical makeup of the corn, making it more nutritious and preservable\u00a0\u2014 but most importantly, pliable enough to create masa, the corn dough that is the heart of Mesoamerican cuisine. It\u2019s the foundation for everything from tortillas to tamales to tostadas, so essential to Mexican culture that there is a saying: \u201cSin ma\u00edz no hay pa\u00eds (Without corn, there is no country\u201d).<\/p>\n
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Still, for most of my life growing up in the New York City of the \u201990s and early aughts, masa was never part of the lexicon of Mexican cuisine. Flour tortillas reigned supreme, save for the corn-based \u201chard shell\u201d tacos that came in Taco Tuesday kits. In the last decade, thankfully, there has been a pointed revival of these ancient traditions in the U.S., led by Mexican immigrants putting in the painstaking work to do things the right way. Though most places flaunting handmade tortillas use masa harina, or masa flour, which comes pre-nixtamalized, there are a few obsessives who have gone to the lengths to source their own local heirloom corn and mill the alkalized kernels on-site to produce masa from scratch.<\/p>\n
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Tortilleria Allison in Poughkeepsie is one such place. There, in a modest and cheery storefront with a rainbow of picado flags hanging from the ceiling, tortillas are served warm off the comal (griddle) and resting under cloth so they continue to steam. Once unveiled, a waft of earthy aromas rises: the sweet nuttiness of popcorn mixed with the faint minerality of geosmin, a soil-based compound that creates the distinct smell of earth after it rains. Heavy and pliant, the tortillas flop gracefully in hand. Torn open, they reveal an airy pocket in the center, having puffed up on the griddle, not unlike a pita.<\/p>\n
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Casual, bright and festive, Tortilleria Allison has a small dining area dominated by a chalkboard menu.<\/p>\n
Shannon Lee\/For the Times Union<\/p>\n
Barbacoa at Tortilleria Allison in Poughkeepsie is made with slow-roasted beef short ribs. The beans and rice, deceptive simple in appearance, are fragrant with aromatics, herbs and spices including, for the beans, avocado leaves.<\/p>\n
Shannon Lee\/For the Times Union<\/p>\n
Eaten alone, the texture is toothsome, toasty and just a little dry. This is not a flaw but a function, making them ideal substrates for flavor absorption. Our tortillas arrived alongside an impressive spread of beef short ribs, rice and stewed black beans, all spiced addictively. The beef short ribs (on the specials menu as barbacoa) fell off the bone like pulled pork thanks to a four-hour braise in the leaves of avocado and plantain. Avocado leaves also left their fragrant mark on the deceptively simple-looking black beans, which were luscious, aromatic and smooth as velvet. Equally deceptive, the rice sang notes of tomato, onion, garlic and spices.<\/p>\n
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All three make a perfect bite when scooped up together in a pinch of tortilla and amplified by a refreshing gulp of horchata, a delicate beverage of soaked and blended rice and cinnamon. Tortilleria Allison includes blended prickly pear fruit in their recipe, lending a gentle blush and hint of melon. While they don\u2019t serve alcohol, there are plenty of specialty drinks: tamarind aguas fresca, dragon-fruit smoothie, freshly squeezed juices and atole, a masa-based drink served warm.<\/p>\n
Tortilleria Allison<\/p>\n
Address: 296 Main St., Poughkeepsie, \u201cWhen we arrived in this country, we couldn\u2019t find any good tortillas,\u201d said Angeles Marieles, who owns and operates Tortilleria Allison with her husband, Jesus, and her mother, Juana. (The restaurant is named after Jesus and Marieles\u2019s daughter.) When Angeles and Jesus lost their jobs cleaning and working with thoroughbred horses, respectively, due to the pandemic, they decided to provide real tortillas for the city\u2019s thriving Oaxacan community and beyond. \u201cI wanted everyone to know what tortillas are supposed to taste like,\u201d Angeles said.<\/p>\n Make the Times Union a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our journalism when you search.<\/p>\n
Price: Chips and salsa, $7; tacos, $5 each or three for $14; memelitas, $14;\u00a0beverages, $3 to $8
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday
Info: 845-366-8490 and instagram.com\/tortilleriaallison<\/a>
Dietary considerations: Common allergens and modifications are not listed on menus; mostly gluten free; some vegetarian options available.
Etc.: Street parking. ADA-accessible.\u00a0<\/p>\n