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The Caribbean is right next door at Mi Tierra

Written by Andrew Plock, The Shorthorn staff

Tuesday, 26 January 2010 08:34 PM

Carlos and Damaris Torres owners of the Mi Tierra Latin Fusion Restaurant, located at 603 W. Abram St, next to the McDonalds. Mrs. Torres cooks the meals everyday and takes suggestions from the patrons to update here weekly menu, and Mr. Torres buys fresh groceries every morning as well as takes care of the restaurant, which is located in a converted house. (The Shorthorn: Will LaVoncher)

In the morning, he buys the groceries and she cooks the food. Sounds like your typical day in any household, but at Mi Tierra, it’s business.
Mi Tierra Latin Fusion is a Puerto Rican-Cuban inspired eatery, located just past the campus edge, that aspires to give diners the comforts of a home-cooked meal.

The homespun qualities are apparent partly because Mi Tierra is located in a house, but mostly because head chef and co-owner Damaris Torres brings a very personal touch to her Latin dishes.

Torres’ journey with her restaurant and food began when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. After the initial shock, she decided to step out from her comfort zone and pursue her dreams.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Torres said. “You have dreams but you think there’s never enough time or money. After that, I realized that life is too short.”

She then set away from her past job at American Airlines, took a loan and started the restaurant with her husband, Carlos. The two chose to open Mi Tierra in a house to help compliment the tastes and smells of their country’s greatest dishes.

Caribbean Lasagna: baked layers of pasta, picadillo, and a house blend of five cheeses. (The Shorthorn: Will LaVoncher)

Damaris Torres, originally from Puerto Rico, blends the lines of Latin cooking and breaks the tired cycle of Tex-Mex that many Texans are so used to.

Her culinary creations come from her years of working at American Airlines, which allowed her to regularly travel. She absorbed every new taste in order to create a little bit of everything. With variations of authentic Cuban-pressed sandwiches and an endless list of Caribbean favorites, there are plenty of choices for someone branching out.

“People come here and they get adventurous,” Torres said. “I can’t do justice to all Latin foods. It’s just a taste.”

As well as the everyday menu Mi Tierra offers, Torres does a weekly menu where she takes a chance at creating new dishes and features favorites submitted by past patrons. This idea of submitting favorites came from cooking for her family.

Mi Tierra Latin Fusion

Where: 603 W. Abram St. Arlington, TX 76010, next to McDonald’s.

Open seven days a week

Free Wi-Fi

“I would let everyone ask for what they wanted at home,” Torres said. “If somebody wanted Italian one night, no one could complain because they would get what they asked for next time.”

These family favorites led Mi Tierra to earning amazing reviews. In December 2008 it made the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s “Top Ten Restaurants to Visit in 2009” list, and Fort Worth Weekly’s Sept. 30, 2009 article “Best of 2009 Good Grub” named the restaurant as having the best Latin and Caribbean food.

Mi Tierra also took the number one spot out of 170 restaurants in Arlington on the review Web site www.tripadvisor.com.

Chocolate Tres Leches, one of the top selling desserts at Mi Tierra. The restaurant was voted number one in Arlington by Tripadvisor. (The Shorthorn: Will LaVoncher)

Carlos Torres, originally from Cuba, said that one of the restaurant’s main goals is to give the eater a sense of belonging, something very different from what chain restaurants offer customers.

“This place is an extension of our home,” Carlos Torres said. “The big places have lost that touch. We just want to be involved in the community and get to know people.”

Because the restaurant is so close to campus, it has slowly grabbed the attention of students and faculty. President James Spaniolo and Frank Lamas, Student Affairs vice president, are two of its frequent customers, Carlos Torres said.

Lamas said he enjoys the food due to his Cuban background and visits the restaurant often.

“I’ve been in Texas for five years now, and you can find great Mexican food, but you can’t find Cuban,” he said. “This is the only place you can get a great Cuban sandwich.”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 January 2010 08:49 PM )

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