Barriga Llena

Best Place to Stock a Green Lake Picnic

I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I spent 25 years on this good earth without hearing about the torta. A specialty of Mexico City, these fully loaded sandwiches make panini look like child's play. Barriga Llena is the place to try them in Seattle, and if you go, you must be brave enough to try the house specialty, the Barrigona, a monster of a torta that rivals the Golden Gate Bridge in its structural integrity. Thin slices of light-yet-substantial bread somehow hold up against the onslaught of fillings, which include breaded steak, chorizo, pork leg, hot dog bits, iceberg lettuce, hunks of avocado, and chopped tomatoes, all wedded together with an unholy amount of cheese. The restaurant's brightly painted interior is heaven on rainy days, but if the sun's shining, grab plenty of napkins and get thee to nearby Green Lake, where you can ignore the jealous looks of passing joggers and leisurely contemplate a lap around the lake to burn off a bite of your heaven on a bun.—Anna Roth