Federal Boulevard is packed with diverse places to dine, but don’t overlook its markets either — particularly Tortilleria Las Tres Americas.
Javier Tapia, a native of Zacatecas, came to Colorado in the 1980s, looking for better opportunities than those available in Mexico. He quickly found employment at Longmont-based Las Americas Tortilleria and often worked at the tortilla bakery on weekends, when demand was high.
One weekend, he met Luz Maria, who’d moved up from Durango, Mexico; she was the niece of the owners of the tortilleria. The two became close, and often collaborated on tasks such as making masa, packaging tortillas and handling customers. During one of their shifts, Luz Maria’s aunt and uncle made a suggestion. “They gave us the idea to open a tortilleria in Denver,” Luz Maria recalls. “With their help, it was possible to open up our own business.”…