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| - We had heard about the market from another small ranch market when we were looking for a tortilleria in Mesa. They recommended Los Altos, and off we went. Walking into the store--a complex really, a combination supermarket, tortilleria, fish market, juice bar, restaurant and community gathering place--was like entering a neighborhood market in Mexico, where we were the visitors among the locals. Shoppers and clerks were very much at home there. We asked a man who looked like he worked there where the tortilleria was and he took us to that corner of the store. Along the way he introduced himself as Ariel and we told him it was our first visit. He asked us what kinds of Mexican food we liked, and I recited a short list of favorites: cheese, pork, salsa, chicken... He told us he'd love to offer us a sample of each, and he took us round to each part of the store that offered what I'd mentioned and gave us each a sample of everything on our list. Without exception everything was fresh and well prepared. His hospitality paid, because we ended up buying a pint, bucket or stack of everything we sampled. And because Wednesday's special was chicken, we got a whole roasted bird, cut and cooked Mexican style, with a package of tortillas, for $5. Also a large horchata and several things we hadn't planned to buy.
So, all in all, a wonderful outing and we feel like we found a warm place of welcome and community. Makes the "regular" Mesa supermarket experience seem rather faceless and generic by comparison. We'll definitely be back.
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