Good to Go: The Gorditas at La Nueva Puntada Ooze with Comforting Flavors

Good to go is a column where our food writers explore Dallas' restaurant scene through takeout orders, delivery boxes and reheated leftovers.

La Nueva Puntada (No. 1) is a decent place to go for a breakfast taco if you’re seeking a thicker flour tortilla. My friend Laura won’t stop talking about how good the guacamole salsa is, especially on the spicy, house-made tortilla chips with red chile.

What’s also rather excellent at this spot on West Clarendon Drive is its gorditas.

Each one is $1.99 (add $1 if you want a big one), and there are 12 options, including barbacoa de borrego (lamb), moronga (Mexican-style blood sausage) and jalapeño strips with cheese.

You’re safe with any of the dozen options, especially the picadillo and the refried beans with cheese.

The picadillo stands on its own: The ground beef with vegetables is perfectly seasoned and just fatty enough. Gently pull back the top to put on some salsa — if you have crema in your fridge, definitely put that here, too. (If you don’t have crema at home: Buy a bottle at La Nueva Puntada.)

Closing that up and eating it over the others piled in the Styrofoam box will get messy — but cleaning up dripping grease on your hands is one of the best reasons napkins exist.

As for the bean and cheese, this is the comfort food you need right now. I know, Observer writer Nick Rallo and I more than frequently use this Good to Go column to say “This is the best comfort food and you must get it now,” but it’s all true. Just keep a “comfort food” list and thank us when a rough day hits and your mood is lifted by a bite of something that makes you close your eyes and smile.

These gorditas do that. Also, the beauty of taking anything with beans to go is that your food is going to stay hot. And these refried beans hugging the plentiful cheese in these gorditas all melt together when you take a bite through the just-crisp-but-still-soft top exterior of the gordita.

When you get these for takeout, you’ll go home with Styrofoam boxes. Sure, steam happens — but we’re used that this year, aren’t we? The gorditas still hold up well after a 10-minute drive.

When you go, call ahead. On a weekday morning, walking in for breakfast tacos was a breeze — only one customer or one small group is allowed in at a time. The more recent visit for glorious gorditas was on a weekend: It was fortunate we called ahead this time, as a long line of masked, distanced individuals took over the sidewalk to the end of the shopping strip.

You’ll still have to wait in that line, but you’ll get out that much faster. And it doesn’t matter anyway. That line is worth those little hand-sized pockets that will improve your day.

La Nueva Puntada, 3818 W. Clarendon Drive (Oak Cliff). Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.