Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory

Chip, Chip, Hooray!
As the name implies, AATF makes tortillas. They also make tortilla chips and salsa. I’ve had their stuff for years now, and have always loved it. I introduced my boyfriend to their products, and he became a huge fan of their stuff, as well. Thus for his birthday, I thought, «Man, I really need to do something involving AATF chips.» I got the idea into my head that I could commission a new flavor of chips.
And it happened!
A few months ago, I cold-​called AATF and said something to the effect of, «Hi, my boyfriend is a huge fan of your chips, his birthday is coming up, is there any way you would make a new chip flavor for him?» I also stuck my foot out of the window because I thought the odds of lightning striking me were higher than this chip thing working out. But to my happy surprise, Lupe (AATF’s owner, I believe) said, «Yes!» and we talked out the details. Not only did she agree, she was excited and encouraging.
It is now a couple months later, and my boyfriend and I have just gotten back from the factory. I can’t believe that this actually happened, or how gracious Lupe was, or how welcoming the factory workers were. Simply, we walked in the door and were treated with immense warmth. Lupe gave us a tour of the factory, showed up how the tortillas are made (let us try product that had been finished in the previous 10 seconds; talk about fresh!), talked to us about the process and answered our questions… and then sent us home with a BOX of goodies – three 2 lb bags of a new flavor, 2 bags of still-​hot tortillas, and a company polo shirt.
I should add that all of this was free.
Lupe agreed to it simply because she wanted to, and it sounds like they also give tours to local middle and high school students. Great people, great company, great product.
I just wanted to share this through-​and-​through happy story. The Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory turns out to be a warm and welcoming company, and one that for no reason other than sheer niceness goes to incredible lengths for its customers. They also make the best tortilla chips I’ve ever tasted.

These tortilla chips are dense, chewy, a bit oily and full of corny flavor — not those anemic and merely salty salsa vessels that most everyone else makes. Big bags of these chips seem expensive at first, but the double-​wrapped packages are crammed full of chips. That makes me think that pound-​for-​pound, it’s just as good a value as any other brand, and these taste way better than most. I think that the oil and the packaging tend to preserve the chips longer. So go ahead and buy a big bag for six bucks. And the salsa is pretty good too (very fresh and chunky), but by no means necessary.

Beware! I say that with love. Beware of the seduction of garlic-​flavored chips!
The Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory had apparently just added garlic-​flavored chips to their offerings. Dang, are they good.
Remember how I said the lime chips were kicky? Well, the garlic chips are similarly very, very garlicky. But hey, I love garlic. Just make sure you have about 3 breath mints to use after eating them if you’re planning on being around anyone at all.
Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

Sometimes, it can be a drag eating those mass produced tortilla chips. It makes a huge, yummy difference when you can dip a fabulous chip in that awesome guac you made.
Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory’s chips even look like they just came out of your oven. 10 chips give you 80 calories from fat, but not of the calories are from bleachers or preservatives. They taste so good. I baked marinated pork with smoked mozzarella over it – along with some Fage and pico del gallo, it was the best thing I’ve eaten in awhile. If you’re bringing chips to a party, snag these — you’ll def be the It Man.