Gustavo Arellano stops by to discuss Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament which he conceived of five years ago. Inspired by the tortillas he grew up eating, Arellano never questioned why some were better than others until he noticed a pack his father brought home when visiting Arellano’s grandmother in East LA with a logo noting the tortilleria had been open since 1955. Curious about its history and the other small tortillerias in the city, and with a love for sports, he riddled, “What if we put them together and make them fight for the title of the best tortilla in Southern California?” The rest was history. This year’s finale will take place at Smorgasburg on Sunday, October 16.
Breaking down the brackets for Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament
Gustavo Arellano married his love of sports with a lifetime of eating tortillas to conceive of Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament, with the final tasting taking place at Smorgasburg on October 16. Photo by Brian Feinzimer.