What does Highlander have in common with KCRW and Gustavo's Great Tortilla Tournament? As tournament founder Gustavo Arellano says, there can only be one… winner, that is. In the end, Taco María made history in 2023 by becoming the first two-time winner of the event. "The competition was really intense this year," says Taco María owner chef Carlos Salgado. "The tortilla revolution is really going full speed."
Since Taco María is temporarily closed, Salgado enlisted the help of his friends at Gusto Bread in Long Beach, where he cooked and ground his masa to make a heritage blue corn tortilla. When the 10-year lease on his Costa Mesa space expired, he said it was an opportunity to take a break, reflect on his accomplishments and reimagine the future of the restaurant, which will reopen at some point in 2024.