After a month and a half of writing about, eating, discussing, and finally judging tortillas, you'd think I'd want to avoid any meal involving tortillas for the next year.
How wrong you are!
I'm writing this a couple of hours after the historic finale for the 2023 edition of KCRW and Gustavo's Great Tortilla Tournament, held yesterday (October 8) at Smorgasburg LA. Before me are a bunch of small quesadillas made from corn tortillas I bought at Miramar Tortillería in East Los Angeles, my all-time favorite machine-made corn tortilla. I always love to give them a plug when I can, not just to let people know where the good stuff is, but also to let them know that Miramar hasn't been in the #TortillaTournament since 2021, since the competition is that tough.
That was never more obvious than yesterday, when history was made. Both HomeState's delicious Tex-Mex style flour tortillas and Taco María's incredible blue corn tortillas were vying to become the first-ever two-time winners of the Golden Tortilla, awarded to each year's #TortillaTournament champion. Standing in the way were two historic first-timers: Heritage BBQ, the first-ever tallow-based flour tortilla to make it into the finale and the first-ever maker to make it into the Fuerte Four in their first year of production, and Pan Victoria, a Guatemalan mini-chain with outposts in Mid-City and Inglewood that was the first-ever Central American tortilla to make it into the Fuerte Four (its thick, delicious corn tortillas were the #12 seed, the lowest-ranked tortilla to ever make it this far).
Which tortilla maker would history bless with, well, more history? OK, you already know if you read the headline. If by some miracle you haven't, don't read it because it's a spoiler!
Tortilla Tournament founder Gustavo Arellano answers questions in the Ask a Tortilla Expert booth at the 2023 tournament, held at Smorgasburg LA. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW
Smorgasburg LA was hopping before the judging. KCRW members enjoyed free samples from all of our finalists. Deejay Wyldflower worked the wheels of steel (LOVED the mix where she put in "La Murga" by Hector Lavoe and Wille Colón, then followed it up with some chido sonidero from Grupo Kual whom, like La Sonora Dinamita that followed later on in her set, is one of two groups in history that never made a bad song EVER). Maríachi Tierra Azteka strolled the grounds. Children and adults made tortilla art with Joe Bravo. Coyotas, from San Diego, sold their fabulous gluten-free flour tortillas from a booth they shared with Tacos 1986. There, Chef Jorge "Joy" Alvarez-Tostado showed me a photo of him and Coyotas founder Janet Flores from a decade earlier, working alongside famed Mexican chef Marcela Valladolid.
That was how it started. How did it go?
At noon, the familiar opening strains to Strauss' "Also Spake Zarathustra" — aka the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey — boomed from the KCRW stage as I looked around. "Welcome," I intoned, "to KCRW and Gustavo's… Great... Tortilla Tournament!"
Pretentious? Damn straight. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity!
A half-hour later, I brought all the judges — myself, KCRW chingona Connie Alvarez, Good Food host Evan Kleiman, KCRW tortilla scout Sean Vukan, and our guest judge, comedian and co-creator of Hulu's brilliant This Fool, Chris Estrada — to the stage. It was time to start judging.
On the right is Taco María's famous blue corn tortilla which beat out the blue corn offering from Tallula's in an earlier round. Photo by Gustavo Arellano
CORN CATEGORY
#2 Taco María vs. #12 Pan Victoria
First up, as the newcomer: Pan Victoria. I asked how many people in the audience of hundreds had eaten Central American-style tortillas before. Only a handful of folks raised their arms.
For shame, Los Angeles. FOR SHAME.
Go to Pan Victoria. Their corn tortillas had a few char marks, which just hit better on a thicker corn tortilla and brought out its good masa flavor. We judges loved what they had to offer, although I did note a touch of bitterness at the end which I didn't taste on previous visits to Pan Victoria. A change in masa, maybe?
I made a Clayton Kershaw joke that drew boos from everyone but had to be said, then we moved on to Taco María. They have made it into the Fuerte Four five out of six years, and are one of just two tortillas (along with HomeState) to make it into the ¡Eso 8! every year. There's a reason. Chef Carlos Salgado has always prided himself on using heirloom blue corn and working the molino (corn grinder) like Bach on a harpsichord. You taste that brilliance every time he makes tortillas.
Taco María's tortilla was profound, beautiful and wasn't going to lose here, especially since Salgado shut down his Michelin-starred, James Beard-nominated restaurant earlier this summer after a legendary 10-year run and is on a The Last Waltz trip of sorts this week.
WINNER: Taco María
We took a break for about an hour. Estrada got mobbed by fans. I went to our Ask a Tortilla Expert booth, where people actually asked me questions about tortillas. Gracias! Fans also approached me (Gabino from Richmond, I thought you were going to win for the person who came from farthest away, but Dr. Martinez from Pueblo, Colorado beat you). Gracias to the two of you for showing up (unlike Matt from Bako, whom I still love). Raul Campos took over deejay duties and everyone got ready for the second round: Flour
HomeState owner and tortilla ambassador Briana Valdez serves tortillas at the 2023 Tortilla Tournament. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW
FLOUR CATEGORY
#1 HomeState vs. #7 Heritage BBQ
This promised to be a fiendishly difficult matchup. I'm a regular at both of these places; Chris lives and eats near a HomeState. They both make incredible flour tortillas in their own distinct, rich way. Not only that, as I explained while KCRW events queen Krissy Barker brought us the chiquihuites (tortilla basket) with the freshly made tortillas from them both, Oceanside and HomeState occupy spots in Oceanside across the street from each other. AWKWARD.
We grabbed HomeState first and devoured them to the tune of Perez Prado's "Patricia."
"I'm annoyed at how good this tortilla is," Estrada said to laughter from the audience. We all agreed.
Then came Heritage BBQ.
"I'm angry," Estrada said, "at how good this tortilla is."
The decision was that hard. I dare say it was the closest fight between a tortilla in Fuerte Four history. I nearly asked for a second batch for us all, but then we really drilled down. Because, while both were champions, both had committed a mistake. HomeState was left on the comal for too long and was thus a bit stiffer than usual, while Heritage wasn't left on long enough and hence was a bit gummier than I remembered.
If one hadn't committed their error, they would've moved on. But both had, so we now had a tie. Onto the flavor. HomeState was as rich and buttery as ever — namely because they use butter as their binding agent aka fat, as Evan noted when she frowned upon my use of "binding agent." But the tallow that Heritage used was even better. Again, so close! Evan said, as usual, that she wished everyone could win, but I did my best Highlander impersonation, "THERE CAN BE. ONLY ONE."
And that won was Heritage.
WINNER: Heritage BBQ
Taco María's blue corn tortilla. Photo by Laryl Garcia/KCRW
FUERTE FOUR FINALE
#2 Taco María vs. #7 Heritage BBQ
More history from Heritage: They became the lowest-seeded tortilla to ever make it into the final. Head chingón Danny Castillo loves to up his game at every opportunity but he's also one of the kindest people in the restaurant business. How kind? He allowed Salgado to use his tent to prepare tortillas. Now THAT'S homies!
When we returned to the stage on a way-too-hot Sunday afternoon, I made sure to give shoutouts. First off, to our trophies, of course. The winner would get the Golden Tortilla and keep the Chiquihuite Cup for a year. Voting had just closed on the Bronze Comal People's Choice Awards.
Then came our sponsors. Coast Packing Company of Vernon, which has been a sponsor from the start, was awarding four-pound tubs of their VIVA lard to all Fuerte Four finalists in what must be the coolest participation trophy ever (I also made it a point to trash their former Vernon neighbor, Farmer John's, multiple times).
Northgates Markets had a booth at the 2023 Tortilla Tournament where they sold their tortillas. Photo by Laryl Garcia/KCRW
Northgate Markets, which has been feeding my family since it started as a tiny spot off Anaheim Boulevard in the late 1970s, not only was selling their own delicious tortillas, but they were giving a $500 gift certificate to the Golden Tortilla winner, a $300 gift certificate to the Bronze Comal winner, and $200 to whoever won our inaugural Fantasía Tortilla contest aka who was able to guess the most winners in our overall bracket.
Finally, tortilla luminaries in the audience. Last year's Golden Tortilla winners, La Princesita of East L.A. were there. Hall-of-Famer John Sedlar, who I forgot to shout out (sorry, John! Let's talk soon!). Tacorazzo Bill Esparza. Also in attendance: Samuel Magana, Jr., CEO of the legendary Diana's Mexican Food Products. He talked to me in between rounds to congratulate me on the very idea of #TortillaTournament, then suggested I create a category just for the mass producers like his family's business.
Yeah, no.
Then Samuel revealed that his family makes handmade corn tortillas at their mothership restaurant. Can they be eligible next year?
BOOM.
Good Food host Evan Kleiman poses with a vintage red car at the 2023 Tortilla Tournament. Photo by Laryl Garcia/KCRW
Finally, Taco María versus Heritage BBQ. I asked DJ Raul Campos to put on Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' "Spanish Flea," and off to eat we went!
Taco María's tortilla was superb yet again, with Connie and Sean saying it was the best Taco María tortilla they've ever had. Evan? A bit salty. Me? I've had better from them. But still: Taco María on an off day is like Mookie Betts drawing a walk. Heritage came back with their tortillas better cooked… and yet it still didn't match up to the silky beauties I had months ago at their Oceanside location (Heritage's mothership in San Juan Capistrano uses tortillas from previous #TortillaTournament winner Burritos La Palma) that made me think they would go far from the first time I tasted them.
"Stodgy" was the word Evan used to describe their texture. That's why she hosts Good Food and I'm a freelance emcee.
Whenever people ask me about #TortillaTournament, I always refer to its origins in sports. You can have the greatest team on the planet but they still have to play the game. There is never a guaranteed winner and THERE CAN BE. ONLY ONE.
That said, we brought up Salgado and the Heritage squad — Castillo and his mero mero tortillero Eric Linares — to the stage. Castillo said he started making flour tortillas only because he needed to use all the leftover tallow his two locations were producing. Salgado admitted he wasn't using his own molinos — he grinds his masa at Gusto Bread in Long Beach — and hadn't taken a break from making tortillas this long in more than a decade. It felt good, he said, to make tortillas again.
I pointed out that it was the second time in two years we had an all-Orange County finale. So for those of you Angelenos who insist we OCers go up to visit you but balk at the idea of heading down the 5 or 405 to visit us, MAKE THE DAMN TRIP.
Gustavo Arellano emcees the 2023 Tortilla Tournament. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW
We brought Mariachi Tierra Azteka on stage as well, ready to play the celebratory son "La Diana" upon me announcing the winner. First? The Bronze Comal winner — HomeState! Owner Briana Valdez, who is one of L.A.'s greatest tortilla ambassadors, talked about how much she sees her tortillas as bringing honor to her family, and revealed that when she opened her first spot, people didn't know how to react to her Tex-Mex style tortillas to the point that she would offer to refund their money if they didn't like her tortillas.
Eight locations later, that has yet to happen.
Then, came the winner of the Fantasía Bracket: Ack, I forgot your handle right now! But I sent you an email. Please respond so I can interview you!
And then finally, the winner of KCRW and Gustavo's Great Tortilla Tournament for 2023 — well, it's in the headline, but might as well say it one more time.
WINNER: Taco María
Carlos Salgado of Taco María, the winner of the 2023 Tortilla Tournament, shows off the Chiquihuite Cup. Photo by Larry Hirshowitz
Even though I've tasted better Taco María tortillas, the profundity of Salgado's blue corn tortillas have never wavered. And huge congrats to Heritage, who'll just have to take solace in the fact that they make the best barbecue in California as their runner-up trophy!
Salgado hoisted the Chiquihuite Cup for everyone to see and hugged Castillo. It's official. Taco María is the first-ever two-time winner of the Golden Tortilla, and thus, a new #TortillaTournament rule kicks in: They're retired from regular #TortillaTournament competition. All two-time winners forevermore can only compete in our Tortilla Tournament of Champions, which happens every four years when we bring back our all-time winners. The next one will be in 2025.
Chef Carlos: Mad #respect to everything you've done for Southern California cuisine, especially Mexican food and specifically tortilla culture. As Chef Danny said to us both: What is OC going to do without you? But I know and trust you will return better than ever. Enjoy your rest in your Fortress of Solitude, deep in the heart of Aztlán.
A huge congrats to all the Fuerte Four finalists, and all the Suave 16 finalists as well. They automatically return to the competition next year (except Taco María). Shout out to Chris Estrada yet again, who left with a packet of Diana's awesome yellow corn tortillas as payment for his wise words. And one final shoutout to Samuel Magana, Jr., who was easily the tallest Mexican in the crowd, wore a cool Diana's T-shirt and talked to his fellow Gardena native Connie Alvarez after the judging ended — turns out he knew her husband from back in the day!
"Taco María won," Samuel told me, "but the true winners are the tortilla community."
Now THAT's the spirit of tortilla greatness. Until next year, folks! And remember: Eat better tortillas!