So much history in this week's matchups. San Diego is trying to show LA what's up for the umpteenth time but this time with flour tortillas. Meanwhile, two newcomers fight for a Fuerte Four slot, while two longtime rivals get into the ring one final time and get… blue.
Go on and read about the winners, and don't forget to vote for whom you think should win the Bronze Comal People's Choice Award! From now until our finale (Oct. 8 at Smorgasburg LA), we're letting folks vote for their favorite tortilla maker. The top vote-getter will win the inaugural Bronze Comal People's Choice, which comes with a $300 gift card to Northgate Market. The overall Tortilla Tournament winner receives a $500 card to Northgate and the person who wins our Fantasía Bracket gets a $200 Northgate gift card. Cast your vote for the Bronze Comal right here!
Battle of the blue: Tallula's (left) versus Taco María. Photo by Gustavo Arellano
CORN BRACKET: EVAN
Judge: Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW's Good Food
Evan's Results
#11 La Yalaltequita vs. #12 Pan Victoria: Despite my fondness for the unusually flavorful La Yalaltequita, Pan Victoria takes the win for its fluffy thickness and satisfying eating experience.
Evan's Fuerte Four pick
#12 Pan Victoria
Gustavo's takeaway: Congrats to La Yalaltequita, whose Oaxacan-style corn tortillas charmed like few newcomers ever have. An extra special congrats to Pan Victoria, the first Central American-style tortilla to make it into the Fuerte Four! Shoutout to all the chapines out there!
CORN BRACKET: GUSTAVO
Judge: Gustavo Arellano, LA Times journalist and KCRW contributor
#1 Tallula's vs. #2 Taco María: Two T-named places, in cities with M in their name, both using blue corn, both now closed, both facing off against each other in their third straight Tortilla Tournament. So who will have one final Fuerte Four waltz? Taco María, by a landslide. Tallula's blue corn tortilla is great, the most beautiful in SoCal, and a remarkable accomplishment given they made them in Santa Monica. But this batch I got was mushier than the first batch that stormed through the first two rounds. I tried cooking them on the comal longer in the hopes that Tallula's tortillas would get more heft, but they split instead. Taco María was able to roll easy and had a superior flavor.
Gustavo's Fuerte Four Pick
#2 Taco María
Gustavo's Takeaway: Full disclosure: Carlos Salgado is a friend. But there is no sentimentality to this choice, and he's the first to know I don't play favorites with anyone. There's a reason Carlos has placed in the Fuerte Four five years out of six, winning once. He is SoCal's corn tortilla master, and is back on the Fuerte Four for one final rodeo. As for Tallula's, what a loss. They had made it into the Suave 16 three years ago and lost in the Fuerte Four last year to Golden Tortilla winner La Princesita. Your food was great, your staff was kind, your drinks wonderful. May everyone involved find work soon, especially your tortilleras.
FLOUR BRACKET: CONNIE
Judge: Connie Alvarez, KCRW Communications Director
#5 Manolo Farmers Market vs. #7 Heritage Craft BBQ & Brewery: Manolo Farmers Market... so buttery tasting (is it butter?), such perfect chew without being chicloso (too chewy, like gum), so yummy! But, there's something unique in the flavor of Heritage Craft BBQ's flour tortilla that pops with its just-this-side-of-too-much saltiness. It was a tough competition but Heritage is my big winner this year!
Connie's Fuerte Four Pick
#7 Heritage Craft BBQ & Brewery
Gustavo's takeaway: Heritage makes it to the Fuerte Four in their first year, and what a way to bring more publicity to their newish Oceanside location, the only part of Danny Castillo's empire to sell Heritage flour tortillas (the San Juan Capistrano sources theirs from Burritos La Palma). Congrats to the BBQ king!
FLOUR BRACKET: SEAN
Judge: Sean Vukan, #TortillaTournament scout
#1 HomeState vs. #6 Las Cuatro Milpas. Winner: Las Cuatro Milpas must be doing something right after 90 years but HomeState seems to be on a mission this year. With a great bite to the tortilla, these are lovely to tear, rip, and repeat. Las Cuatro Milpas' were just a bit too dense. They cooked a bit more unevenly as the center was lardier and chewier compared to the outer portion of the tortilla. What I like about HomeState's is the ease in which they heat up on the cast iron. Two flips and they're ready to take on all comers. Las Cuatro Milpas were like the 2023 Padres. They took a while to get going and never really got there once they did.
Sean's Fuerte Four Pick
#1 HomeState
Gustavo's takeaway: Confession time: I heard from… someone that the tortillas HomeState was selling to the public weren't up to the same quality that we judges received for our #TortillaTournament. So this year, instead of going early in the morning for the freshest HomeState batch, like I usually do, I went late in the afternoon, unannounced. They easily made it into the Suave 16. I did the same, unannounced trick for the second batch, but owner Briana Valdez and her sister, Andy, were there this time. I asked them to immediately get me a batch from the container that kept the tortillas they sell to the public lest they ask workers to do a special batch for me. They did. And they're back in the Fuerte Four.
I never doubted HomeState, but like they say: If your mother tells you she loves your tortillas, check them out.
HomeState, along with Taco María, are the only Tortilla Tournament contestants to make it into the Eso Eight every year — despite the fact that HomeState now has seven locations, with another one planned for Culver City. #respect to Briana and her tortilla queens!
Now, the intrigue: HomeState's Oceanside location opened earlier this year… across the street from Heritage Craft BBQ and Brews. For the flour Fuerte Four, get ready for BEEF!