As I've said in multiple interviews over the years, the idea for KCRW and Gustavo's Great Tortilla Tournament was inspired by sports. (I'm a fanatic, even if not too many of my KCRW colleagues seem to be with the notable exception of Steve Chiotakis — ROLL TIDE!) And part of the mythology of sports is the various trophies and plaques awarded to winners of team rivalries.
There's Floyd of Rosedale, the 98-pound bronze pig awarded to the victor of the annual Iowa Hawkeyes-Minnesota Golden Gophers football game. The Golden Boot goes to whoever scores the most goals in a FIFA World Cup. The National Hockey League's most valuable player gets the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Bob Cousy Trophy goes to the winner of the NBA's Eastern Conference since 2001. And who can forget the massive golden cup that Wimbledon winners kiss every year while the runner-up gets a sad silver plate probably picked from the basement of some baroness?
So many trophies, so many stories. So why #TortillaTournament?
Behold the three trophies that contestants compete for every year. You can see them all in person this Sunday, Oct. 8, at Smorgasburg LA, where our judges will decide which of our Fuerte Four finalists will win for the best tortilla in Southern California. It's free to attend and you can still RSVP.
Roll call!
The Golden Tortilla Trophy hoisted by La Princesita at the 2022 Tortilla Tournament. Photo credit: Larry Hirshowitz
The Golden Tortilla
Date First Awarded: 2018
Inaugural Winner: Sonoratown
When I first thought of the #TortillaTournament, I knew we had to create an award that winning restaurants could display forevermore. It couldn't be a weak-salsa paper certificate or a generic plastic thing bought from a Little League fire sale.
Enter the Golden Tortilla, which is — yep! a gold-colored corn tortilla set against a wooden plaque, with the name of the winner for that particular year. True to my prophecy, all of our previous winners — Sonoratown, Taco María, HomeState, Burritos La Palma, and La Princesita — proudly display their Golden Tortilla at one of their respective eateries. Given Taco María is currently on hiatus, I'm sure Chef Carlos Salgado is using it as a coaster right now along with his Michelin star.
Note: The Golden Tortilla isn't made of actual gold nor is it a tortilla. But #TortillaTournament sponsor Northgate Markets is awarding a $500 gift certificate to the winner — and their products are always golden!
Like the Stanley Cup, the Chiquihuite Cup is large, in charge and goes to a different winner every year. Photo by Krissy Barker/KCRW
The Chiquihuite Cup
Date First Awarded: 2022
Inaugural Winner: La Princesita
At the 2019 #TortillaTournament finale, I remember being on the outdoor stage of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and telling the crowd about the Golden Tortilla. Someone asked if they could see it up close, and people crowded to take photos.
An idea was born.
The most iconic trophy in professional sports is arguably the Stanley Cup, awarded to the National Hockey League's champion. For a year, the winning team gets to keep the Stanley Cup and do whatever they want with it. That has led to the Cup winding up at the bottom of a swimming pool, used as a canteen to drink out of, and many other tomfooleries.
After the 2019 #TortillaTournament finale, I suggested to KCRW senior events producer Krissy Barker that we should do our own version of a trophy that winners can keep for a year. As I talked about it, the idea of it being a tortilla basket — known in Mexico as a chiquihuite — immediately came to my mind. I had to explain to Krissy a couple of times what I was envisioning, because I'm not good at explaining things when I'm excited.
She signed off on it. Then, 2020 happened.
We held off on the Chiquihuite Cup that year because our finale was done over Zoom. I'm not sure why we didn't go through with it in 2021. But last year, Krissy commissioned the Chiquihuite Cup — 3D printed with the chiquihuite on top of a tall, silver-colored four-sided pedestal (the better to include all the winners in the coming decades), and small plaques that hold the name and year of the previous winners.
We, of course, messed up the order of those.
At the #TortillaTournament finale last year, hundreds of people posed in front of the Chiquihuite Cup before the Golden Tortilla winner was announced: La Princesita of East L.A. The owners got the honor of hoisting the Chiquihuite Cup, then kept it at their flagship tortillería all year, behind their cash register before returning it this week. And a tradition was born.
Small but mighty, the Bronze Comal trophy will be awarded for the first time at the 2023 Tortilla Tournament. Photo by Krissy Barker/KCRW
The Bronze Comal People's Choice Award
Inaugural Winner: ????
We've been thinking about awarding a people's choice award almost from the start. In fact, if you attended the 2019 edition, you'll know that HomeState technically won our People's Choice award, which I made up at the last minute, then never received the certificate for said award because I forgot to print it out.
This year, KCRW chingona — and #TortillaTournament judge — Connie Alvarez suggested we return to the subject, and offer a trophy: A bronze comal.
Kinda.
It's a small, 3D-printed replica of a comal. It's a little bit too tall around the edges, if you ask me, but what do I know? Every year forevermore, anyone who makes it into the Suave 16 will be eligible to win the Bronze Comal. How can they win? By being the favorite of the people, of course! Fans get to vote online for their favorite tortilla among our 16 finalists. This Sunday, we'll announce the inaugural winner and they'll be able to keep their own Bronze Comal and display it at their restaurant. It's not too late to vote for your favorite Suave 16 entry — vote here.