Tortilla Tournament, Round 1 Results: Favorites Fall!
We delayed KCRW and Gustavo’s Great #TortillaTournament by months, so why bother with a cute intro? But before you begin reading below, you should catch up with this year by reading this introductory post and the results of our San Diego #TortillaTournament Invitational.
Good reading, right? Now, let’s get to this year.
Before we dive into Round One, a reminder that we’re going to announce the Round 2 winners — our Suave 16 finalists — Wednesday on the KCRW Insider newsletter, so sign up for it already. Those finalists get automatic entry into next year’s #TortillaTournament and are generally all delicious. Then we’ll return here Friday for the Eso 8. See you over there, then over here!
Corn this year is the responsibility of KCRW chingonas Evan Kleiman and Connie Alvarez, while flour goes to Eater LA writer Mona Holmes and yours truly. But before I give the results, here’s a photo of the bracket. You’ll be able to find all locations on our Tortilla Map soon enough!
Cool brackets, huh? Here are the results, along with the notes of each judge and my comments after their comments. WARNING: The notes are LOOOOONG…but that’s how #TortillaTournament rolls, with a pinch of salt and maybe some butter…
CORN DIVISION
MAZORCA BRACKET
Judge: Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW's Good Food
#1 Kernel of Truth vs. #16 Guerrero Pepito
Kernel of Truth is a great everyday tortilla. Deep corn flavor with a bit of earthiness with excellent texture for a thin tortilla. It puffed! Guerrero Pepito was sour and too dry. Winner: Kernel of Truth
#8 La Luz del Dia vs. #9 Little Heart Cafecito
Little Heart Cafecito appears to be a handmade slightly thick disc. Sour aroma off the comal but sweet in the mouth. A little bland, and dry with a tough “face.” La Luz del Dia is about the same thickness but seems machine made due to the cut ends. A really good thick tortilla that’s not quite “gordita”. Good corn flavor and texture. Would be great to dip into soupy beans or a hearty soup. Winner: La Luz del Día
#5 Casa De Bandini vs. #12 Los Chorros
This was an apples vs. oranges match up. Both of these tortillas are delicious. Excellent versions of their kind. Casa Bandini is a larger, yellow corn disc and is one of only two tortillas in this group to have puffed up when I reheated it. Good corn aroma and flavor. Tastes like it has a hint of salt. Los Chorros is a thick small tortilla that is basically an unstuffed pupusa. But because when I think of #tortillatournament I think of the Mexican style, I’m giving it to Bandini because I want to taste them against others of its kind. I really like the Salvadoran tortilla, though. I admit to putting the Los Chorros inside the Bandini and eating them like the tortilla version of a toast sandwich. Where’s my metformin? Winner: Casa De Bandini
#4 Chiguacle vs. #13 Whole Foods 365
Chiguacle is the opposite of WF. A 100% handmade thick tortilla with lots of ridges and texture. I remember loving this tortilla last year, but this time around it just seems too stodgy and the ridges mean uneven texture that’s not pleasing. WF aroma upon opening the package was surprisingly corny with no off notes. A good everyday option if unable to source from a smaller tortilleria. Winner: Whole Foods 365
#6 La Placita vs. #11 La Morena
Another match-up of a machine-made tortilla vs. handmade. La Morena was a mouthful of sour. La Placita, lots of sweet corn flavor and a pleasing fluffy interior texture. Winner: La Placita
#3 Chabelita's vs. #14 Los Compadres
Another matchup of the thickish. One yellow, one white. Los Compadres is a thick, small machine-made disc. Super-sour with a nice texture. I wish I had been able to taste this one straight off the comal because the texture was so good. Chabelita’s yellow corn tortilla is so delicious! A little thick, with great corn flavor and exceptional texture. Hearty. One would be enough for me. Winner: Chabelita’s
#7 Villa's Tacos vs. #10 Carnicería Rodriguez
Villa’s is the only blue corn tortilla in my group. Thin, which probably must suit the fillings. A good tortilla for the highly seasoned elements of a taco. On its own as an accompaniment to a meal, a little too thin and too bland. Carniceria Rodriguez is a small yellow disc that looks handmade. A nice sweet corn aroma when ripped but taste didn’t follow through. Kind of blah but with a decent texture. Winner: Villa’s Tacos
#2 La Yalaltequita vs. #15 La Rosa
La Yalaltequita started falling apart on the comal like a Guerrero tortilla. Hint of sour taste. La Rosa is a deep yellow color and a bit thinner with a very strange almost ammonia aroma that I couldn’t get over. Winner: La Yalaltequita
Evan’s Round 2 Matchups
#1 Kernel of Truth vs. #8 La Luz del Día
#5 Casa De Bandini vs. #13 Whole Foods 365
#6 La Placita vs. #3 Chabelita's
#7 Villa's Tacos vs. #2 La Yalaltequita
Gustavo’s takeaway: Only one upset in Evan’s bracket, but what an upset in taking down a 2023 Suave 16 winner! Although I agreed with her ultimate decision on Casa De Bandini topping Los Chorros, I fully recommend that Inglewood Salvadoran restaurant, which is where I like to eat any time I’m in the L.A. Times offices in nearby El Segundo, where I need to go more often...
METATE BRACKET
Judge: Connie Alvarez, KCRW Communications Director
#1 Pan Victoria vs. #16 Food for Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas
Food for Life is the winner here because despite the odd, almost paper-thin smooth texture, it had more corn flavor. Winner: Food for Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas
#8 Tacos Pipeye vs. #9 Bandito Taquería
Bandito pulled off having a mild flavor without being boring! It has the right texture and I like the size — perfect for pretending I didn’t eat too many. Winner: Banditos
#5 Hacienda Mariana vs. #12 Tacos Los Desvelados
Los Desvelados really didn’t sleep on their tortilla! It was hefty, but not too heavy, and tasty. Winner: Tacos Los Desvelados
#4 Masienda vs. #13 Guatemalteca Bakery
Maseinda BLUE the competition out of the water! Great earthy taste. Perfectly supple. Winner: Masienda
#6 Garcia’s Puebla Mercado vs. #11 Diana's
These two were super-similar, but Diana’s pulled ahead with a smidge of better flavor. Winner: Diana’s
#3 Mitla Café vs. #14 Oscar's Fresh Nopal
Oscar’s Fresh(?!) Nopal took the Shrek route on this bright green tortilla, but the color had no bearing on the flavor — as in, it had no flavor! Winner: Mitla Cafe
#7 Gloria's Cocina Mexicana vs. #10 Tacos 1986
Gloria’s uneven size, edges, and rustic texture are kinda charming, but you know where the real spell lies? In the flavor. Winner: Gloria’s
#2 Tortillería Lilly vs. #15 Romero's Blue Corn
Romero’s blue corn disk is soft, pliable, pleasant, and yummy. It’s a winner. Winner: Romero’s
Connie’s Round 2 Matchups
#16 Food for Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas vs #9 Bandito Taquería
#12 Tacos Los Desvelados vs #4 Masienda
#11 Diana's vs. #3 Mitla Cafe
#7 Gloria's Cocina Mexicana vs. #15 Romero's Blue Corn
Gustavo’s takeaway: Freakin’ Connie, making up for the lack of upsets in Evan’s bracket with a bunch of upsets! Only two favorites advanced, and she not only had the second-ever #15 winner in #TortillaTournament history, she also had the first #1 defeat in Pan Victoria, whose Guatemalan-style tortillas I love but apparently didn’t have enough charm for this year. But that’s why you play the game — winners don’t just get anointed into #tortillatournament glory, you know?
Flour Division
RODILLO BRACKET
Judge: Gustavo Arellano, L.A. Times columnist and #TortillaTournament namesake
#1 Heritage BBQ vs. #16 Guerrero Pepito
Heritage was the flour tortilla winner last year, and it returns to greatness with their small, thick, almost-Pueblo-style tortillas. Its binding agent is beef tallow, so it tastes like brisket and has perfect texture — FUUUUUUCK. Meanwhile, Guerrero — owned by GRUMA, the Thanos of the tortilla world — continues its hijacking of Mexican culture by calling its low-end brand Pepito, after the child trickster of Mexican humor. Surprisingly, this brand isn’t bad — but no way could it beat Heritage. Winner: Heritage.
#8 Los de Juarez vs. #9 Little Heart Cafecito
The former is the first restaurant in Southern California to sell El Paso-Juarez style flour tortillas. They’re sold raw, so it’s a visual delight to see these translucent treasures sizzle on the grill and bubble up. And was that a touch of baking powder in the end? Little Heart, meanwhile, represents Santa Barbara okay — starts off good, but leaves you wanting more. Wheaty. Small tortilla. No chance. Winner: Los de Juarez.
#5 Tehachapi Grain Project vs. #13 Tacos 1986
I was happy to bring back Tehachapi — whose flour tortillas made from heirloom wheat once made the Suave 16, but which I couldn’t source ever since — into the #TortillaTournament, but what a disappointment! The flavor was weak, and there was bitterness at the end — a death sentence for most tortillas. Tacos 1986 is already a beloved noveau taco chain, but I didn’t realize they made their own tortillas until owner Joy told me. The flour ones are small and thick, but they don’t have much flavor — but at least there’s no bitterness at the end. Winner: Tacos 1986
#4 Super A Foods vs. #12 The Taco Stand
Not all locations of the Super A Foods supermarket mini-chain stock their namesake tortillas, which is odd, because they’re delicious — the secret is in the pinch of sugar the flour tortillas have, and there’s a softness and pliability. That’s how a chain does tortillas right. Compare that to The Taco Stand, a San Diego-born piratería version of Los Tacos No. 1 in New York. Their flour tortillas were as whatever as their tacos. Winner: Super A Foods
#6 Tortillas de Harina Elice vs. #11 Carnicería El Cortez
Elic was the runner-up in the flour category in our San Diego Tortilla Invitational, and eating them again showed why they went that far: it sizzles immediately on the comal and is rich. My sister and her husband swear by Carnicería El Cortez, which shows how much they know about tortillas — starts butter, ends bitter and has an almost medicinal aftertaste. Ain’t advancing! Winner: Elice
#3 Sonoratown vs. #14 El Comal Trigo
Sonoratown was the first-ever winner of our #TortillaTournament and has made it into every Suave 16. We’ve seen them go from a small spot in L.A.’s Fashion District to a bigger spot in Mid-City to their brand-new Long Beach spot, which is gorgeous. And their quality has never gone down — the tortillas I bought immediately sizzled and ballooned. El Comal, meanwhile, is a mega-producer that people seem to like but which lost in the first round of the inaugural #tortillatournament. I’m always up for giving the big companies another chance, so tried their all-wheat tortillas. It wasn’t that bad at first, but ended with a bitterness so gross that I not only spat out what I ate, but regurgitated what went down my throat—BARF. Winner: Sonoratown
#7 Perro Taco vs. #9 El Torazo
So Perro, which is located next to a Edwards movie theater in Cerritos — yes, Cerritos! — does a bit of a cheat. Their handmade tortillas are made by the owner’s mom, who lives in Tijuana. Do we allow them in? I say yes, because we will advance to Tijuana one day anyways, and when’s the last time you ever said Cerritos and Tijuana in the same sentence? These tortillas had a perfect texture, perfect wheatiness but could use more flavor. Speaking of tortilla wastelands, El Torazo is a mini-chain with outposts in Huntington Beach and Bellflower. They were small and powdery, but fragile. They have potential, but aren’t winning this time. Winner: Perro Taco
#2 Las Cuatro Milpas vs. #15 La Rosa
Barrio Logan’s finest versus the Guerrero of the Central Coast. Delicious versus something that was pale and unappealing and looked like a small pillowcase. Winner: Las Cuatro Milpas.
Gustavo’s Round 2 Matchups
#1 Heritage vs. #8 Los de Juarez
#13 Tacos 1986 vs. #4 Super A Foods
#6 Tortillas de Harina Elice vs. #3 Sonoratown
#7 Perro Taco vs. #2 Las Cuatro Milpas
Gustavo’s takeaway: SO many flour traditions represented here, from Tijuana (Perro) to Juarez (Los de Juarez), Chicano San Diego (Las Cuatro Milpas) to Chicano L.A. (Super A Foods) to the Sonoran love letters by Sonoratown and Elice and whatever delicious madness Heritage brings. Gonna be a hard second round!
MANTEQUILLA DIVISION
Judge: Eater LA reporter Mona Holmes
#1 HomeState vs. #16 Whole Foods 365 Almond Flour
Good color, solid seasoning, hearty, delish versus no flavor, crumbly and leathery. Winner: Homestate
#8 Birreria Chalio vs. #9 Tortilleria Campos
Very nice flavor, pliable, good mouthfeel versus a solid tortilla, but no match to Chalio. Winner: Birrería Chalio
#5 Casa De Bandini vs. #12 Trader Joe's Sonora-Style Tortillas
Nice texture, great for dipping, good color versus overly thick and doughy. Winner: Casa De Bandini
#4 La Troca Catracha vs. #12 Lario's Meat Market
Needs salt, but not bad versus pure cardboard and no flavor. Winner: La Troca Catracha
#6 Burrito Exchange vs. #10 Tacos Los Desvaldos
Pleasant and nutty smell, good taste, thick and good for cooking versus solid bite, but wouldn't eat it on its own, seems like a good candidate to prepare something saucy with. Winner: Burrito Exchange
#3 Dunsmoor vs. 14 Oscar's Fresh Nopal
Actually, not bad! Excellent as a dish versus The consistently is great! but it lacks good flavor. Winner: Dunsmoor
#7 Tacos La Rueda vs. #10 Fat Burrito
Not great flavor but a good tortilla. Seemed undercooked and needs salt. It's not a bad tortilla, just not great versus needs salt, love the color and smell. Winner: Fat Burrito
#2 Manolo Farmers Market vs. #15 Pueblo Lindo
Though a nice bite and chew, it needs a bit of salt versus just NO. Winner: Manolo
Mona’s Round 2 Matchups
#1 HomeState vs. #8 Birriería Chalio
#5 Casa de Bandini vs. #4 La Troca Catracha
#6 Burrito Exchange vs. #3 Dunsmoor
#10 Fat Burrito vs. #2 Manolo Farmers Market
Gustavo’s Takeaway: I loved the poetry of Mona’s reviews. Her takedown of Pueblo Lindo, which is Aldi’s brand, was HILARIOUS, but I would’ve granted them a bit of grace for making their own tortillas in the first place! But a lot of good matchups here!
Reminder folks: We’re going to announce the Round 2 winners — our Suave 16 finalists — Wednesday on the KCRW Insider newsletter, so sign up for it already. Then we’ll return here Monday for the Eso 8. See you over there, then over here!
And just because you made it this far down, a gift from Get Smart.