The return of the Great Tortilla Tournament

Hosted by Evan Kleiman Aug. 10, 2019 Food & Drink

Gustavo Arellano with 2018 winners Sonoratown’s Jen and Teo Rodriguez, and Evan Kleiman pose with the Golden Tortilla. Photo credit: Brian Feinzimer/Fein Image

KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament makes its triumphant return. An LA writer is working to preserve Salvadoran recipes and history. Sandwiches inspired by Japanese convenience stores are the main draw at Konbi in Echo Park. Plus: a SoCal fast food chain is reborn.

From this Episode:

KCRW & Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament is back, bigger and better!

Last year, I approached KCRW with the most ridiculous idea, in a career admittedly built on them: What if we did a sports-like tournament, but centered on tortillas?

10 min

Writer Karla Vasquez strives to preserve Salvadoran food culture in L.A.

On a brisk, June morning in Silverlake, food writer Karla Vasquez stands in front of a shady backyard table, speaking to an audience of nine. She’s hosting her...

8 min

Konbi’s tribute to the Japanese convenience store sandwich

Konbi is a minimalist ten-seat lunch counter on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park. Last year, the restaurant made a splash on social media with its highly photogenic...

11 min

Okra finally gets some respect

Chris Smith is a UK native and author whose fascination with okra began when he first encountered it at a greasy spoon diner in Georgia. He’s now an expert on okra has...

11 min

Market Report: Grapes

It’s grape season in Southern California.

9 min

At Naugles, a heavy dose of Cal-Mex nostalgia

Orange County residents might remember the fast food chain Naugles, which was a competitor to Del Taco and Taco Bell in the 1970s and 80s before eventually going defunct.

7 min