Now THAT is an excellent headline.
Taco Maria is quite the critic’s darling! My goodness. LA’s Mexican scene is still the best in the country though so don’t fret.
Doesn’t BS Taqueria use Taco Maria’s tortillas? I’m pretty sure that’s the case. Or is it just the masa?
Just the masa technically. If you read the article, Salgados buys huge batches of heirloom maize (hilariously from an NYC supplier), since it’s illegal to import it from Mexico, and he sells it at cost to other places, since TM purchases way more than they need, and he would prefer to just see more people using better tortillas.
I believe B.S. Pettycash, Broken Spanish, and apparently Otium all purchase masa from him currently, maybe others as well…
There is no reason TM shouldn’t be a critic’s darling either; often not the case, but deserving in TM’s case I’d say.
Apparently not. At least according to the Daily Trojan.
From the DT:
Chef Ray Garcia says the clams and lardo tacos are served on organic blue corn tortillas supplied by Masienda, a little place in Mexico known for producing maize. The tortillas are freshly pressed in-house. The company only supplies three restaurants in the United States.
Read the entire article here.
It is truly mind-boggling to figure out how they chose the headline they did… the article doesn’t mention anywhere else in the USA, it’s 100% based on this guys girlfriend from Mexico, and arguing that things are better in Mexico.
Perhaps he, and others, should be arguing against the American government that outlaws importation of corn (products) from Mexico making getting the good maize virtually impossible for cheap. I bet more cheap taco trucks might use maize if they could import relatively high quality batches directly from Mexico… although I guess who knows really, maybe I am speculating too much.
I do wonder how it became acceptable to not use handmade tortillas in LA? The Mexican (American) community generally seems somewhat demanding…and it’s strong enough that the practice had to have been encouraged from the inside out it seems like. I find that kind of strange.
I don’t think it’s unacceptable. Lots of places make their own, including some taco trucks. Further, even in Mexico, most use machine made. However the machines in mexico add a wonderful element of toastiness. That is actually the biggest issue with U.S. machines, they steam more than actually cook. Further, every tortilleria makes their own perfect masa (Unlike the popular demonization of Maseca would have you believe, most places use a ratio of Maseca and Nixtamal to get a good ratio of flavor and pliability. Working with Nixtamal on its own is a BITCH.) FURTHER, the tortillas are bought EVERYDAY by the kilo. If they are one day old they turn hard as a rock. (and we make Chilaquilles!)
I have not been to Taco Maria, BUT the closest I have found in L.A. that emulates a real Mexican Tortilleria is the Tortilleria in el Mercadito. They still make tortillas to last a week and survive the fridge but they have real corn taste.
Now Flour tortillas, that ia WHOLE different conversation…
–Dommy!
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We need good flour tortillas here…
Carb and carb and stew?
I’m in!
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I’m no expert, but La Azteca Tortilleria’s flour tortillas are delicious…
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that chile rellenos burrito is just so much better than the al & bea bean barf, as well as the el tepeyac monstrosities.
still, it’d just be so much tastier for them to dump the content of the burrito into a bowl and give me some chopsticks + sambal. not every single damned thing needs to be handheld/finger food.
no. make it stop.
IIRC, WSG gets her fills of pizza, too. 
Those tortillas are incredible.
I really wish they were not out in El Monte though.
ok aesthete,
which of all the handmade tortillas that you get “everywhere” do you recommend as being the best of the lot?
(just the tortillas)
pizza is another form of bread.
pizza night at lodge bread is currently “exhibit one”.
Go out in style.
Try the ice cream brick toast (either the Volcano or the aptly named Vinadoré Toast) at Vinadoré Café, which some us talked about previously on CH.
Gosh. Never been! Seeing that they make their own tortillas, will have to put them on the list! 
–Dommy!
Flour tortillas are a complex topic. Since what flour was cheaper, keeps better and more readily available than corn flour lots of regions have their own flour tortilla regions. You won’t find the parchment thin tortillas of Arizona here. I love those! But depending on the meal, you need more of a heftier tortilla like the chewier texas style. Without a doubt, with grilled meats, a flour tortilla will almost always be preferable to a corn, it’s just harder to find a smaller flour tortillas.
For larger style, we love the HANDMADE ones at Las Azteca. For smaller, the ones at Homestate are okay, but actually I really like the Tortilla Factory ones (Golden Corn), it toasts up great.
–Dommy!
Taco Maria obviously. It would be somewhat ridiculous to name anyone else as the top contender.
But I also have a penchant for the tortillas at Taqueria Los Anaya, even though no one else seems to like them.