Gustavo On the Bankruptcy of El Torito and the Death of Cal-Mex Cuisine
Categories: Chain Reactions, Mexi Meals
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Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times published my op-ed piece on the bankruptcy of Cypress-based Real Mex, the parent company of El Torito, Acapulco, Chevys and other places we Mexis love to deride as inauthentic. I used that business story to not only write a eulogy for Cal-Mex cuisine, the food that most of you SoCal gabachos and Chicanos grew up considering as Mexican but in reality is a mishmash of different Mexican traditions, but to also defend the historical worth of the food.
One thing I couldn't work into my piece but that we understand: The only place Cal-Mex has a future in Southern California in is our Bro-Mex cuisine, which is really Cal-Mex mixed with fresh-Mex mixed with regular ol' tacos.
Here's my piece again. Enjoy! And watch for more shameless plugs in other papers for my Taco USA book as the months pass. . . .
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