Editor’s Note: San Antonio was minding its own business last Friday, Feb. 19, preparing for the 180th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, when messengers arrived with word of culinary insurrection erupting in Austin, an outright act of banditry, really, said some. A small force flying the Austin Eater flag led by a Matthew Sedacca, a previously unknown usurper, was claiming that Austin was the birthplace of the breakfast taco. The early sally stunned San Antonians, many in disbelief that such an attack could even occur in 2016. Local forces regrouped and have now rallied. An honorable call to settle the dispute by duel is hereby issued by Chef Johnny Hernandez, whose own San Antonio-based culinary empire includes the flags of La Gloria, Fruteria, El Machito and True Flavors. Challenges have been issued, terms are to be negotiated. What will ensue? It could be a mano a mano duel, it could be a larger battle with multiple chefs engaged in hand-to-hand taco-making, or could be an all-out war, a breakfast taco war. Watch the Rivard Report for the latest dispatches and updates.
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Austin. You have gone too far this time.
The article published by Austin Eater by Matthew Sedacca, “How Austin Became the Home of the Crucial Breakfast Taco,” has created quite the firestorm. Little did Sedacca know that this would ignite the feud of all feuds overnight. Matt Sedacca has since been asked to leave the city of Austin and Texas all together by none other than journalist and “Ask a Mexican” columnist Gustavo Arellano, best-selling author of “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.” A petition has even been created at Change.org demanding “that the City of Austin TX, throw Sedacca out of an unmarked van well outside the boundaries of the state or make equally suitable amends to San Antonio.” The petition has gone viral and has reached about 1,600 signatures and counting.
The “breakfast taco” topic has been a long standing and deeply sensitive subject to native San Antonians. We are breakfast taco strong. Austin, on the other hand, is clearly living up to its slogan of staying “weird” by falsely owning this taco superiority. We, as a city, feel the time has come to settle this feud once and for all. Austin has no right to steal our taco heritage!
Hello?! Doesn’t Austin know how much we love tacos? We have art devoted to our love of tacos.
Henry is getting all the love these days!! #ilovetacossomuch pic.twitter.com/GbnihHVZJY
— San Antonio Missions (@missionsmilb) December 4, 2015
Who really makes the best breakfast taco? Austin? Or San Antonio?
San Antonio is challenging Austin to a breakfast taco throwdown. One day, two cities, numerous Chefs, and the people will be the judge. All proceeds will be donated to charity. Instead of making ‘suitable amends,’ Austin, let’s cook about it! It’s not about where it started, its about who can do it best!! And what better cause to bring these two amazing cities together than…TACOS!
Austin, we await your response.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Jessica D. Vargas at 210-701-4743 or email at JVargas@lagloria.com.
GO SPURS GO!
*Top image: Tacos are handed out during a Spurs game at Tony’s bar in June 2014. Photo by Scott Ball.
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Spurs, Family, and Tacos at Tony’s Bar
Raul’s Enchilacos to Close up Shop
Commentary: New Dietary Guidelines for a New Year, New San Antonio
Maybe Matthew Sedacca can bring the burritos…
Is this still a thing?
#MakeTacosNotWar
You have to get bobby flay in on this. 🙂
It’s all fun and games until someone gets burrito’d #Alltacosmatter
When I lived in South Austin, I lived next door to a bakery that made delicious breakfast tacos that I depended on. When I moved to near West Austin, I had to drive about 5 miles and wait in a line around the block for the only breakfast taco offerings I could find, and they were not worth the trouble. San Antonio and Seguin breakfast tacos are readily available when and where we need them, and they are almost always excellent! Don’t let these Austin upstarts get away with these claims!
Ha! Let the snot-nosed kid who wrote the article come down here and show us how well he prepares a taco…
Having grown-up in Austin during the 70’s, I never heard of “Breakfast Tacos” until I lived in San Antonio in 2003. The migrating idea of food carts, i.e., breakfast tacos and street food– has been an integral part of San Antonio’s culture . . . before the Liberty Lunch’s doors were closed to enhance Austin’s facelift.
Tacos are Food rolled inside a tortilla, not the thing shown in this picture
This is great fun. Enjoying the reading.
Breakfast tacos – San Antonio.. TexMex – San Antonio.. get a life Austin… how about getting a football team first.. roadways to get around the town…. then we’ll talk about food or something…
taco history of where it all began dating back to early Texas history of Mexican cooking that contributed to the growth of the area needs to be considered in this challenge as well http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/where-did-the-taco-come-from-81228162/?no-ist
LOVE the editors note intro to this article Mr. Rivard. Well said…looking forward to the dual!!! As a native San Antonian there’s no doubt we will win this challenge!