The taco boy didn't notice the commotion.
“I didn't realize the magnitude of the whole thing,” recalls Arturo Rivera Martínez. “I had no idea what a Michelin star was.”
He does it now.
León's El Califa, the modest taqueria where Rivera has worked a sizzling grill for more than two decades, received a star last week in Mexico's first Michelin Guide, instantly turning him and the rest of the staff into epicurean heroes.
Arturo Rivera Martínez prepares an order at El Califa in León.
(Fernando Llano/Associated Press)
The humble taco is a great unifier in this vast and fractured capital. With more than 11,000 taco shops in Mexico City, there may be no more iconic sight here than the all-night stand: wealthy businessmen, public officials and taxi drivers hunched side by side, stuffing their mouths with a food that has existed, in one form or another, since before the Spanish conquest.
For its new guide to Mexico, Michelin awarded one or two stars to 18 restaurants across Mexico, most of them high-end dining experiences. León's El Califa, a narrow, unassuming establishment in the working-class district of San Rafael, is the first taqueria in the world to get one.
As the news spread, the line outside began to grow. This week it stretched more than two blocks alongside street stalls selling everything from toys to underwear to cell phone cases. The new arrivals settled in to wait at least two hours.
“We have never seen anything like this,” said co-owner Mario Hernández Alonso, 66, as he fielded incessant questions from journalists milling around his store. “My parents would never have imagined it.”
His father opened El Califa de León in 1956, naming it after a well-known bullfighter who turned out to be a friend.
The place was long a haunt for politicians given its location across the street from the headquarters of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which governed Mexico for much of the 20th century. A tribute to Luis Donaldo Colosio, a frequent patron and presidential candidate when he was assassinated in Tijuana three decades ago, is one of the few decorations on the walls.
There is no place to sit at El Califa de León. Customers lean over counters and devour food from plastic plates. They can choose between four tacos: steak, rib, chop and the gaonera brand. a steak named after the late bullfighter's trademark move with his red cape.
Michelin praised the gaonera taco as “exceptional.”
“The thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order, seasoned only with salt and a squeeze of lime,” wrote an anonymous Michelin inspector. “At the same time, a second cook prepares the excellent corn tortillas. The resulting combination is elemental and pure.”
1
2
3
1. Jacinto Rodríguez works on the grill at El Califa in León. (Héctor Vivas /Getty Images) 2. The taqueria's characteristic gaonera meat is prepared on the grill. The Michelin guide described the gaonera taco as “exceptional.” (Héctor Vivas/Getty Images) 3. “With meat and tortillas of this caliber,” wrote one Michelin inspector, two homemade sauces, green and red, “were almost not even necessary.” (Fernando Llano/Associated Press)
“With meat and tortillas of this caliber,” the inspector wrote, two homemade sauces, green and red, “were almost not even necessary.”
A few soft drinks are the only libation. No beer, wine or tequila, no time or space for contemplation. Nor will you find cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato or any of the common American fillings that often overwhelm the essential fusion of meat, tortilla and sauce.
“As my father used to say, 'The secret is: there is no secret, just high-quality meat and fresh ingredients,'” Hernandez said. “It's a matter of simplicity.”
Individual tacos cost between $3.50 and $5, a bit pricey by Mexican standards, although portions are generous.
On social media, some nationalist-leaning commentators bristled at the mere idea of French foodies judging the venerable Mexican taco.
Declared one commenter on the social media platform .”
An employee puts a tortilla on a comal at El Califa in León.
(Fernando Llano/Associated Press)
Working at the gas grill, which overlooks the sidewalk, Rivera continually lifted slices of cooked meat and placed them on warm tortillas, made on site with corn flour.
“Having handmade tortillas gives another dimension to the tacos,” said Isabel Carolina González, 50, who has been making corn dough discs here for more than 20 years, but has never witnessed the kind of commotion seen here. week. “There has not been a moment of peace since the star!”
Among those queuing before the 11am opening in recent days were tourists from all over the world.
“Someone heard about the Michelin star, so we decided to come,” said Derek Pérez, 36, who was visiting Mexico City from Santa Monica with friends on a multi-day bachelor party celebration. “Try something new.”
But most of the customers were natives of Mexico City, unconditional taco enthusiasts, passionate (and demanding) about their prized dish.
The Califa de León is full of life since its Michelin recognition. One veteran worker said, “There hasn't been a moment of peace since the star!”
(Fernando Llano/Associated Press)
Few Mexico City residents, whether poor, rich or middle class, live far from a neighborhood taco shop. Cuts of meat and the variety of sauces and other ingredients, along with cooking methods, vary widely.
“I had never been to this taqueria before, but I saw a video on TikTok that said it had received a Michelin star and that the tacos were the best in Mexico City,” said Santiago Salazar Blanco, 18, an aviation student. what I expected. for two hours with a friend to try it for yourself.
Like other interviewees, he expressed pride that Michelin had honored a Mexican taqueria. But the actual product didn't blow him away.
“Yes, the tacos here are good, but nothing spectacular,” he concluded. “We are fans of tacos. I would give this place maybe an 8 out of 10. I'm happy they won the award. But the truth is that there are places in the city where you can find better tacos and much cheaper.”
The El Califa de León team accepts the reality that consensus is unlikely to be reached on something as individualistic as the taco in Mexico City. But they hoped this Paris accolade might signal continued good fortune in a highly competitive market.
Happy customers enjoy their tacos from El Califa de León.
(Fernando Llano/Associated Press)
The owner raised the possibility of opening a new branch. “We'll see,” he said.
Rivera, the cook, received a white chef's jacket with the Michelin monogram, which hangs in his closet because it is too hot for his workplace, and he doesn't want to get it dirty working on the greasy grill. He wears all black.
He said his family gets emotional when he is interviewed by the press. But he's not sure what this distinction will mean for his future. Unfortunately, fame can be fleeting.
“I could definitely use a new car, maybe a BMW,” joked Rivera, who is 56 and drives a beat-up Volkswagen Beetle.
“This is a prize for Mexico,” he concluded the other day as he began his usual shift from 6 pm to 2 am. “There are many good restaurants in Mexico. But for a taqueria to win this star, that is something special.”
He pushed his way through the crowd and took his usual position: behind the grill, preparing cuts of meat for a demanding clientele. It is a daily challenge. You can't fake it. This is a tough city. And people know their tacos.
McDonnell is editor and Sánchez Vidal is special correspondent.
