Mexico City Taco Stand Makes History
The Michelin Guide, originally created by the French in the early 1900s to provide new automobile drivers with a guide to the world’s best food, has awarded a coveted star to a tiny taco stand in Mexico City for the first time.
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On May 14, Chef Arturo Rivera Matinez and his taquería, Taquería El Califa de León, received the star.
One of the 18 Mexican Restaurants to Earn a Michelin Star
Taquería El Califa de León has been one of the most beloved taquería for nearly 60 years and was popular among locals and politicians who worked nearby.
Source: Michelin Guide
The cash-only taquería, which has barely enough room to stand and sells four kinds of tacos–three beef and one pork–became one of the 18 restaurants in Mexico to earn a Michelin star in the Mexican edition of the Michelin Guide.
The Only Street-Food Stand in Mexico With a Michelin Star
The Michelin Guide Mexican edition awarded 18 establishments, with El Califa de León being the sole street-food stand to receive recognition, despite the majority being fancy restaurants.
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Other parts of the world have awarded Michelin star or stars to outdoor food stands, including the famous and exclusive Sukiyabashi Jiro (which lost its stars in 2019 after no longer accepting public reservations).
A Taco to Bite Into
“It’s been fantastic,” said Rivera Martínez, who has manned El Califa de León’s grill for 20 years, told the New York Times.
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Wait times for the tacos have skyrocketed from 10 minutes to nearly 3 hours. Local shops are taking advantage of the long wait times by renting out stools to customers in line. More workers were hired at the taquería to help meet the soaring demand.
“Tacos Are a Religion”
Rodolfo Valentino, who works next door to El Califa de León, said, “In Mexico City, and dare I say in the entire country, tacos are a religion.”
Source: Wikimedia
Valentino has watched the block transform almost overnight after the stand received its Michelin star.
Opening Opportunities
The owner, Hernández, stated that awarding a Michelin star to a Mexican street food shop has “opened an opportunity for everyone who doesn’t have a five-star business that’s well assembled, with tablecloths and well-known chefs.”
Source: Los Muertos Crew/Pexels
“For much less than you’d pay at a Michelin restaurant,” he added, “you can enjoy a taco.”
The Price of Tacos
At El Califa de León, your money goes far for a delicious taco. While these tacos are more expensive than other street tacos in the area, which can cost as little as 60 cents, the cheapest taco at El Califa de León is about $3.
Source: Los Muertos Crew/Pexels
The most expensive taco, which includes pork chop or beef rib meat, is priced at $5. But customers (and Michelin) agree that the tacos are worth the price.
The History of the Taco Stand
Hernández’s father, a butcher involved in the bullfighting world, taught him how to find the best quality and introduced him to bullfighters and ranchers, becoming friends with them.
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His parents started the taco shop in 1968 after they had opened a successful restaurant that still operates today.
The Best Taco
The taco shop named itself after Rodolfo Gaona, a well-known Mexican bullfighter who earned the nickname El Califa de León (the Caliph of León, a city in central Mexico where Gaona was born).
Source: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Gaona and Hernández’s father were close, and the bullfighter inspired one of the stand’s signature tacos, the “gaonera.”
What Makes the “Gaonera” Taco the Best
According to the New York Times, the gaonera taco includes a thin piece of fillet steak marinated in lard and doused with lime and salt during cooking.
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The Michelin citation praised the gaonera taco, describing it as “exceptional” and “expertly cooked.” It deemed the combination with freshly cooked corn tortillas as “elemental and pure.”
The Pride of the Michelin Star Taco Stand
One of the meat grillers who works at the taquería was unaware of what a Michelin star was until a representative of the company delivered the news and invited the staff to a ceremony in Mexico City.
Source: Michelin Guide
“It’s exciting because I had never won a recognition like this,” the meat griller said. “When you hear the word ‘chef,’ it’s a restaurant. But I work here and I’m very proud.”