TACO JOURNALISTS NOMINATED FOR JAMES BEARD MEDIA AWARD
Pull up to some taquitos estilo Matamoros, barbacoa estilo pozo or the smell of fresh tortillas, corn or flour, and you know you’ve arrived in the Rio Grande Valley.
For some time, taco journalists Mando Rayo and Dennis Burnett have been showcasing the area’s tacos and the gente behind them. The duo’s coverage appears in the book, The Tacos of Texas, in a digital PBS series in Brownsville and in a TV show on the El Rey Network in McAllen.
Now, the two are nominated together for a James Beard Foundation award (equivalent to an Oscar) in the Commercial/Sponsored Visual Media category for their series with Laredo Taco Co., Made Right Here Road Trip, episodes of which can be seen on YouTube.
“I love the RGV because it’s rooted in culture and tradition from abuelas y madres and tios y padres, making fresh tacos or doing a family-style barbacoa Sunday, yes, every Sunday,” said Rayo. The winners will be announced in June, and we wish Rayo and Burnett the best of luck. Follow them on Instagram @unitedtacosofamerica.
HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY, RUTLEDGE BURGERS
If you live in Brownsville, you most likely have been to Rutledge Burgers, located in an enclosed alleyway on East Washington Street. The eatery’s classic burger is small in size but so tasty that you’ll want to return for more.
In 1922, John and Hilda Rutledge established their namesake eatery as a sidewalk hamburger stand. The current owner, Gloria Perez, worked at the restaurant for 45 years and then purchased it from the Rutledges in 1977.
Thank you for keeping the tradition of Rutledge Burgers alive and strong.
CHEERS TO BONITA FLATS FARM & VINEYARD
For Melissa and Art Delgado of Bonita Flats Farm & Vineyard, their dream of owning their own winery is now a reality.
The seed, or the grape you might say, was planted in 2016 with their first acre of vines, blanc du bois. In March, they introduced their very first wines, trebbiano, dolcetto rose and chenin blanc.
“We both said it’s time. We have been growing grapes for four years, and it was time to move forward,” said Melissa.
They plan to add a tasting room, outdoor patio area, a café and a farmers’ market to sell the variety of fresh organic vegetables and herbs they also grow on their farm.
Bonita Flats Farm & Vineyard is located a short distance from the city of Los Fresnos, a mile and a half north of Highway 100 on FM 3069.
The website is bonita-flats.com. We recommend you stop by, sip on a glass of wine and enjoy the sunset.
THREE RGV RESTAURANTS FEATURED IN TEXAS MONTHLY
Espana and University Draft House are featured in “Where to Eat Now,” the 21st edition of Texas Monthly’s annual survey of the state’s best new restaurants.
Espana was listed in the small plates category. TM praised Espana and its all-American Rockefeller oysters, one of its most popular appetizers on the menu. Espana has returned to its original newly renovated location at 701 N. Main St. in McAllen.
The Graduate at University Draft House made the list of best sandwiches. TM says it is a “no holds barred burger made with melted brie, caramelized onions, mushrooms and arugula piled on an Angus beef patty and tucked into a brioche bun.”
University Draft House has two locations, 2405 W. University Drive in Edinburg and 100 W. Highway 83 in McAllen.
The Ana Liz Taqueria in Mission is also featured in Texas Monthly. In the article, owner Ana Liz Pulido shares her story of working towards owning her own taqueria. It spans from her selling homemade Nutella pies to her classmates as a teenager to her graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio and finally, to coming back to the Rio Grande Valley to start her restaurant.
At her taqueria, Pulido serves flour tortillas made by her mother, and blue and yellow corn tortillas she makes herself.
If you love tacos, TM says it is worth the pilgrimage to Ana Liz Taqueria, located at 215 N. Conway Ave. in Mission.
Read about these valley restaurants at texasmonthly.com.
- Know someone who should be in Notable Edibles? Send us a note at hola@ediblergv.com.
