Hola, Steve! This is Gustavo Arellano, your sometimes KCRW Insider, popping in with the latest update (and the thing I’m still plugging)... MASA MADNESS!:

The Fuerte Four finalists for KCRW and Gustavo’s Great #TortillaTournament!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been waging our annual Masa Madness, where we get 64 tortillas — 32 corn, 32 flour — to face off against each other for the Golden Tortilla, which we hand out every year to the greatest tortilla in Southern California (corn has won three times, as has flour). Over on my Substack, we explained why #TortillaTournament was online only this year, and held our third San Diego Invitational. We saw a lot of upsets for Round One, and ustedes who subscribe to Insider got the exclusive peak to our Suave 16, the finalists who have a guaranteed ticket in next year’s #TortillaTournament, which will be the biggest one EVER.

On Monday, I revealed the Eso 8. And right now…here are our Fuerte Four! Sometime very soon, myself, fellow judges Connie Alvarez, Mona Holmes and Evan Kleiman, and #TortillaTournament scout Sean Vukan will gather to eat our finalists and decide which will be the fairest tortilla this year.

For the corn category:

We’re going to have a matchup of the OLD SKOOL: Chabelita’s in Pacoima (the winner in Evan Kleiman’s bracket) versus Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, which was KCRW chingona Connie Alvarez’s pick. Both of them have made the Suave 16 each year they’ve participated, but neither had ever made it into the Fuerto Four until now — Mitla Cafe, in particular, kept losing to blue corn tortillas, to much meme hilarity. So it makes me very happy to see them go this far — and now comes the hard part.

Both Chabelita’s and Mitla offer yellow-corn tortillas at their most fundamental and ancient: thick, handmade, with great color and a smell of fresh masa. If I tasted them without looking at them, it would be hard to tell the difference, so good the two of them are. But, as Highlander once said, there can be only one immortal tortilla — and we will decide that soon.

For the flour category:

We have last year’s flour tortilla winner, Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano versus Casa De Bandini, which is making history this year as the first tortilla from San Diego County to ever make it into the Fuerte Four (quick aside: how awesome is this tournament as a secret code to Southern California life? We have representatives from the San Fernando Valley, the Inland Empire, San Diego County, and Orange County. Let’s see Michelin top THAT).

Heritage won my bracket by taking down perennial Suave 16 contender Sonoratown with small, handmade tortillas that are a meal unto themselves because they’re made with beef tallow. That imparts a smokiness unlike any other tortilla I’ve ever had. But they’re facing a strong rival in Casa De Bandini, a Carlsbad institution where their tortilla-making station is front and center in the dining room. I love their big flour tortillas because they’re thin, buttery, and have tiny char marks that make magic.

You can find our Golden Tortilla champion next week here on Insider. In the meantime, go check out our tortilla map — happy eating! And gracias.

Gustavo Arellano

Chht-chht! Connie here with another plug! Don't miss the International Tamales Festival in Long Beach this Saturday for your stuffed masa fix because it's tamale season! 

AI ‘Bias Meter’ at LA Times: What do Former Staff Think?

Oh, the interesting times happening over in my day job, where L.A. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong pulled a planned endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris two weeks before Election Day, saw all but two members of the editorial board leave, invited a Kentucky-based conservative commentator to join the editorial board (quick aside: would Scott Jennings — who isn’t joining us after all — have lived in Fontucky or Ventucky #socalcitynicknames) and now plans to install some sort of bias thingamajig to opinion stories. I have my thoughts, and [thoughts removed by Connie so that Gustavo can keep writing columnas].

Will Trump’s DOJ Antitrust Pick Shake Up Hollywood?

Everyone’s thinking about what our former-and-future-president will do once he’s back in the Oval Office, so The Business host Kim Masters talks to longtime Hollywood reporter — and The Business contributor — Matt Belloni about Trump appointee Gail Slater, who’s going to run the Department of Justice’s antitrust division. As the two point out, Trump is notorious for lashing out at the rich and powerful… unless they’re his buddies or fans.

Brian Reed Recommends Your Next Podcast Listen

Brian Reed, reporter and host of KCRW and Placement Theory’s Question Everything, is a pillar of podcast producing. Hailing from work on This American Life, and his award-winning podcast series, S-Town, Brian shares his pod recs for the listener looking for more. Ever wonder what a journalist who "questions everything" –– especially his own profession in these times ––  listens to? From Hollywood happenings to a New Yorker narrative to going off-grid, see what's piquing Brian's interest and why you should tune in too.

Members Only Party: Portal to 2025 at Clifton’s Republic

Teleportation devices may not be a thing, but KCRW has other means of transporting you to new destinations sonically, emotionally, and… physically! Join us for a KCRW members-only party at the fabled Clifton’s Republic in downtown Los Angeles. While the venue will be open to the public, KCRW members enjoy an exclusive conversation and meet and greet with KCRW’s new Music Director, Alejandro Cohen, and access to the top two floors, a waived entry fee, a specialty drink menu, and discounts at the bar. You’ll also enjoy live sets from Alejandro and KCRW DJ Tyler Boudreaux, and meet with a fortune teller to see what 2025 has in store. Not a member? Become one now — RSVPs will open on December 18th!

For Your Consideration: True Detective: Night Country

For your awards consideration, Max presents The Emmy® Award Nominated HBO Original Series True Detective: Night Country. 

When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice. Don’t miss the series Rolling Stone calls “THRILLING & GRIPPING.” Now streaming on Max.

Tell KCRW: What Are Your Unforgettable Holiday Memories?

The holidays speed by so fast with the unending to-dos we manage alongside our daily lives. Shopping, traveling, hosting, cooking, parties, and so much more — by the end of it all, we're left wondering what exactly happened. So it feels special — or at minimum, unique — when we have those unforgettable holiday-happening moments. Maybe it's something akin to nostalgia, maybe total heartbreak, possibly hilarity at the dinner table, or the most unforgettable flub you'll never forget. KCRW wants to hear your stories. What are your favorite holiday memories that make you laugh, cry, or even cringe? Share with us and we might reach out for an upcoming story.