[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]ith fireworks, corridos, and tacos, the trophy ceremony for Villa’s Tacos TACO MADNESS championship win was as L.A. as it gets.
About 100 community members, neighbors, and Villa’s Taco loyalists came out to Highland Park last Friday night to enjoy their favorite tacos and congratulate their taquero on his recent win. Local residents, Los Muchachos de Dena, helped launch the trophy ceremony with a small procession while playing corridos and carrying the trophy to Villa’s Tacos founder and main taquero, Vic Villa.
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Villa, with his electric energy, fired up the long line of customers with a passionate speech and chants of, “When I say Villa, you say tacos!”
“Villa’s!!!!”
“Tacos,” the crowd responded proudly over and over.
After the ceremony, Villa shared embraces with his family and friends, many of whom are part of his taco championship team. There were even moments of proud tears from mom and dad. But no one seemed prouder than Villa’s three-year-old daughter, Scarlett Reye Villa, who told everyone, “We’re Villas and Villas win, Villas don’t lose.”
The sound of corridos cut through the mesquite smoke for the rest of the night as the champions turned out their signature ‘seven layer tacos’ for the line of about 80 to 100 people that remained steady for most of the evening. While they waited patiently, they danced in line, belted along with corridos, and even let out a couple gritos to some of Los Muchachos de Dena’s guitar shredding tunes.
Several shots of tequila later, after service ended and only the musicos and taqueros remained standing out on the sidewalk, holding each other up in an embrace into the morning hours. The last congratulatory hugs were given out, and only one shout-out remained.
That shout-out goes to the neighbors of Highland Park, for supporting their local taquero, for having a championship trophy in their neighborhood, and for bringing the fireworks to the fiesta. Congratulations once again Villa's Tacos, you earned this one.
Photos by Erwin Recinos for L.A. TACO.
