The Butterscotch pudding at Jar, where Dahlia Navarez used to work, predates Mozza’s version by a few years and seems to have served as her inspiration for the budino.
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Yes, that’s true that Jar had the caramel pudding first and was the recipe Navarez used. When Navarez moved to Mozza, she added the caramel layer and salt on top which became the butterscotch budino . That to me is the distinguishing turning point or “trademark”: the addition of the caramel layer on top of the pudding that makes it distinctly recognizable and the visual litmus test for a knock off.
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Nancy Silverton might have been the first person to call it butterscotch budino, but I think the dish had basically been around for a while under other names.
A 2001 Gayot review mentioned the Drake’s salted caramel budino. That same year, butterscotch pot de creme was mentioned in an SF Chronicle review of a long-gone place called Dine.
That’s not possible. The Drake is a new restaurant that’s only been around for 2 years. (And Gayot.com was launched in 2002). Again, the caramel flavor for pudding/pot de creme isn’t what’s the copycat. It’s in combo w/ the layer on top, and less so, the budino gimmick.
Oh, right you are. I was confused by The Drake’s “About Us” which is mostly about the NY original. And Google’s flaky date filter. Gayot was publishing reviews for decades before they started the web site, which was started by porting content from the print guides.
I always order the butterscotch budino at Chi Spacca but have no memory of it being topped with caramel sauce.
I first saw soft serve with caramel sauce and cocoa nibs at Zero Zero in SF years ago.
You talking about La Brea and San Vicente?
Yes
How do we know that’s true about Mitla Cafe’s tacos and Taco Bell? I know I read about that allegation in Taco USA, but I’m dubious about any of the claims in that book.
I read some of the primary sources in the book, and I don’t trust the book.
When the writer claimed that he knew with 100% certainity that Richard Montañez created Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, that was a red flag that something was not right.
My thoughts on cultural appropriation of food changed forever in the research for my 2012 book, Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America . One of my personal highlights was discovering the restaurant that Glenn Bell of Taco Bell infamy had cited in his autobiography as being the source of “inspiration” for him deciding to get into the taco business. How did he get inspired? He’d eat tacos at the restaurant every night, then go across the street to his hot dog stand to try and recreate them.
Bell freely admitted to the story, but never revealed the name of the restaurant. I did: Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, which is the oldest continuously operating Mexican restaurant in the Inland Empire. I was excited to interview the owner, Irene Montaño, who confirmed Bell’s story. I was upset for the Montaños, and when I asked Montaño how she felt that Bell had ripped off her family’s recipes to create a multibillion-dollar empire, I expected bitterness, anger, maybe even plans for a lawsuit in an attempt to get at least some of the billions of dollars that Taco Bell has earned over the past 50-plus years.
Instead, Montaño responded with grace: “Good for him!” She pointed out that Mitla had never suffered a drop in business because of Taco Bell, that her restaurant had been in business longer than his, and “our tacos were better.”
Unless you’re doubting the authenticity of the interview I’m not sure what’s left to question.
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Arellano didn’t make up the story, and from who else would Glen Bell have appropriated tacos?
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So, Richard Montañez invented Flaming’ Hot Cheetos because he said so?
A lot of articles were written throughout the years giving that credit to Richard Montañez, and now a lot of articles are being written crediting Mitla because Taco USA said so.
Has anybody else done research into this matter, or are they are all relying on Taco USA?
But, Arellano is more of a troll than a historian or researcher. His book is problematic, and he was the same person who was so confident that Richard Montañez invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Maybe, Glenn Bell appropriated tacos from another place that’s no longer in business to tell that story. Or, maybe, Mitla was just one of several places that Glenn Bell appropriated tacos from.
I hesitate to wade into this since it seems there is something personal against Gustavo Arellano here but I do want to point out that he did address this topic very directly. Here are his own words
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You can go to 3:00, see the words from the daughter in law’s mouth, and then call her a liar if you’d like.
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