texas

Settling ‘The Great Breakfast Taco War of 2016'

A Taco Summit was held to settle the war over Texas' savory breakfast staple

There may be no hope for absolute world peace, but the mayors of two Texas cities met Thursday in a Taco Summit in hopes of settling "The Great Breakfast Taco War of 2016."

Admittedly the Taco War only lasted 20 days -- basically from Feb. 19, when a writer declared Austin was the home of the breakfast taco, until the Taco Summit on March 10.

First, you have to know how we got where we are today.

It all started with Eater writer Matthew Sedacca's essay on "How Austin Became the Home of the Crucial Breakfast Taco." A San Antonio resident replied with a Change.org petition to exile Sedacca from Texas for this "taco negligence."

That's when the long-claimed home of Tex-Mex, San Antonio, prepared to defend its reputation.

Sedacca who lives in (read this like an Old El Paso commercial for effect) -- New York City! -- also was chastised by San Antonio Mayor Ivy R. Taylor via Twitter: "Even this native #NewYorker (me) knows #SanAntonio is the mecca of the breakfast taco."

When Austin's mayor learned San Antonio had a beef with the article, he took it semi-seriously, declaring a taco war during a speech in front of a group of University of Texas volunteers on Feb. 27.

"I come to you this morning with some grave news," Austin Mayor Steve Adler said. "The city of Austin is currently at war with San Antonio over a subject that I know we all hold dear in our hearts. That, of course, is breakfast tacos."

A ceasefire was announced March 8 and the mayors decided a Taco Summit would be held to settle the war over Texas' savory breakfast staple.

Taylor took 50 of the tastiest breakfast tacos her city had to offer to a meeting with Adler.

The tongue-in-cheek agenda for the Breakfast Taco Summit included:

  • Eat Tacos
  • Establish a Taco Peace Treaty
  • Declare a Truce

The mayors met at a neutral location, the Hilton Austin Downtown.

After both agreeing their breakfast taco was the best, the mayors declared a peaceful end to "The Great Breakfast Taco War of 2016" with Adler signing a proclamation declaring Thursday Breakfast Taco Day in Austin.

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