Tucson Sonoran dog legend El Guero Canelo just earned some national prestige.
The James Beard Foundation announced the five recipients of its 2018 America’s Classics award on Thursday. The award, first introduced in 1998, is “given to restaurants that have timeless appeal and are cherished for quality food that reflects the character of their community.”
Out of five recipients this year from across the U.S., El Guero Canelo was awarded. While the Sonoran dog originated in the Sonoran capital of Hermosillo, the award announcement called El Guero Canelo owner Daniel Contreras the leading “hotdoguero” in Tucson, the “American epicenter” of Sonoran hot dogs.
Contreras opened the Sonoran dog stand in 1993 at age 33. Nowadays, El Guero Canelo has three restaurants in Tucson, a meat market, and one restaurant in Phoenix.
In 2015, Thrillist named El Guero Canelo one of the 21 best hot dog joints in America.
The annual James Beard Foundation Awards Gala will celebrate this year’s winners on Monday, May 7 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
James Beard Foundation 2018 America’s Classics Award Honorees
- Sun Wah (5039 N. Broadway St., Chicago; Owners: Kelly Cheng, Laura Cheng and Michael Cheng)
- Galleria Umberto (289 Hanover St., Boston, MA; Owners: Paul Deuterio and Ralph Deuterio)
- Los Hernandez (3706 Main St., Union Gap, WA; Owner: Felipe Hernandez)
- El Guero Canelo (5201 S 12th Ave., Tucson, AZ; Owner: Daniel Contreras)
- Dong Phuong Bakery (14207 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans, LA: Owner: Linh Tran Garza)
For more information about America’s Classics, visit jamesbeard.org. For more information on El Guero Canelo, visit elguerocanelo.com.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
