Daniel Contreras, owner of El Güero Canelo, is in the spotlight and it’s not just for his locally famous hot dogs wrapped in bacon.
On Tuesday, August 13, the Pima County Board of Supervisors proclaimed that August 13 — from that day forward — is “Daniel ‘El Güero Canelo’ Contreras Day.”
In downtown Tucson, Contreras was honored publicly by the Board of Supervisors and given a plaque for his support, partnership, and contributions to the Spanish campaign for Pima Animal Care Center (PACC).
“Happy Daniel ‘El Güero Canelo’ Contreras Day in Pima County,” Supervisor Adelita S. Grijalva shared. “Thank you for everything that you have done for all of us in Pima County!¡Gracias por todo lo que haces y has hecho para mejorar nuestra comunidad!”
You can celebrate however you’d like on August 13. Perhaps you’ll be chompin’ on a Sonoran hot dog or cutting up your jumbo carne asada burrito into bite-size pieces.
Contreras has been honored many times over the years, including a James Beard Award in 2018.
While the Sonoran hot dog originated in the Sonoran capital of Hermosillo, the award announcement called Contreras the “leading ‘hotdoguero’ in Tucson, the ‘American epicenter’ of Sonoran hot dogs.”
Hailing from Magdalena, Sonora, where he was born in 1961, Contreras set up his first hot dog stand in Tucson in 1993. Since then, it’s blossomed into multiple brick-and-mortar restaurants.
For more information on El Guero Canelo, visit elguerocanelo.com.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
