In Celebration of Nachos, and the Man Who Invented Them!

Today's Google Doodle commemorates Ignacio Anaya Garcia's 1943 Invention of Nachos

Yes, today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 124th birthday of Ignacio Anaya Garcia, who had been the maître d’ at a Mexican border town restaurant near a US Army air base outside of Eagle Pass, Texas. One afternoon in 1943, a group of military wives had crossed the border, out on a day’s adventure, in search of something to eat, maybe a few beers…

The women may have walked into the restaurant between the usual lunch and dinner hours, because in order to serve them, Ignacio went into the kitchen himself and grated a mound of Wisconsin cheddar cheese onto a big platter of crispy tortilla chips. He topped the mountain of chips and cheese with sliced jalapeño peppers and slid his creation under the broiler until the cheese was all melted and bubbly, and then he carefully brought the hot platter out to the group of famished women.

His dish was an instant hit, and soon it began cropping up in other restaurants as well, on both sides of the border. “Nacho” was a common nickname, or an abbreviation, for the name Ignacio, and that’s how one of today's truly great snack foods eventually became known around the world.

Venture out to any number of Provincetown eateries for many different versions of this platter of nachos. For example, Rosie’s Traditional Mexican Cantina, at 331 Commercial Street, as the name implies, offers nachos served in the traditional way: tortilla chips covered with melted cheese and jalapeños. The great thing about these simple nachos is that Rosie’s makes their own fresh tortilla chips, frying them up all day in their own kitchen.

Or, for a different take on this staple of bars and restaurants throughout the land, you can head over to Fanizzi’s, at 539 Commercial Street, for their Ultimate Nachos: “An enormous plate of our tortilla chips, with spicy beef chili, jalapeños, tomatoes, sliced black olives and scallions smothered in cheese and served with house-made chunky salsa and sour cream.” Add grilled chicken or guacamole, if you’d like.
Combine this great plate of food with a frosty cerveza or a favorite cocktail from Fanizzi's popular bar, along with that spectacular view from your table at the edge of Provincetown Harbor, for one of PTown's most sublime waterfront dining experiences, year-round.

So there we have two very different versions of the recipe created by Garcia some 76 years ago, just south of the Texas border. It can be a meal or a snack, and has become one of the most popular “bar foods” ever created. Step out this evening and celebrate Ignacio Anaya Garcia and the impromptu creation of his simple culinary masterpiece by ordering a platter  of nachos, found in several different incarnations in restaurants.throughout the town.
 Buen Provecho!