The first nacho rating system originated in 1958 and is rumored to have origins tracing back to “Nacho” Anaya himself (although no official connection has been documented to date). Local Texan nacho critics in small towns near Piedras Negras (Mexico) would give restaurants or eateries serving high quality nachos the “Nacho Anaya Seal of Excellence”. No physical award was presented, but restaurant signs would often post the awards name. The name was soon shortened and nacho providers received either an “Anaya” or no award. The lack of an Anaya caused many restaurants to loose patrons, but due to the fact that the award was unofficial and had no acting life span, most restaurants were able to find some small paper, critic (or in one case high school newspaper) to award the “Anaya” and then would proudly advertise the award for the remainder of the businesses life (strangely enough there were very few restaurateurs whom simply self appointed the award).
This system was clearly flawed and in 1977 (the same year Howard Cosell would popularize the treat), Darin Morales, a failed food critic and budding restaurateur from San Antonio, TX, proposed a new rating system. This system rated the merit of nachos based on a 10 point system. Each point was referred to as an “Anaya.” This was first known as the Anaya rating system but then, to reduce confusion with the old “seal,” the system was renamed the “modified Anaya.” To establish the legitimacy of the system Morales vehemently opposed his restaurants first ranking of 10 Anaya. Stating to a local reporter that, “10 Anaya should be held for nachos that not only fill the belly but warm the soul”.: His nachos rose higher in the rankings over the years and eventually received 9.5 Anaya. In 1996 when the system was retired an honorary 10 Anaya was awarded to Morales’ restaurant.
The modified Anaya however was not without flaws. As the system began to expand to reviewers beyond the Northern Mexico and Texas regions, critics of the system began to protest that a rating lower that 5 Anaya was never awarded, such that a mediocre review would still appease local restaurants which often gave advertising dollars to small local newspapers. After wide spread protest of the system in 1994 (known as the “run for the border protest” which referenced Taco Bell’s advertising slogan of the time and hinted at the corruption in the rating system which was leading nacho lovers to fast food nachos), reviewers from most large American and Mexican newspapers refused to cast a rating for a one month period. In this time many critics used their columns to promise readers that lower rankings would be given in the future. This, however, led to more controversy from new restaurant owners who would receive the new lower rankings but still have to compete with restaurants ranked in the older less critical system. For this reason the newly appointed Board of Nachos Ratings (BNR) met to discuss a new system. The new system was first defined in 1995 and officially replaced the Anaya system in 1996. This system awarded five points, each being called a Cosell in reference to the late Howard Cosell who had passed away earlier that year and had helped popularize nachos on a 1977 broadcast of ABC’s Monday Night Football. The new system led to some controversy due to the replacement of nacho’s namesake, with a man who was only loosely related to the food. The BNR countered with a weak public defense citing that the change from the Anaya to the Cosell was necessary to distinguish between the two systems and that they believed the new system would result in the retirement of many offensive caricatures often used to denote a “Anaya.” The board also suggested the use of a triangle chip symbol to denote the new Cosell (▲) which became official in 2003 (the author will use this symbol in his blog).
The Cosell is used in most nachos reviews to date. Reviews average in 2007 was 2.9 (although increments smaller than 0.5 Cosells are seldom used). While some critics give 5 Cosells more freely, its is seldom seen that a nacho receive less than 0.5 Cosells (most likely due to the lack of easy visual representation)
The official NBR ranking system applies only to “independent restaurants serving Mexican or Tex-Mex style foods.” The system will however be used by the author to rate many nacho providers not fitting in this category. The reader should be advised that ratings are not meant to be compared outside of categories (i.e. 4.5 ▲’s for gas station nachos might not be better than 3 ▲’s for a Mexican restaurant). No absolute rating system exists to date (the author may implement a trial absolute rating system in the upcoming blog “2007 : a nacho year in review” which is expected in early July).
