15 Food and Drink Fundraisers To Support L.A. Wildfire Relief
Here are 15 fundraisers at L.A. bars and restaurants to support first-responders and neighbors affected by the tragic fires via eating and drinking, including pizza pop-ups, oyster festivals, and superhero tacos.
Palisades Taquero Sued By Ralphs Returns To Feed First Responders
Gracias Señor's customers in Pacific Palisades were 70% locals, including many students from the local high school that burned down. On the day the fire started, taquero Rudy Barrientos barely made it out in time to not have to abandon his popular food truck. Through World Central Kitchen, he's been serving the first responders who are working the graveyard shift breakfast burritos. As for the future, he doesn't know where he will set up next.
Finding Burnt Pages of Books in Your Yard? Wildfire Experts Say That’s Normal
“Although it certainly offers a dramatic visual, seeing partially burnt pages from books and newspapers fall from this sky is an all-to-familiar experience for anyone who has experienced a major fire that destroyed numerous structures,” climate scientist Daniel Swain told L.A. TACO.
The Palisades I Loved, Then and Now
A West L.A.-raised photographer looks back at his sacred place in high school, turning his lens on the ruins that remain.
As Los Angeles Burns, Immigrants Mobilize
“We need to support each other. If we don’t do it, nobody’s going to do it,” one of the volunteers said through his N-95 mask.
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How Wildfires Are Worsening Air Quality on L.A.’s Eastside
An interview with Stephen Ladochy, a professor emeritus at Cal State L.A. who specializes in climatology, addresses the diminishing air quality affecting Boyle Heights and what residents can do about it.
Debunking Six Videos and Images Spreading Gross Disinformation During L.A.’s Fires
These videos can be dangerous, causing mass panic, outrage, danger, and enmity where it doesn’t need to be. It’s more urgent than ever that we learn to question what we see and avoid sharing things we cannot confirm or just outright created by AI.
Amid Wildfires, Hundreds Peacefully Protest Mass Deportation Threats In Downtown Los Angeles
Many of the protestors were children of immigrants, as well as young people born in the city, appearing there on behalf of their parents, who are living in fear amid widespread allegations of ICE Raids on the city’s streets.
Here Are the Facts About Mexico Sending Firefighters to Help with L.A.’s Wildfires
Despite online articles showing photos and videos and videos shared by influencers of the purported firefighters appearing at LAX or singing on their way to extinguish fires, L.A. TACO has verified that those videos are inaccurate and that firefighters have not arrived in Los Angeles.
‘This Is Not Human Driven,’ Officials Investigate Cause of Erroneous Evacuation Warnings
Kevin McGowan, Director of L.A.'s Office of Emergency Management, encouraged people not to disable emergency messages on their phones. “These alert tools have saved lives during this emergency. Not receiving an alert can be a consequence of life and death,” McGowan said. You can verify to see if you’re in an evacuation zone through alertla.org, lacounty.gov/emergency, or by dialing 211 for assistance.
The Ashes of Altadena, In Photos
Horrendous fires have tragically ravaged Altadena, the mountainside city of 42,000 residents, leaving more than 5,000 structures burned and lost, including neighbors' homes, businesses, cars, RVs, homes, and sheds. Entire blocks have been obliterated in this devastating, unbelievable tragedy, leaving multiple generations of families of all backgrounds without homes. Local photographers Maks Ksenjak and Suitcase Joe ventured into its streets in the aftermath.
13 Taquerías Offering Free Tacos to First Responders
Not only are these among L.A.'s best when it comes to serving great food, they're run by some of L.A.'s best people who are kindly offering famous tacos, mariscos, pozole, and more to those doing their best to help the city.
News
Mayor Karen Bass Flies Back From Ghana As L.A. Faces Historic Wild Fires
“L.A. County and all 29 fire departments in our county are not prepared for this kind of widespread disaster,” said the L.A. County Fire Chief Marrone. The County was prepared to respond to one or two brush fires, but not four. “There are not enough firefighters to address four separate fires of this magnitude," he said.
L.A. TACO’s Most-Read Investigations Of 2024
In the past 12 months, L.A. TACO published investigations that other media outlets ignored or overlooked about people experiencing the worst food poisoning of their lives at a swanky food event, the alarming increase in people legally carrying guns in Los Angeles, hardworking restaurant workers struggling to get paid, cops watching a $1 million bus burn to the ground, and an attorney general who says he wants to free innocent people from prison but has yet to do so.
L.A. TACO’s 12 Most-Read News Stories Of 2024
Our haters consistently tell us to “stick to tacos.” And yet, every year our analytics tell us that some of our most clicked on stories are actually straight forward news and culture pieces that sometimes have nothing to do with meat and tortillas.
More Than 70 People Reported Feeling Ill After Eating Oysters At L.A. Times ‘101 Restaurants’ Food Event
Ragusano is disappointed that the L.A. Times didn’t publicly disclose that there was an outbreak at their event. “Obviously they’re not going to print it in their paper,” Ragusano said. “But they‘re a newspaper and newspapers are supposed to share the news. This is how people usually find out about something like this,” she added. “It's ironic because it happened to them.”
Guides
This Weekend: Nigerian Goat Pies, Five Generations of Shumai, and Gambas Al Ajíllo With Basque Cider
Plus, Malay-style wings, a collaboration pizza-topped with Philippe The Original's French-dipped beef and hot mustard, and more in this week's roundup.
The Dark Origin of Rosca de Reyes, Plus the 10 Best In L.A.
Eating a rosca de reyes is a way to beat the post holiday blues. Here are where to find the best ones in L.A. and plus, the macabre origin of the religious holiday that involves murdering infants.
L.A.’s 13 Best Bars With Games and Activities
The best L.A. bars for axe-throwing, cumbia nights, playing pool, doing graffiti, smoking, playing pinball, and other fun, possibly delinquent activities.
The 38 Best Books of 2024
Like listening to music, reading is an activity that recharges the spirit. It offers a chance to unplug for an hour to fill your soul and slow down. Here are 38 ways to free your attention span from doom scrolling and algorithms.
Neighborhoods
You Can Now Buy Fresh Huitlacoche, Mexico’s Prized Corn Fungal Delicacy, In The U.S.
The ominous grey-blue mushrooms that grow on corn are a delicacy in Mexico, but up until this truffle dealer from CDMX started to import it herself a couple of years ago, you could only find it processed by being pickled in jars or cans in L.A.
The Closing of Guerrilla Tacos Marks the End of An Era For Modern Mexican Food In L.A.
Guerrilla Tacos was one of the city's first sit-down taquerías that offered a farmers market-led approach to tacos with a full cocktail menu. It was also one of the "big three" modern Mexican restaurants along with Taco Maria and Broken Spanish that changed tacos forever in the city and beyond.
A Trucker’s Oasis For Peruvian Chicharrón Sandwiches, Leche de Tigre, and Camote Donuts In Vernon
Their chicharrón sandwich is the best $10 you can spend in the beautiful city of Vernon. This mom-and-pop shop opened by a couple of retired truck drivers is a bonafide strip mall gem in Los Angeles, overlooking the L.A. River, too.
Rare, Pit-Roasted, Zacatecas-Style Birria —Estilo Moyahua—Is Being Revived In This Inglewood Backyard
This isn’t your average, made-for-Instagram birria. The estilo Moyahua dish is available in goat and also a beef version, for the chiva haters.
