Explore

Footer - NEW

Legal Footer

Main - NEW

Mobile

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

This is member's only content.

Members get unlimited access to all of our stories, along with incredible perks like free tacos, invites to our events, access to our mobile app, and much more!

Become a Member of L.A. TACO

Free registration

Please register for L.A. TACO to Vote 

Register to continue

Please Register (For Free) To Read this Story

L.A. TACO

Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their &#8220;distinguished journalists.&#8221; In 2023, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men&#8217;s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

L.A. Taco Guides

Counting Cash At Dinner: The L.A. TACO Guide to the Restaurants Jose Huizar Dined At While Allegedly Collecting Bribes

Eddie Lin is an OG L.A. food writer who encourages everyone to eat chicken feet at least once. He has appeared on many shows, but his favorite appearance is when he and his girlfriend ate Chinese Viagra soup made of boa constrictor. Yum and POW!

Eddie Lin

Featured

The Chinese-Mexican Origin Story Behind Chinatown’s Original ‘Self-Basting’ $60 Juicy Roasted Turkey

One of L.A. TACO&#8217;s co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a writer and editor on food, travel, and culture whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, UrbanDaddy, High Times, and many other places.

Hadley Tomicki

The 2021 L.A. TACO Holiday Gift Guide: 23 Present Ideas For Proud Locals

Memo Torres is the Director of Engagement and multimedia journalist for the James Beard award-winning L.A. Taco. He is also the host of the Daily Memo and writes for Apple Maps’ ‘Where Memo Torres Eats in L.A.’ You can see him on Netflix&#8217;s Taco Chronicles and Pressure Cooker.  You can hear him on KCRW’s ‘Good Food’ occasionally. He was a finalist for the Ruben Salazar Award for Latino journalists and a former third-generation landscaper.

Memo Torres

CDMX Taquería ‘Don Manolitos’ Opens In East Hollywood Tomorrow: Go For Tacos a La Plancha and Frijoles Charros Worth Driving For

Cesar Hernandez is Lynwood&#8217;s second best export behind Weird Al, and a writer and podcaster. Illustration by Tommy Gallegos.

Cesar Hernandez

Los Angeles

The L.A. TACO Guide to the Best Birria Wild Card Dishes of Los Angeles (Ramen, Pizza, and More) – Birria Week

The L.A. TACO Guide to the Best Birria Served In a Bowl and In Consomé – Birria Week

Weed

This THC-Lined Drinking Straw Instantly Turns Any Liquid Into an Edible, And Could Change Everything

Kamren Curiel is a fourth-generation Chicana born in East L.A. and raised in South San Gabriel. She&#8217;s written for the L.A.Times, Latina, LAist, KCET, Huffington Post, and was the L.A. Editor for Remezcla.com.

Kamren Curiel

People

‘Spanish Sin Pena’ (Spanish Without Shame) Online Judge-Free Classes Prove That It Is Never Too Late to Learn Proper Spanish

The L.A. TACO Guide to the Best Goat and Beef Birria (Mixed) – Birria Week

Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”

Janette Villafana

How Riverside’s Progressive Stance On Licensing At-Home Restaurants Helped This Immigrant Family Stave Off Homelessness

All Articles