Javier Cabral

Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-author of “Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and “Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling” (2023, Abrams).
Unmatched Hustle: Immigrant from Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente Creates Innovative Tortillería on Wheels…In Bakersfield
Many come and buy pounds and pounds to share with their family members as soon as they taste a warm “taco de sal,” a tortilla sprinkled simply with salt and rolled up like a thin flauta. It’s common to eat tacos de sal while waiting in line at a tortillería in Mexico, but not so much in the U.S.
Dodgers Just Signed a New 17-Year-Old Pitcher From Culiacán, Sinaloa
He has a 92-MPH fastball and a nasty slider, sinker, curveball, and change-up. For now you can see him playing for the Toros de Tijuana until he's called up to the majors.
Update: Boyle Heights’ Anti-Gentrification Mural Is Whitewashed Again
L.A. TACO has confirmed that as of Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Sergio Robleto's mural against gentrification has been whitewashed again. "It is no surprise they did this," Robleto tells L.A. TACO.
L.A.’s Black and Brown-Led Hardcore Scene Raises More Than $30K for Families Affected by Fires In Sold-Out Show
L.A.'s passionate hardcore community filled The Belasco Theater last night for a historic lineup that brought together two of the heaviest and biggest L.A.-raised bands for the first time in one show, Xibalba and Zulu. Along with other pioneering and emerging bands, Rotting Out, Strife, God's Hate, Downpresser, and Watch Your Fate from L.A. and H20 from New York.
What to Know About Mexico’s Bold Move to Ban Growing GMO Corn (Yet Being the Biggest Consumer of American-Grown GMO Corn)
The move to at least ban Mexico’s planting of GMO corn is Sheinbaum’s way of fighting back against Mexico losing its war against the import of American-grown GMO corn in Mexico.
The 10 Best Pho Spots In Los Angeles and Orange County
A good bowl of pho is the perfect companion to cold-weather, judged on the quality of its broth, which usually takes hours to simmer to a beautiful depth of flavor. Here are 10 spots that are worth seeking out.
A Street Punk Band From Whittier Played Inside a McDonald’s in South Central L.A.
"Even the employees came out to record the show on their phones," said the frontman for Knuckleadz, the Whittier street punk band that performed inside McDonald's on Slauson and Central Avenues. More than 100 fans showed up and and there were no reports of any incidents.
These Are Your Rights If a Restaurant Gets Raided By ICE, For Both Customers and Owners
Here are five attorney-vetted ways you can protect yourself and the employees of a restaurant for both customers and restaurant owners.
L.A.’s Modern Mexican Food Scene Shines In the 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist Announcement
Today's modern Mexican nominees in L.A. and its surrounding areas are being recognized on a national level, sweet vindication against those who express reservations against a taco (or concha) for being delicious, "but a little expensive."
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.