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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).

Activist Standing In Front Of ICE SUV Knocked Down During Mass Immigration Raid in DTLA

On a live interview with ABC, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell just confirmed that he received a call from the FBI requesting assistance from LAPD officers to protect their heavily armed federal agents after they feared for their safety seeing the crowd of around a hundred protesters: "We would do that, [protect] for everyone, including the FBI."

June 6, 2025

L.A.’s Hidden Matcha Master: Masanori Den Shirakata, the Low-Key Legend Only Insiders Know

Masanori Den Shirakata represents the third generation of tea merchants, carrying forward a tradition that began when his grandfather first recognized the potential of Shizuoka, Japan, as a top-tier tea-producing region.

June 5, 2025

Colin Jerwood, Ungovernable Anarcho-Punk Icon and Conflict Frontman, Dies at 63

Colin Jerwood, the passionate and uncompromising voice of the anarcho-punk band Conflict, passed away on June 2, 2025, following a short illness. His family and bandmates officially announced his death on MuchLoved, a crowdfunding platform. He had a major fan base in L.A.'s underground punk community.

June 2, 2025

The Best 13 Performances from Punk Rock Bowling 2025

Photos or words don't do justice to the emotionally charged performances and good times had at the 25th anniversary of Punk Rock Bowling, but here's our shot.

L.A. TACO’s Guide To The Best Mariscos, Tacos, and Drinking Spots In Ensenada

Drive into Baja California from downtown San Diego to hit one of Mexico's seafood powerhouses: Ensenada, home to the most crucial port city that supplies the majority of pristine seafood to the rest of the country (and even bluefin tuna to Japan). It’s also a laid-back destination where many flock for the perfect battered fish taco in the state where that beloved taco style was created.

May 22, 2025

Punk Icon Shawn Stern On the World’s Best Underground Scene (and Surviving Slam Dancing in the Desert)

We caught up with Shawn Stern on the day after Youth Brigade played first show in five years with all three brothers in the lineup again. To get his insights on the how L.A. became—and continues to be—the epicenter of underground punk rock, and practical tips for surviving the chaos and camaraderie of Punk Rock Bowling this weekend in downtown Las Vegas.

May 20, 2025

‘Deportation Set Me Free:’ Deported Influencer Is Building Community and Thriving In Mexico

"I view the U.S. as a golden cage with many of our immigrant brothers and sisters trapped inside a system out of fear of the unknown in their home countries," says Anni Garcia, an influencer who has been documenting herself thriving in Jalisco.  

May 16, 2025

Hildegardo ‘Japo’ Joya, Guardian of Raicilla’s Coastal Soul, Dies at 92

Japo had a presence that loomed large everywhere his raicilla landed, whether that was in one of Mexico’s most beloved cumbia mezcal bars, like Guadalajara’s Pare de Sufrir, where people order raicilla by name of the master distiller instead of brands they are associated with. Or in Torrance on Madre’s mezcal menu, where they still have 20 bottles left of a label Japo made for the restaurant. Like the greats in any craft, he created his own style of distilling that no other raicilla has come close to replicating.

May 14, 2025

Post-Punk Rising Star Depresión Sonora on L.A. Culture Shock and Tacos

L.A. TACO caught up with Madrid’s rising post-punk crooner over tacos de pulpo on Sunset Boulevard. We talked about the critical differences in the tacos in L.A., Spain, and Mexico, his favorite cheeseburger in Los Feliz, and a new album out soon.

Casamigos and Don Julio Cited In Massive Lawsuit Over Adulterated Tequila

The lawsuit filed by three plaintiffs in the United States District Court Eastern District of New York allege that Diageo is "falsely marketing its highly popular tequila brands and selling adulterated tequila to consumers.”

May 6, 2025