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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).

Try This Unforgettable Hatch Chile Taco In NELA’s ‘American Heritage Cooking’ Restaurant

Despite the controversy of Dunsmoor when it first opened, It’s a variety of a taco that is hard to find in L.A.: An actual Southwest-style taco that deserves some respect, especially during Hatch chile season. If not for the taste of the taco itself that represents New Mexico, then for all the people who make up that state, including the 23 federally recognized tribes that have taken care of that land—and planted green chiles—for thousands of years.  

August 29, 2025

Letter From the Editor: ¡Si Se Pudo! We Just Hit 5,000 Members

This milestone is a triumph for L.A. TACO, a testament to the power of community and the belief in our scrappy, taco-fueled mission to keep Los Angeles informed and connected. But we're not in the clear yet.

August 18, 2025

Chefs In Mexico City Organize a ‘Eat What You Want, Pay What You Can’ Day. Is L.A. Down to Do This?

“Policy will change, hopefully, because of this,” Norma Listman, co-founder of this movement and chef of Masala y Maíz, told L.A. TACO. “It’s a small gesture with a big impact: an act of radical hospitality and trust that people respond to,” added her husband and co-founder, Saqib Keval.

August 14, 2025

Update: ‘Group of Almost 30 Men’ Who Robbed South-Central Taco Truck Confirmed to Be Cruz Azul Fans

The Tijuana-style asada specialist, a staple in the South Central for nearly 15 years, has never experienced an incident of this magnitude. The incident was caught on video and the taqueros say the perpetrators live-streamed it.

August 6, 2025

Clown-Faced Fans Swarmed The Garden’s ‘One Strange Night In Orange County’ Festival

Fans dressed as jesters and crustie old punks united at The Garden's hometown mini-fest, reaching new levels in the growing "Vada Vada" movement of experimental punk.

Twelve Iconic Tacos to Try When Visiting Los Angeles

Tacos vary by region in Mexico, but in L.A. you can find many styles in one single place. We've published this guide in collaboration with Financial Times listing the 12 best taquerías to blow your mind. Plus, five essential rules for finding the city's next best taco.

July 24, 2025

Heritage Barbecue Quietly Opened a Beachside Tri-Tip Mecca Closer to L.A.

James Beard Award finalist for "Best Chef California" Daniel Castillo summarizes his new concept he secretly opened on the sand just a few feet away from the water as “ Latino-style meets Black-style BBQ. It’s ‘hood, but finessed. It's Califas-style.”

July 22, 2025

Mexico’s President Looking Into Suing ICE After Farmworker’s Death in Camarillo Raid

Claudia Sheinbaum and her administration are exploring a lawsuit against ICE to provide legal and diplomatic to Jaime Alanis Garcia's family who was originally from Huajúmbaro, Michoacán. He leaves behind a wife and daughter.

July 16, 2025

I Was High at Noma When Rene Redzepi Told Me He Was Opening In L.A.

I couldn’t process that the scoop of a lifetime before he publicized it was hitting my ears, as an L.A.-raised food-obsessed person, and I was trying my best to “play it cool.” While we can focus on the optics of opening a pop-up fine dining restaurant during an I.C.E. siege that will be inaccessible to too many, Noma’s arrival in Los Angeles is a monumental event, as it’s not just any fine dining restaurant—it’s the fine dining restaurant that redefined culinary innovation globally, raising foraging and hyper-local ingredients to an art form. 

Maravilla Housing Project Residents Fearful After Receiving Notice That Their Citizen Status Could Be Shared With DHS

The notice emphasizes that "there is currently no new data-sharing policy between HUD and DHS in effect at this time,” and that the Memorandum of Understanding between the two federal agencies “does not specifically state how HUD and DHS will collaborate.”