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Lauren Bethke

Blending her time in the kitchen as a line cook with her passion for storytelling, Lauren Bethke writes about community, inclusivity and the city she loves the most—Los Angeles.

Seven Dancers Proving L.A.’s Burlesque Scene Is the Best in the World

In a city where younger generations aren't necessarily going out, drinking, or dancing the way they used to, burlesque quietly continues to thrive.

August 12, 2026

Burbank’s Annual Latin Clown Convention Made Me Embrace My Inner Payasa

Every year, the collective hosts the Congreso, a multi-day gathering where clowns from across the United States and Latin America swap techniques, attend workshops, discover new products, and uplift one another, even hosting an Oscars-style awards show on the final night in one last hurrah.

August 5, 2026

An Art Show Honoring Sex Work Is Hidden Inside a Fashion District Gallery

"I chose Beverly as my stripper name 'cause I was born in a car on Beverly and Western in Koreatown," Michaela Campbell, who hosted the night's event, tells L.A. TACO.

July 27, 2026

The Country’s Most Famous Strip Club Hosted Its First Trans Night and We Were There

This wasn't a queer venue making room for trans performers—that already exists. This was one of the country's most recognizable strip clubs deciding that supporting trans dancers is just . . . normal.

July 24, 2026

L.A.’s 13 Best Pancakes, Ranked

Whether they're impossibly fluffy soufflé pancakes, chewy mochi stacks, or thin diner-style griddle cakes swimming in butter and maple syrup, they're all chasing the same sensation of making an ordinary morning feel a little more special.

July 21, 2026

L.A.’s 13 Best Donuts Shops, From Long Beach to Eagle Rock

The keepers of the early morning hustle before dawn and past dusk to keep our city fueled on carbs and caffeine. Here's a baker's trece of the best spots around Los Angeles.

July 20, 2026

A Filthy Night of Hard-Rocking Sleaze From Your Favorite Jumbo’s Dancer

"The Night Scene" curated by Jumbo's Clown Room royalty Ashley Hayward features professional gogo dancer Trauma Boner and fellow Jumbo's performers.

July 17, 2026

L.A.’s 17 Best Fries from Santa Clarita to South L.A., Ranked

The best fries have personality. Some are hand-cut and fluffy. Some are duck-fat-fried and decadent. Some are covered in enough seasoning to scald your tongue. These are the best we found around L.A. to get you started on your own path to find the best French fry in L.A.

I Went Inside Tanlines, L.A.’s New Bikini Coffeeshop

Tanlines presents itself as something transgressive—a bikini coffee shop in an industrial corner of Los Angeles. But after a few hours inside, the novelty wears off and something much stranger emerges: It's just a neighborhood café.

June 18, 2026

Microdosing World Peace at Downtown L.A.’s Michelin Restaurant-Themed Sex Party

Wrestling clowns, glittering mermaids, and human pigs abound, as chefs from the world's most famous restaurant deejay (or pay tribute to Alinea on a nude model) at L.A.'s most joyously debauched sex jam.