Was your life changed by a Circle Jerks show at Blackie's? Chaka Khan dropping in on Snoop and Too Short at the Palladium? Dudamel with a special guest at Disney Hall? Chime in!

Open Thread: What’s The Best Live Show You’ve Ever Seen In L.A.?

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<p>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.</p>


Hadley Tomicki

Son Dogo's taco campechano with asada and chorizo

Taco Members Only

A New Spot Doing All-Day Sonoran Hot Dogs With a Mob of Tacos

<p>Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions, and a nice guy from Long Beach.</p>


a man stands in front of a mural with a pig in a police hat being crossed out

Sam Ribakoff

Politics

Who Will Pay For The Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire?

<p>Karina Soriano is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers the crossroads of music, food, art, and social issues. She spotlights the everyday people who really keep LA moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.</p>


Karina Soriano

a plate of grits with vegetables, fried catfish, and a biscuit on the side

L.A. Taco Guides

L.A.’s 30 Best Black-Owned Restaurants: Vegan, Brunch, Coffee and More for Juneteenth and Beyond

<p><span style="font-weight: 400">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.</span></p>


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Lauren Bethke

Drink

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

<p>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.</p>


Lexis-Olivier Ray

Do Protests Actually Work?

A Ninja Turtles themed bar with neon signs showing a Ninja Turtle and a sign that says "Taking in pies and bad guys since 1984!"

Food

A Ninja Turtles-Themed Pizzeria with a Serious New York Slice

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<p><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">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.”</span></p>


Janette Villafana

Her Parents Are Still Missing After Venezuela’s Earthquakes. Now Her DTLA Restaurant Is a Donation Center for Victims

<p>Izzy Ramirez is a Los Angeles-based staff reporter with L.A. TACO, documenting immigration enforcement and state power as it unfolds on the ground. Their work centers real-time alerts and long-term public archiving throughout the Southern California region.</p>


Izzy Ramirez

Shops

This New Lynwood Studio Is a Sober Living Sanctuary with Coffee, Tattoos, and Streetwear

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<div dir="ltr">Shylah Featherstone is a journalism student at Cerritos College and an intern at L.A. TACO, where she covers food, culture, and community stories across Los Angeles. Passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, she hopes to build a career in multimedia journalism that connects people through thoughtful storytelling.</div>
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Shylah Featherstone

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This South Central Native Reveals Black L.A.’s Best Hidden Gems through Food Tours

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News

UPDATE: Day Seven of the Lineage Fire: Residents Say They Feel ‘Used’

L.A. TACO STAFF

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<div>Chelsea Vega is a writer, content creator, and commentator exploring Latino identity and culture. Her perspective is shaped in part by her career as a sports marketer, where she led campaigns designed to connect with Latino audiences and saw firsthand how Latino identity is often misunderstood and marketed by corporations. Through her reporting, she examines the intersections of race, history, and modern Latino life, exploring conversations many people avoid but millions are already having.</div>
