Although Lucha VaVOOM is sold out tonight, the afterparty is free!&nbsp; You can RSVP here. And for those who consider this a drinking day (almost everyone) be sure you&#8217;re safe because the cops are out in force with sobriety checkpoints throughout the city.&nbsp; They start tonight and last through the weekend. WHEN: Wednesday, May 5,…

Cinco De Mayo ~ Los Angeles

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<div>Ivan Ehlers is an Ecuadorian-American cartoonist and writer. He is a regular contributor to <i>The New Yorker</i>, <i>MAD Magazine</i> and the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>.</div>
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<div>IG: <a id="m_-8957504711371111195plusReplyChip-0" class="gmail_plusreply"></a>@ivan_ehlers</div>


Ivan Ehlers

Comix

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<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

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<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 L.A. moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.</p>


Karina Soriano

You See His Murals Across L.A. and at Your Favorite Restaurants. Now Meet the Painter

<p>Jared Cowan is a photographer who also writes and podcasts extensively about L.A. filming locations. He is the co-founder of My Valley Pass, through which he leads film tours of the San Fernando Valley and Pasadena. Jared is also the co-editor of the recent book &#8220;World Film Locations: Los Angeles Volume 2&#8221; and the editor of the upcoming &#8220;World Film Locations: Philadelphia.&#8221;</p>


Jared Cowan

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<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

a woman in an orange corset, dark orange robe, and a crown in front of the Hollywood sign

Taco Members Only

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

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

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


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Sam Ribakoff

The Western States Regional Carpenters Union rallies for Council member Nithya Raman next to the competing SEIU 721 rally for Mayor Karen Bass outside the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center

Politics

Where Do the Candidates for L.A. Mayor Really Stand on Street Vending?

<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

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<p>Marina Watanabe is director of video and a reporter at L.A. TACO based in Koreatown. Previously, she worked as a video reporter for 404 by Los Angeles Times and a video producer at Condé Nast publications Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Them.</p>


Marina Watanabe

Food

L.A.’s Most Exclusive Poke Comes From a Car Trunk And Sells Out In Minutes

<p class="p1">An award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids. Host of the Daily Memo. ‘Where Memo Torres Eats’ on Apple Maps. Seen on Netflix, occasionally on KCRW. 3rd-gen landscaper. Proud son of an immigrant. Golden Bear.</p>


Memo Torres

a woman leaves a love note for ICE on a chalkboard

Site News

Our Playbook Against ICE Burnout

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<div class="html-div xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x14ctfv x13sv91t x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1n2onr6 x1vjfegm x1k4qllp x1mzt3pk x13faqbe x1xr0vuk x1jm4cbz x114wg8e xrrpcnn x14rx4xb x13fuv20 x18b5jzi x1q0q8m5 x1t7ytsu x19livfd x1h2krnu x3p3xfz xet2kk3 xaymx6s x1lu5o8o x1ou5ly4 x1pczhz8 xm7lytj xpdmqnj x1ykpatu x1g0dm76" role="presentation">
<div class="html-div xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x1gslohp x14z9mp x12nagc x1lziwak x1yc453h x126k92a x18lvrbx" dir="auto">Myriam Gurba is a California-born writer. Her next book, POPPY STATE: A LABYRINTH OF PLANTS AND A STORY OF BEGINNINGS, will be published by Timber Press in October.</div>
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Myriam Gurba

Personal Essay

Essay: Lindsay Clancy’s Murder Trial Is the Story of La Llorona, All Over Again

<p>Julianne Le graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a major in English and minor in Asian American Studies. Maybe it&#8217;s because she isn&#8217;t jaded yet, but she is super eager to peek into the overlooked corners of L.A. and write about them. Le is the former editor-in-chief of UCLA&#8217;s Pacific Ties Newsmagazine and was a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press&#8217; &#8220;Podcast of the Year&#8221; award in 2024.</p>


Julianne Le

<p>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 &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).</p>


Javier Cabral

<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

<p>Andrew Bangs, or simply Bangs to his compatriots, is a long-time LA Taco supporter and occasional contributor. He spends a lot of time thinking about his dog.</p>


Andrew Bangs

Chicken wing skewers grilled over charcoals

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<p>Amy Torres is a student at the University of Southern California pursuing her Bachelor&#8217;s in Journalism and Master&#8217;s in Studies of Law. Most of her journalism work has revolved around immigration, sports, and politics. As a native New Yorker living in Los Angeles, she thrives to elevate the voices and stories that shape L.A.</p>
