Fernando Valenzuela ranks as one of L.A.&#8217;s all time most popular sports icons and did more to get the entire city behind the Dodgers than any other player ever has, or will. Everything about El Toro is awesome and speaks to what Los Angeles is all about, and we&#8217;ve long wanted to know his favorite…

My Favorite Taco ~ Fernando Valenzuela

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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

From "Thoughts &amp; Prayers," an image that shows a back view of Belger's unique self-made camera, made from forged aircraft aluminum, copper, titanium, F-16 aircraft parts, bullets, bullet shells, brass from a 105mm Howitzer shell the was fired from an AC-130 aircraft over Afghanistan during the first minutes of the Afghan war, machine gun sight (0n top), American flag from Glen Spencer’s America First militia compound, and dirt from Columbine High School and the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, North Carolina. The cross on the back of the camera, in the middle of the American flag that is surrounded by the bullets, is made of dirt from the Emanuel AME Church. Photo of the back of the camera was shot during a Thoughts &amp; Prayers photo shoot at the world biggest machine gun shoot in Kingman Arizona. The three men holding the tank ammunition in front of the tank are all civilians and own the fully functional tank.

He Built a Camera From Firearms To Photograph U.S. Gun Owners For ‘Thoughts & Prayers’ At La Luz de Jesus Gallery

How Photographer Alanna Airitam Got In With Black Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs For Her Show ‘Black Diamonds’ at La Luz De Jesus Gallery

<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

Food

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Churros shaped like the LA Dodgers' LA logo at La Cha Cha Cha

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A French Dip sandwich made with king oyster mushrooms

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What To Eat This Weekend: Villa’s Tacos Opens in DTLA, Kimchi Burritos in Lomita, and A Fruit Beer for Farm Workers in Pico Rivera

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

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<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

Drink

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<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

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Politics

L.A. TACO’s 2026 Voter Guide

<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

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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

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Why Are So Many Restaurants Using A.I. for Menus Now?

<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

<p><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif">Emilio Valdez is a street-level photographer with a special interest in documenting the ever-changing neighborhoods of Central and East Los Angeles</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif">. His work focuses on bringing the past and present discrimination of marginalized people of color to light.</span></p>


Emilio Valdez

<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

L.A. Taco Guides

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Los Feliz

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<p dir="ltr">Jake Hook is a local food historian in Los Angeles. They run the Diner Preservation Society, dedicated to highlighting the city&#8217;s traditional food culture. Follow him on Instagram at @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dinertheory/">DinerTheory</a>.</p>
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Jake Hook

Chicken-fried steak and eggs at Saugus Cafe. Photo by Jake Hook for L.A. TACO.