Bunker Hill ~ Downtown Texas-born Mex-American virtuoso Mr. Vallenato rips on accordion so hard that he has been embraced by Colombian musicians who he now tours with. Mr. Vallenato&#8217;s second song, a blaze through &#8220;La Pava Congona,&#8221; got the dancing started that would endure through the evening. Can you spy the beauty wearing the Colombian…

Grand Performances @ California Plaza ~ Downtown

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Lizbeth Solorzano is a graduate student pursuing a Master&#8217;s in Specialized Journalism. As a native to Los Angeles, she loves writing stories about arts, culture, and local news. Growing up bilingual, she loved learning about different cultures and stories around L.A.

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Lizbeth Solorzano

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.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

Tucker Collins stands in front of a gallery wall of framed accolades.

Taco Members Only

A Freshman At USC Got a New Camera For Christmas, Then Lost His Eye To a ‘Less-Lethal’ At a Protest

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.

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Lauren Bethke

a sign in the style of a parking sign: "NO I.C.E. PLEASE GET A REAL JOB"

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Who Is L.A.’s Hero Posting Up These Anti-ICE Parking Signs?

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.

Izzy Ramirez

A.k.a. Afroxander; Editor-At-Large (formerly Weekend Editor) at L.A. Taco and a lecturer at San Diego State University. He has covered arts, culture, history, politics, and sports with an emphasis on Latin America and its U.S. diaspora for over two decades.

Ivan Fernandez

Protests

Thousands March on City Hall in Support of Iranian Crown Prince’s Global Day of Action

A Los Angeles police officer stands facing a red, white, and blue mural by the artist Barbara Kruger. The mural asks nine questions: “Who is beyond the law?”, “Who is bought and sold?”, “Who is free to choose?” “Who does the time?”, “Who follows orders?”, “Who Salutes longest?”, “Who prays loudest?”, “Who dies first?” and “Who laughs last?”.

News

LAPD Replaces ‘Less-Lethal’ Gun ‘Known To Maim People’ With Another ‘Less-Lethal’ Gun Capable Of Doing The Exact Same Thing

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).

Javier Cabral

Featured

As Protests Raged Around Them, this ‘Banned In L.A.’ Punk Band Played to Hundreds At MDC

Kate Stuzin is a senior at USC majoring in journalism with a minor in law and social justice, currently serving as an assignment desk intern at ABC7 Los Angeles. She creates reels on Instagram @bykatestuzin and reports for Annenberg TV News, covering stories across campus and the greater LA community.

Kate Stuzin

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Drink

No Sign, No Menu, and Alcohol-Free: Inside Downtown L.A.’s Hidden Tea Speakeasy

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

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.

Hadley Tomicki

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Aisha Wallace-Palomares

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.

Amy Torres

Memo Torres is the Director of Engagement and multimedia journalist for the James Beard award-winning L.A. Taco. He is also the host of the Daily Memo and writes for Apple Maps’ ‘Where Memo Torres Eats in L.A.’ You can see him on Netflix&#8217;s Taco Chronicles and Pressure Cooker.  You can hear him on KCRW’s ‘Good Food’ occasionally. He was a finalist for the Ruben Salazar Award for Latino journalists and a former third-generation landscaper.

Memo Torres

Public Outcry Sparks Over California City Officials’ Approvals of Immigration Detention Center

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Food

Raised On Highland Park’s Legendary Mariscos Truck, This Street Omelet Chef Is Striving For His Dream Restaurant

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.

Karina Soriano

The Best New Breakfast Sandwich in L.A. Is Hiding In La Mirada

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L.A. Taco Guides

Venezuela’s Earthquake Victims Are Hurting. This Is How Angelenos Can Help

a youth on a bike poses before a giant set of painted wings festooned with bows, murals, and Maria dolls on an East L.A. street

‘Mr. B Baby’ Is Painting Wings of Resistance and Representation on East L.A. Streets Against AI Art

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Downtown

Héctor Zaldívar is the head of a print magazine and art/music publication titled Dead Relatives. Completely written and designed by Zaldívar, every month subscribers are mailed in-depth stories on different subcultures from graffiti in Latin America to hardcore punk to lowrider culture and back.

Héctor Zaldívar

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