One of TACO&#8217;s favorite all-time restauranteurs, the legendary Jay Fiondella, has passed away at the age of 82. Chez Jay remains the best thing in Santa Monica, and that&#8217;s been the case for decades. Jay will be greatly missed by everyone at TACO. Jay welcomed people to his beach-side shack like no one else and…

Jay Fiondella ~ RIP

align

caption

credit

creditUrl

lightboxSrc

originalHeight

originalWidth

srcset

height

width

core/image

core/paragraph

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.

Karina Soriano

a truck with signage regarding abortion pills parks next to an outdoor art fixture, many tall lamp posts at LACMA

Politics

These Activists Drive Around the Country to Let You Know It’s Still Legal to Mail-Order Abortion Pills In All 50 States

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

People

How to Really Scare The Hell Out of Someone, According to the Creators of L.A.’s Most Popular Haunts

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.

a woman sits outside wearing a black long sleeve outfit

Lauren Bethke

Emilio Valdez is a street-level photographer with a special interest in documenting the ever-changing neighborhoods of Central and East Los Angeles. His work focuses on bringing the past and present discrimination of marginalized people of color to light.

Emilio Valdez

Sushi placed in the shape of a heart on a woman's nude butt

‘Hentai Bingo,’ $300 Worn Panties for Sale, and Furries Powered One Horny Weekend In El Monte’s Adult Anime Convention

people relaxing on beds throughout a mattress store while a woman facilitates a sound bath

Can a Mattress Store Double as a Spiritual Awakening Haven?

a magazine cover of a woman in a latex dress doing dishes

“ProMomme: A Sex Worker’s Guide to Parenting” Is the Rawest Magazine We’ve Ever Seen

a mistress at her desk next to BDSM materials

A Kinky Afternoon with L.A.’s Legendary 72-Year-Old Dominatrix

Explore

Footer - NEW

Legal Footer

Main - NEW

Mobile

Neighborhoods

Top Guides

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

L.A. TACO is paid for by readers, not billionaires. 8,000 Angelenos keep this newsroom independent. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

This one's for members.

No advertiser paid for this. We depend on members to write these investigations, please join.

This investigation took months.

Support This Work

We're paid for by readers, not billionaires. 8,000 Angelenos keep this newsroom independent, and members read everything. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

Keep reading L.A. TACO.

Free registration

Please register for L.A. TACO to Vote 

Register to continue

We are truly independent local media.

Free to Read, just share your email 

Every place on this list was visited by someone on our staff. Create a free account to read all of it. No payment, no catch.

The rest of this guide is free. We just need an email.

We take our food reporting very seriously, and answer to readers, not advertisers.

The rest of this article is free. We just need an email.

The rest of this report is free. We just need an email.

We're indepdenent local news, help us write these stories by sharing your email (it's free)

All we ask is your email

Read this opinion piece for free, just share your email

All we ask is an email...

Create a free account and keep reading. No payment, no catch. We're reader-funded, and this is how we get to know who we're writing for.

Read this one on us.

Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

Support L.A. TACO

Erwin Recinos is a seasoned visual artist with an eye for capturing life as a working commuter aboard public transportation in and around Los Angeles. For 20 years now, Recinos has been documenting the urban landscape, street culture, and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles utilizing his daily routine and the city of Los Angeles as an inspiration. Recinos also works with popular food and event websites such as LATACO.com and Eater LA to capture the cuisine and culture that is so important to the city of Los Angeles and across Southern California.

Erwin Recinos

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

kids and adults spray paint a mural together

Photo Essay

Photo Essay: Tacos and Live Graffiti at L.A. TACO Community Day at The Broad

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

Taco Members Only

Newsletter: Prosecutors Fought To Keep Him In Prison For 20+ Years, Now They Want To Make a Deal

L.A. TACO STAFF

Site News

A Letter From Our Staff: Setting the Record Straight

The Incredible Mercado Gonzalez Opens On the Edge of L.A.

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 federal agent stands outside his vehicle

ICE Watch: Masked Agents Brutalized a Long Beach Man. Then News Outlets Invaded His Privacy

Build AskCA: A Unique Resource to Help Californians Navigate Life’s Challenges

Former editor of L.A. Taco. I still live in Los Angeles but mainly just hang out at parks and stare off into the distance.

Erich Redson

post

Stephanie Mendez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer based in the LBC. Her work has appeared on ABC News, TODAY, E! News, SPIN, and more.
<div class="yj6qo"></div>

Stephanie Mendez

a man in a jersey posing at a desk with a gaming computer