While national convenience chains continue expanding in Los Angeles, independent, family-owned corner stores offer something larger retailers can't: relationships.

The Soul of L.A.’s Neighborhoods Lives In Tienditas Like These Three Gems

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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

Food

The 8 Best Cemitas Poblanas In Los Angeles

<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

A counter with a televised sign above it that shows the Eiffel Tower next to an overview of Los Angeles, and says "From France to Los Angeles"

Tacos

What the Hell Is a ‘French Taco?’ Find Out For Yourself At This New Spot in L.A.

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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

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

<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

L.A. Taco Guides

Five L.A. Menus to Stretch Your Recession-Era Dollar

Taco Members Only

L.A.’s Best Arepas Find a Permanent Home In Mar Vista

Sobuneh and Tacos 1986 Are Making Breakfast Tacos Together For Only 6 Days Next Week

Watts’ Viral Tri-Tip BBQ Smoker Just Wanted to Feed His Sick Dad. Now He Feeds a Community

An achiote-and-saffron-marinated chicken in a handheld pita

A Persian-Mexican Jam For Hoja Santa Lamb Shanks and Flash Tattoos

a man and woman hold passports they created outside a food truck

South Central Is Going Old School to Revive Its Economy: Coupons

<p>Born in Chengdu, Wendy Zeng is a pioneering chef of Sichuan cuisine in the U.S. and the winner of Food Network’s <em>Chopped 420</em>. Based in Northeast L.A., she owns Drizzle Catering and runs Secret Garden Club, a 420-friendly gathering space, creating food and experiences that bring people together as a community.</p>


Wendy Zeng

<p>Jim Thurman is a long-time freelance writer, specializing in food, local history and local sports history. He grew up in San Diego, but has lived much of his life in Los Angeles County and has lived in the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley as well. He loves chou dofu.</p>


Jim Thurman

The 14 Dumplings You Have To Try In L.A.’s San Gabriel Valley

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

<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

The Whole ‘Hood Knows He’s Innocent. Will He Finally Be Freed After 20 Years In Prison?

<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 dressed as a clown pulls a ribbon from her vagina as a bit

Party Pics

This Clown Sex Party Creampied 12 Brave Souls in DTLA (for Charity)

<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

Sunday Taquitos #32: Total Recall

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

a drawing of a federal immigration agent behind caution tape

What to Do If a Federal Immigration Agency Kills Your Loved One

<p>Joey Scott is an investigative journalist and documentary photographer whose work has been featured in Wired, The Guardian, and Los Angeles Public Press. He covers policing, protests, surveillance, and prisons.</p>


Joey Scott

Altadena Residents Haunted By Flock Cameras Installed After Deadly Fire

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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

post

L.A.’s 11 Best Jamaican Restaurants, Ranked 