The Gift (Of Fear) Opening Reception May 16th, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm with Wine Bar and Music by&nbsp;DJ Stereotype.&nbsp;Featuring Live printing by Two Rabbits and installations by Branded, Akayo and Euthanasia. Bandit Gallery is pleased to introduce a group exhibition of new works created by Los Angeles ’s very own Racing Toward Hell crew.…

THE GIFT OF FEAR ~ May 16, 2009

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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 nude model has food put on her by a hand with long nails

Events

Microdosing World Peace at Downtown L.A.’s Michelin Restaurant-Themed Sex Party

<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

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Comix

Sunday Taquitos #27: Losing Bet and Mercenaries

<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

a woman with tattoos holds up a tattoo flash sheet she has created

7 Tattoo Artists in L.A. Resisting ICE Through Flash Sheets

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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>
<div></div>
<div>IG: <a id="m_-8957504711371111195plusReplyChip-0" class="gmail_plusreply"></a>@ivan_ehlers</div>


Ivan Ehlers

Sunday Taquitos #25: Nuclear Codes and Presidential Pardons

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L.A. TACO

<p>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.</p>


Ivan Fernandez

What You Need To Know About ICE At The FIFA World Cup

<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

<h3 class="iw gFxsud"><span class="qu yKyxu" role="gridcell" data-hovercard-id="karinawsoriano@gmail.com" data-hovercard-hover-trigger-disabled="true"><span class="gD" data-hovercard-id="karinawsoriano@gmail.com" data-hovercard-owner-id="13">Karina Soriano </span></span></h3>


Karina Soriano

Taco Members Only

L.A TACO’s 2026 Guide To Free Summer Concerts in L.A.

A Ninja Turtles themed bar with neon signs showing a Ninja Turtle and a sign that says "Taking in pies and bad guys since 1984!"

Food

A Ninja Turtles-Themed Pizzeria with a Serious New York Slice

<div>Chelsea Vega is a writer, content creator, and commentator exploring Latino identity and culture. Her perspective is shaped in part by her career as a sports marketer, where she led campaigns designed to connect with Latino audiences and saw firsthand how Latino identity is often misunderstood and marketed by corporations. Through her reporting, she examines the intersections of race, history, and modern Latino life, exploring conversations many people avoid but millions are already having.</div>


Chelsea Vega

When Pedro Arrests Juan: Why Latinos Join Border Patrol and ICE 

<p class="p1">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.</p>


Memo Torres

<p>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.</p>


Erwin Recinos

A woman known as Ms. Rachel holds a child, who puts their head on her shoulder while holding a toy truck

DAILY MEMO

Daily Memo: Ms. Rachel Visits D.C. With 545 Letters From Children Currently Being Detained By I.C.E.

<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><span class="il">Lizbeth</span> 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.</p>


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Lizbeth Solorzano

He Went To Celebrate The Lakers Win. And Came Home With His Arm Broken By LAPD.

<p>Los Angeles based graphic designer.</p>


EUTHANASIA

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<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>
