OpThis weekend is one of the biggest and most anticipated book events in the United States — the LA Times Festival of Books at USC. Each April, an estimated 150,000 book-lovers gather for readings, live music, food, and headline-topping conversations with the best of publishing in the year. Here are some highlights we&#8217;re looking forward…

The L.A. Taco Guide to the Festival of Books ~ Wes Avila, Junot Diaz, Guadalupe Rosales

core/paragraph

level

core/heading

align

className

caption

credit

creditUrl

lightboxSrc

originalHeight

originalWidth

srcset

height

width

core/image

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

a man and woman on either side of a poster with Donald Trump's face and text that says "UNCLE DON F**KS YOU"

Robbie Conal, L.A’s Most Infamous Street Art Firebrand, Is Still Flaming Our Power-Mad Leaders at 81

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

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

L.A. Taco Guides

The 17 Best Steakhouses in Los Angeles, Ranked

Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions, and a nice guy from Long Beach.

a man stands in front of a mural with a pig in a police hat being crossed out

Sam Ribakoff

a drawing of Karen Bass and Nithya Raman looking at one another

Politics

Who Won Last Night’s Debate Between Nithya Raman and Karen Bass?

Taco Members Only

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

Publisher, L.A. TACO.
I enjoy exploring every corner of Los Angeles, looking for art wherever I can find it.

Blazedale

How (and Why) to Remove Yourself From Data Miners Tracking You, Using California’s New Privacy Website

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

An award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids. Host of the Daily Memo. ‘Where Memo Torres Eats’ on Apple Maps. Seen on Netflix, occasionally on KCRW. 3rd-gen landscaper. Proud son of an immigrant. Golden Bear.

Memo Torres

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

Odessa Hairapetian is a community-rooted journalist who tells stories of the underrepresented, underground, and unknown. She is passioned by the draw between art and people and empowered by conversation.

Odessa Hairapetian

Here’s Every Single Death Linked to Immigration Enforcement Since Trump’s Raids Began in 2025

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. 7,800 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.

We're paid for by readers, not billionaires. 7,800 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

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

ICE Watch Newsletter: ICE’s Demolition Derby

a mistress at her desk next to BDSM materials

People

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

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

two sons and their mom outside of their family's taco shop

Tacos

They Had Degrees, Careers and Dreams. Then They Came Home to Grow the Family Taquería

Los Angeles

L.A. TACO Goes Print!

Beijing’s Crispy Bing Burgers Are Coming to the SGV This Week

Daniel Hernandez is editor emeritus of LA Taco, serving 2017-2019. He is currently a staff writer for the L.A. Times. He is former Mexico bureau chief for VICE News, and former staff writer at the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly. Daniel is author of the book &#8220;Down &amp; Delirious in Mexico City.&#8221;

The L.A. Taco Guide to the Festival of Books ~ Wes Avila, Junot Diaz, Guadalupe Rosales

Saturday, April 21