Ken Layne is LA’s finest home-grown online tabloid journalist. Friend and confidant of rock stars, bums, politicians, and chow hounds, the man knows the city and knows his Tacos. He currently is the lead blogger at Sploid and lives at an undisclosed location in the Desert, although a return to LA is supposedly imminent.

So Ken, what’s your favorite Taco?

Ken Layne: Hmm, i’ve been out of LA a long time … but I’m still partial to Tacos Baja Ensenada on Whittier, and Tacos Delta on Sunset, and the place in the Albertson’s parking lot at the bottom of Mt. Washington.

Everywhere & Nowhere

Corner of Main St. & 730 W. 3rd St. ~ Long Beach

La Cienega Blvd. & Blackburn Ave. ~ West Hollywood

West L.A. ~ CA

8536 W. Pico Blvd. @ La Cienega Blvd. ~ Mid-City

Nick’s is an amazing coffee shop reminding us of those greasy spoon Greek diners you see out in Queens or which once populated SoCal’s Route 66 (which includes Santa Monica Blvd.). This mean they have a menu about as long as the Bible, with a helluva lot more room for interpretation and personal choice. Pages and pages of egg dishes, burgers, sandwiches and desserts. Covered in pictures of friends and actors no one’s ever heard of, it is a classic in more than just its traditional diner digs.

The love story behind Nick’s, which was established in 1946, is beauitful and heart-breaking. Kathy Love was a waitress there in the 70’s and mid-90;s before succumbing to cancer. Having always wanted to own her own restaurant, Kathy’s husband Alan cashed out his IRA in 1997 to buy Nick’s out of bankruptcy as a gift to her, saying “Honey, YOU are my IRA.” Kathy ran Nick’s as a neighborhood refuge for 7 years (even giving meals away on occasion) and her death brought an outpouring of sympathy and love from armies of neighbors. They even made her a 100 page book of prayers and memories that she slept with under her pillow. Kathy is remembered fondly by many and honored throughout Nick’s, including her picture by the register and a stained-glass window on the doorway that proclaims the place Kathy’s.

Nick’s has it all, but we went there for breakfast, ordering a bevy of omlettes from the “create-your-own” to the machaca omlette and the Kaline Special. The coffee service left a tiny bit to be desired but was decent enough in taste, and the service much more than personable from servers who have been there for an eternity…(CONTINUED BELOW)

(Continued)

Los Angeles ~ California

225 26th St. @ San Vicente ~ Santa Monica, CA (taco map)

A favorite of one of our heroes, Mr. Gold, as well as titans of industry, rich actors living West of the 405, and shapely Brentwood MILFS with their kids, Reddi Chick is a local landmark.

Serving rotisserie chicken and ribs for decades, this shack takes cash only (ATM across the street or in the Post Office) and is surrounded by shops selling $300 belts and $100 candles. It’s usually crowded but still fast enough for a lunch break, and the fries and birds are as tasty as you’ll find for miles. The menu looks extensive but all you really need to know is a two-word order: “chicken basket”. They can be stingy on the BBQ, so make sure to ask for extra.

Venice Beach, California