10 Freeway ~ Los Angeles

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Whether it’s his massive toy collection, a hiper-kewl Flickr account, or the crazy sticker combos he gets up ninja-style, 455er is dedicated to giving our eyes something we can feel. He’s also the newest Taco contributor. Welcome 455er!

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West Covina ~ CA ~ Wednesday ~ 5:57 PM

2 suspects led police down the 10 E Fwy and ended the pusuit when West Covina police, plus law enforcement from 2 other districts pulled their guns and apprehend both suspects. Police say they were pursued because the car was reported stolen.

10 Freeway ~ Los Angeles

Pasadena ~ CA

(thanks to Toks for getting this beauty to slow down)

Sorry m’love, and just when you forgot about your bout of Pac-Man hysteria and got over that hardcore case of Fernando-Mania, we’re injecting you with a massive dose of TACO Fever from the same Pacific corner. Memorial day weekend is here with lots to do. We’re constantly bugging the crap out of you guys to check out Restitution Press and Hit n’ Run Crew, well they’re making it easier on you by joining forces in Pasadena this Friday for Restitution’s show closing. Go, you won’t be alone. Meanwhile, our Reggae-My-Lytis might be soothed by a trip to UCLA’s JazzReggae Festival which continues through Monday, like several of our events. So while on your way to copious amounts of plate-breaking, wrestling, and butt-sex at the Valley Greek Festival , check out Choppercabras’ insane bike festival, they have midgets, enough said…though they may be talking about bikes. Explore someone else’s Vertigo at Hollywood Forever, and since laughter does make the best medicine, see now if you can get your grubby lil’ hands on some Sarah Silverman tickets tonight, she is the funniest person alive and the proceeds go to licking the still gaping wounds left by our government’s failure along the Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. Have fun TACO-fiends, and stay healthy!!

Thursday May 24, 2007

C-note 3.0 ~ 5790 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232 ~ Opening Reception Thursday May 24th, 7-11pm, Preview from Noon-4pm
The original affordable art exhibition, now in its third year. Entrance is free and beverages will be provided along with musical accompaniment furnished by guest DJs.

Hurricane Katrina Benefit @ The Mint ~ 6010 Pico Blvd. Mid-City Los Angeles, CA 90035 ~ Featuring Sarah Silverman, Paul F. Tompkins, Brendan Small, and more ~ 7:30 PM ~$10 (might wanna check on that, sounds too cheap)

Friday May 25, 2007

Restitution Press Closing Night @ Mendenhall Sobieski Gallery ~ 40 Mills Place Pasadena, CA ~ Featuring live screenprinting by Hit n’ Run Crew. DJs Toks, Absent, & Gaslamp Killer ~ 7:30-Midnight

Belly of the Beats @ Hotel Room ~ 366 E. 2nd St. Little Tokyo Los Angeles, CA ~ 8-man beat battle, winner takes home $100 and trophy. Performances by Dibiase, 5th Element, Hardware, Rhetteric, & MC Esher ~ 18+ ~ 8PM-2AM

Saturday May 26, 2007

ChUSMA Free Performance Art Workshops @ the New Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural ~ 10258 Foothill Blvd. Lake View Terrace, CA 91342. “Hilarious, dramatic, yet thought-provoking: ChUSMA’s unique theater style embraces the theatrical heritage of the early Mexican Carpa, Pre-Cuauhtemoc (pre-Colombian), 1960’s Chicano theater of resistance and neo-vaudevillian traditions.” 6 Saturdays from 5/26-6/30 ~ 2-4pm

Vertigo @ Hollywood Forever Cemetary ~ 6800 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA ~ Hitchcock’s paranoid classic among the graves!! ~ Gates @ 7PM, movie @ 8:30PM ~ $10

Sunday May 27th, 2007

JazzReggae Festival @ UCLA Intramural Fields ~ Featuring Jill Scott, Luciano, Baby Cham, General Degree, Les Nubians, Lupe Fiasco, Soulive, y mas ~ Jazz on Sunday, Reggae on Monday…LAWDAVMERCY! ~ 1-day ticket $25/2-day ticket $45

Valley Greek Festival @ St. Nicholas Church ~ 9501 Balboa Ave. Northridge, CA ~ Greek eats, music, crafts, fashions, and more! Saturday thru Monday ~ 1PM-9PM ~ FREE

Choppercabras Spring Thing @ Atomic Cycles ~ 17332 Saticoy Van Nuys, CA 91406 ~ Horror-inspired custom bicycle races, midgets, and a demolition derby on bikes ~ FREE

Drums, Blues & Jazz @ St-Elmo’s Village ~ 4830 St-Elmo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90019 on Sunday, May 27 between 3-7pm. Performers include our own local drum giant Leon Mobley & Da Lion (African Drumming), Gregg Wright (Blues Guitar) & Phil Ranelin Jazz Ensemble (straight ahead jazz) ~ 3PM-7PM

Venice ~ CA

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Gilbert’s El Indio ~ 2526 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 ~ (TACO Guide)

Gilbert’s El Indio is ruled by the same clan that brings similarly festive, family-style Mex-ellent eats to the Westside’s La Cabana, Tia Juana, Casablanca, and Paco’s Tacos, marking them as masters of margarita-dominated family-style places in this neck of West Los Angeles. Founded by Gilbert and his wife thirty-three years ago, three of their sons continue to run and work at the eatery. The walls are covered with photos of faithful regulars (including a dazzling photo of myself and a friend placed right smack in the front), Mexican and indigenous artifacts, Christmas lights, and team softball trophies. Whether pouring stiff drinks or running plates, the whole crew is very friendly and adept at remembering which name belongs to which exuberant face entering through the worn wooden door.

Having frequented Gilbert’s an unreasonable amount of times in the past year, the evening arrived when I ended up swallowing more ice-cold margarita than my wallet could handle (the result of another disappointing boy), leaving me with no choice but to borrow 20 dollars from the owner himself to pay my debts, which I paid him back, instead of fleeing the country in shame. So make sure to bring cash, credit cards are not accepted, and like Lay’s potato chips, you are talking crazy if you think you can stop at just one $15 pitcher of margarita, which go down so smoothly…

Eats at places like Gilbert’s are usually of the grilled meat and flour tortilla variety, not quite the authentic Eastside parilla so much as a family-style, gringo-embracing spot to gorge on burritos and carne picado guiso, while getting belligerent with loved ones. For a light meal, the tostada is a good choice, with either beef or chicken, beans, lettuce, cheese, and guacamole. Portions, excluding the a la carte menu, are sizable, forcing all 5′1″ of me to pack up my leftovers and enjoy the burritos’ sabor the following day. A variety of burritos and tacos with carnitas stand alongside more standard selections. Also included is the quesadilla, along with favorites such as chili verde stew accompanied by tortillas.

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