Before he was a top food blogger for Grub Street L.A., Hadley Tomicki was head TACO at our humble site dedicated to the taco lifestyle. He remains an active contributor and still knows his tacos as well as his fine dining and celebrity chefs. Check out his current top ten tacos below as we count down the final hours before TACO MADNESS 2011!

Pastor at Leo’s
Cabesa at El Gallito
Asada at MexiCali & Co.
Papas tacos at El Atacor
Asada tacos at El Parian
Cochinita pibil at Chichen Itza
Fish taco at Tacos Baja Ensenada
Birria taco at Guelaguetza
Borrego taco at My Taco
Adobado at Huarache Azteca

Billy Silverman is the editor of Huffington Post Los Angeles and a taco fanatic who scours the city hunting down new spots. Here’s his top ten tacos list as we count down the final days in a pre TACO MADNESS 2011 world…

leo’s
la compita
el chato
mexicali
ricky’s
antojitos carmen
taco arabes at cemitas pal cabron
el parian
nameless table way east on york in HP (tacos al carbon maybe)?
tito’s (i make no apologies for this)

Ryan is the editor of one of the best sites about LA of all time, LosAnjealous.com. Here’s his top ten tacos as we count down the days to TACO MADNESS 2011:

1. Tacos Sinaloa: the vampiro (Highland Park)

Ave 54 / Gold line general vicinity

Note that this is an entirely different “Vampiro” than the vegetable drinks that are called the same thing at Cactus #1 on Beverly. Of the two, when hungry, this easily being the Vampiro you will prefer. Though I no longer date a girl in HP I REALLY MISS THIS TINY TACO WAGON!

2. El Atacor 11: Potato Taco (Cypress Park)

2622 N Figueroa St

Buy in bulk. Great party food.

3. Tacos Chapalita: al pastor (Lincoln Heights)

(2929 Broadway)

Al pastor is spotty but when it’s on, it’s on – and you cannot beat the price here.

4. Cactus: chorizo (Tinseltown)

(willoughby/vine. everybody knows where this is located)

No-nonsense, ridiculously reliable chorizo.

5. Mariscos 4 Vientos: shrimp taco (fried shell, drowned in salsa) (Boyle Heights)

(Seafood truck somewhere around 3000 Olympic – near the housing projects)

There are competing trucks nearby, offering similar wares. Great Taco Hunt seems to prefer a different truck. I’m not convinced, but I look forward to trying more of the competition!

6. Hole Mole: late night fish taco happy hour (Long Beach)

Hole Mole has a few locations in LB; the crucial location near all the punk and hipster bars being at 1327 East 4th – literally stumbling distance from Fern’s. Tough to beat the price and quality of the late night fish taco.

7. Tacos Chapala: carnitas (Long Beach)

3205 E Anaheim Street

Give it a whirl when on Anaheim. You’ll be oh so glad.

8. 76 Service Station, Genesee @ Beverly: Choco Taco (Tinseltown)

By no means the exclusive purveyor of the legendary ice cream treat; still, judging by how many times I trudged down there to partake in years past, it surely must be one of my favorites

9. Yuca’s: cochinita pibil (Tinseltown)

Still not a fan of the prices – but let’s face it, no list is complete without it. If Chapalita is the place that you take your father, Yuca is the place you take your mother (both true). (Hollywood Blvd location)

10. Loteria (3rd/Fairfax farmer’s market)

Before you groan: What this stand does great, end of day, is prepare you for the west side of Los Angeles in general: long lines, few taco options, price gouging, small portions, but a quality product. And while I can’t in good faith pay $3 for a napolitas taco when napolitas comes free as a garnish down in the D. F., that $3 mini-scoop of cochinita pibil is as solid a mini-scoop as you’ll find in these waters.

TACO MADNESS is coming soon, and to kick things off, we’ll be posting the top ten tacos of several of the city’s taco luminaries. First up, Bill Esparza, famed Street Gourmet of LA. Here is Bill’s current top ten tacos:

1) Taco Jalisco truck

2) Tacos Leo truck

3) Ricky’s Fish Tacos

4) Mexicali Taco Co.

5) Birrieria Flor del Rio

6) Tacos Cuernavaca

7) Mariscos El Teto’s

8) Tacos Los Guichos (weekend carnitas only)

9) Tacos Arandas

10) Metro Balderas

LA’s #1 taco hunter, Bandini, is back with another top ten for us. This time he focuses on the taco-loving but underserved West Side, which in this case means, basically, West of Fairfax, or something like that. Note that this is just taquerias, we’ll do a west side trucks one soon. Please contribute what you think is missing in the comments…

1. Tacos Por Favor (1406 Olympic Blvd)
2. Sabor A Mexico (8940 National Blvd)
3. Tacomiendo (4502 Inglewood Blvd)
4. Taqueria Estilo Mexico(12406 Washington Blvd)
5. El Super Taco (11923 Santa Monica Blvd)
6. Pili’s Tacos (11924 Santa Monica Blvd)
7. Taqueria Sanchez (4541 Centinela Ave)
8. Don Felix Taqueria (3987 Sawtelle Blvd)
9. Taqueria Chihuahua (12034 Venice Blvd)
10. Tacos La Flama (2404 S Barrington Ave)

Let’s say you’ve just stumbled out of a Hollywood club or bar and need to, as the party people say “get your taco on”. Where are the go-to spots? The great Bandini has the answer, although he rightly notes that Hollywood is sadly no taco mecca. Thus, we have a top 5 and not a top 10 for you. As usual, please post your favorite post-party Hollywood or H’wood adjacent spots in the comments.

1. El Matador – (western and lexington)

2. El Chato – (la brea and olympic)

3. El Gran Burrito – (vermont and santa monica blvd)

4. Cactus taqueria – (950 Vine St)

5. Taco Zone Alvarado & Montana Ave (north of sunset blvd next to Vons)

Once again back is the incredible, taco animal, indestructible B– bad Taco Enemy #1, Bandini. This month’s top ten is a special edition, featuring the finest rolling meat/tortilla purveyors in the land. Of course even our man can’t be everywhere, so as usual please let us know your favorite trucks in the comments.

1. El Matador (lexington and western)
2. Tacos El Korita (east olympic and herbert ave)
3. Tacos La Fonda (vineland and vanowen)
4. El Pique (york and ave 54)
5. La Golondrina (Huntington Dr East of Eastern Ave, Front of Food For Less Market)
6. El Chato (olympic and la brea)
7. Tacos Jeesy’s (Cesar E Chavez blvd and S Carmelita Ave)
8. The Surfer Taco (6th st and colombia ave)
9. Tacos El Paisa (huntington dr and Poplar blvd, Alhambra)
10. La Estrella (york and ave 54)

The 2006 list, compiled by Los Angeles’ #1 Taco Writer, Bandini. There are actually 9 entries, with space at the bottom for our readers’ choices. Please leave your favorites in the comments! With the year end list, remember that these are the top tacos in the city, and the numerical ranking is not all that important. If you’re on this list at all, you’re a taco master….

1. El Parian
1528 Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036
2. Tacos El Korita
East Olympic and Herbert.
3. Tacos La Fonda
Vineland and Van Owen, SF Valley
4. King Taco
1118 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles 90065
5. El Taurino
1104 Hoover St one block south of Olympic.
6. El Pique
York and Ave 53
7. El Matador
1174 N Western Ave in East Hollywood. Nightly after 7pm.
8. El Chato (formerly El Pecas #2)
La Brea near Olympic at Night
9. La Golondrina
Huntington East of Eastern, East LA
10. Your Favorite…
Please tell us your favorite tacos in the comments…

World famous taco hunter Bandini is back with another Top Ten Tacos of Los Angeles list. Not a lot of movement this month, with the exception of the entry of Tacos Jeesy’s, an East LA truck with something special about it, and El Pecas moving off the list as it has apparently disappeared from its location at La Brea and Olympic and has been replaced with a new taco wagon.
1. El Parian (four months at #1!)
1528 Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036
2. Tacos La Fonda
Vineland and Van Owen, SF Valley
3. King Taco
1118 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles 90065
4. El Taurino
1104 Hoover St one block south of Olympic.
5. El Matador
1174 N Western Ave in East Hollywood. Nightly after 7pm.
6. Tacos El Korita
East Olympic and Herbert.
7. Tacos Jeesy’s
111Cesar E Chavez blvd and S Carmelita Ave in East LA.
8. Fiesta Taco
1110 North Hollywood Way Burbank, 91505
9. El Pique
York and Ave 53
10. El Taco Llama
Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood, one block east of Cahuenga.

Key: Rising Falling Hot Debut Special

World famous Bandini is back with another Top Ten Tacos list, including a straight to the (almost) top hot-shot debut. How many of these wonderful tacos have you been tried?

1. El Parian (three months at #1)
1528 Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036
2. Tacos La Fonda
Vineland and Van Owen, SF Valley
3. King Taco
1118 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles 90065
4. El Taurino
1104 Hoover St one block south of Olympic.
5. El Matador
1174 N Western Ave in East Hollywood. Nightly after 7pm.
6. El Pecas #2
La Brea and Olympic nightly after 7pm.
7. Tacos El Korita
East Olympic and Herbert.
8. Fiesta Taco
1110 North Hollywood Way Burbank, 91505
9. El Pique
York and Ave 53
10. El Taco Llama
Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood, one block east of Cahuenga.

Key: Rising Falling Hot Debut Special

The illustrious Bandini is back with another Top Ten Tacos list. How many have you been sampled?

1. El Parian (two months at #1)
1528 Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036
2. King Taco
1118 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles 90065
3. El Taurino
1104 Hoover St one block south of Olympic.
4. El Matador
1174 N Western Ave in East Hollywood. Nightly after 7pm.
5. El Pecas #2
La Brea and Olympic nightly after 7pm.
6. Fiesta Taco
1110 North Hollywood Way Burbank, 91505
7. El Pique
York and Ave 53
8. El Taco Llama
Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood, one block east of Cahuenga.
9. Pepe’s tacos
4608 W Adams, Los Angeles (West Adams)
10. Rincon Taurino
8708 Van Nuys Blvd, Panorama City.

Key: Rising Falling Hot Debut Special