[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]t’s Friday y tu panza lo sabe. A weekend full of new tacos, drinks, and memories are calling. Here are some new spots to try around our tortilla-fueled city.
Avenue 26 Tacos Opens Its First Brick & Mortar in DTLA
The crowd-pleasing street taqueros known for selling $1 tacos on Avenue 26 are jumping the curb and moving into a brick and mortar downtown. This is now their third location, the first being the original taco stand in Lincoln Heights, the second is their enormous tour-bus-sized taco truck in Eagle Rock. Did they just complete the holy trinity of taco selling vessels? Their latest location on 8th Street will feature lengua and chicken tripas, Ave 26 tells L.A. Taco. As well as burritos and quesadillas.
The Hood Santa is putting together a fundraising drive for Pedro Castellanos-Aguilar, a deaf paletero(Ice cream vendor) loved in his hometown of Long Beach, where he was born and raised. He’s known to hand out free snacks to hungry kids after school and clean local parks in his spare time, using the money he collects from recyclables to improve his ice cream cart. The pandemic has hit him hard and his community is trying to help him out. You can join them this Saturday to buy out his ice cream, or you can contribute to his go fund me here.
Sat. August 22nd, 2-5 PM ~ Pedro’s Ice Cream ~ 380 E. Shoreline Dr., Long Beach, CA 90802
Call your man, your lady, or your momma and tell them you’re taking them out for a splendid night of rum drinks and seafood. For sixty dollars a person, you get four tiki cocktails with your four-course island-inspired menu. They’ll start you off with a spicy ahi tuna poke paired with a tiki rum drink called Dr. Mesa’s Painkiller, I’m sure we could all use one of those. It will then move into a crispy jumbo crab fritter paired with more rum. The main course? Sticky pork ribs, luau pork, shrimp, basil, pineapple, and red curry paired with even more rum! Lastly, a hot lava cornbread with dragon fruit gazpacho and a caffeinated tiki drink as a nightcap. This should be a lovely evening out. (Wear a mask.)
Sat. August 22nd ~ Pez Cantina ~ 401 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The venerated restaurant in Bell owned by celebrity Mexican chefs Jaime and Ramiroreopened this week with a new outdoor patio. It’s one of the few places in Los Angeles that makes an exceptional Chile en Nogada, a haunting cochinita pibil (according toErick Galindo), and an arsenal of beer and wine to wash it all down. Not to mention they still make the best chilakillers in town, bar none. Leave room for one of their stewed guavas in rompope dessert.
Hanger steak, pork belly, fried cod, and chicken mole taquitos are coming to Milpa Grille this Saturday. Each of these tacos garnished with its designated signature salsas and topping. The young chapín taco lover of Por Lo Menos Un Taco will also serve pan con chile, Guatemalan Enchiladas, and a tostada de camarón en Pulpo. Don’t miss out!
Sat. Aug 22nd, 12 PM-6 PM ~ 2633 E. Cesar Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Also . . .
- Huichol22 in Pasadena is serving Kanpachi, vegan ceviche, and shrimp and octopus campechana for their “Mariscos Saturdays” menu. DM for orders. Party trays are available.
Memo Torres is a multi-media taco journalist and Director of Partnerships for the James Beard award-winning L.A. Taco. He was a finalist for the Ruben Salazar Award for Latino Journalists. He has functioned as a taco scout for numerous shows and can be seen on Netflix's Taco Chronicles and Pressure Cooker. Memo is also currently hosting a food guide on all iPhones' Apple Maps.
Plus an Roman chef veteran in a Hollywood apartment, chocolate Cuba Libres, Uzbeki plov with lazer rice, and cochinita melts in a Silver Lake yard. Here are the best things to eat around Los Angeles (and San Juan Capistrano!) this weekend.
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The month-old strip mall taquería in Anaheim make all their flour tortillas from scratch using both lard and butter, resulting in an extremely tender vehicle for their juicy guisados like carne en su jugo, carne deshebrada, chile colorado, chile relleno, and chicharrón. Every tortilla is cooked to order, too.
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