Welcome back to the TacoWire, your weekly dispatch at L.A. Taco that keeps you up to date with L.A.’s Taco Life.
Taco Madness the Event...At Home This Saturday and Sunday
This is a bittersweet time to celebrate the best Cinco de Mayo party in L.A., aka, Taco Madness. It’s not the party we imagined—no stacks of tacos on tacos, no having micheladas together, no dancing to cumbia with someone. It is a time of great uncertainty, but tacos give us life, and we think it's worth pausing to celebrate even in these circumstances.
That’s why L.A. Taco x I LOVE MICHELADAShave planned a Livestream edition of Taco Madness to promote your restaurant, support our favorite artists, musicians, and feature the best micheladas, Tequila Hornitos, and Tecate from the comfort of your home!
On Saturday, May 2nd and Sunday, May 3rd starting at 5:00 PM PST, we’ll broadcast #TacoMadness
Supporting No Us Without You,a fundraiser by @valahospitality to provide food for families of Undocumented Back Of House staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. $33 feeds a family of 4 for 1 week! Donate here
The live event will be shared on the L.A. Taco and I Love Micheladas Instagram accounts and across participating social media accounts above, woo!
Here is the schedule of events:
Saturday
5:00 pm: Open up the event with a cheers shot/ michelada. Special guest! 5:15pm: DJ 6:30 PM: Taco Madness update with Javier + Memo 6:45: Macheen cooking demonstration sponsored by Northgate Market 7:30 DJ 8:30 PM: Taco Madness update with Javier + Memo 8:45 PM: Live Art with Tacocidal. Tacocidal draws your requests. 9:30 PM: DJ 10:00 PM: FOOS GONE WILD 10:30 PM DJ 11:00 PM Michelada toast. Show us your miche 11:05 PM Shots with Fernando and friends 11:30 PM DJ to close it out…
Sunday
2:00 PM: DJ 3:30 PM: Michelada time with Fernando 4:00 PM: DJ 5:30 PM: Taco Madness Chat with Javier + Memo + Friends 6:00 PM: Cooking demo with Todo Verde sponsored by Northgate 6:30 PM: DJ 7:00 PM Cocktail break with live mixologist 7:30 PM Live Art 8:00 PM: DJ 9:00 PM: Final toast of the night
The father and daughter team behind Tortas El Águila have done a few DIY delivery services over the last few weeks to ensure their loyal customers still get their crusty, spicy Tapatío regional torta of choice. They have announced that their next delivery service will take place Saturday, May 2nd. They held regular pop-ups at Border X brewery earlier in the year and there is a three-torta minimum per dropoff. To order, slide into their DMs on Instagram.
Pez Cantina to reopen on May 4th for takeout and delivery
Downtown L.A.’s hidden Mexican gem on Grand Avenue offering the freshest ceviches and margaritas will be reopening their doors on Monday, May 4th for delivery and takeout service. Their coastal Mexican-inspired menu has been a favorite for lunch and happy hour for the downtown crowd since 2014—if you know, you know. This will be just in time for Cinco de Mayo, which yes is landing on a Tuesday this year. Check out their online menu here.
L.A.’s original rockero couple behind Evil Cooks will be back today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) and will be offering their world-famous black al pastor in taco, mulita, and torta form for curbside delivery in El Sereno. This is their juicy ode to the trompo negro featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles show that was previously impossible to find outside of Monterrey, Mexico. If you still haven’t tried it, now is your chance. Slide into their DMs for more information.
LA Plaza launches ‘En Casa con LA Plaza Latinx Zoom Sessions’
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes has announced a new virtual platform presenting conversations, presentations, demonstrations, and performances featuring some of our community’s leading Latinx thinkers, authors, performers, educators, and others, bringing culturally-rich entertainment and learning to families and individuals directly to their homes. Check out their calendar of talks and events on their website.
New Women-Owned Mexican restaurant opens during the pandemic in Highland Park
Pocha, a new restaurant owned by two native Angelenas, has now quietly opened on York Boulevard in Highland Park. Their menu spans from “Recaudo Negro Pavo Molido” (ground turkey in a charred Yucatán chile paste) tacos to a vegan chile relleno and they are now open for takeout and are also available on DoorDash.
Estevan Oriol releases a rare collaboration craft beer with Beach Grease Beer Co. in San Diego
Fresh from his documentary film on Netflix, L.A. Originals, Oriol has released one hell of a four-pack with the San Diego-based craft brewery, Beach Grease Beer Co. The style is a pilsner and it is going for $20, plus shipping. Currently, it is only available in California. Fans of cerveza artisanal and his photography can cop it here.
Nashville-style Hot Chicken Burritos at Burritos Locos, new delivery-only concept from Tocaya Organica
The clean-eating Mexican food specialists Tocaya Organica have announced a new delivery-only burrito concept that is now available to order in downtown, West Hollywood, Westwood, Playa Vista, and Toluca Lake. For the complete menu, click here.
Editor 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 "Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and "Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling" (2023, Abrams).
Despite many requests to publish this guide, L.A. TACO has been somewhat protective of these gems to not "burn out the spots." However, we wanted to share it with our small, loyal pool of paid members, as we appreciate your support (and know you to be okay, non-NARCs). Please enjoy responsibly and keep these 'hood secrets...secrets.
With more than 30 members-only perks at the best L.A. restaurants, breweries, and dispensaries waiting to be unlocked, the L.A. TACO membership pays for itself!
Plus, a pizza festival and a respected chef from Toluca, Mexico comes to Pasadena to consult for a restaurant menu, including enchiladas divorciadas, and more.