Taco Saves Man’s Life, Wahoo’s Fish Taco at Staples Center, and TacoTuesday.com Gets New Owners ~ TacoWire

Welcome to The TacoWire. Each week, we serve you a roundup of stories on all things tacos and the universe of Mexican food that make headlines in Los Angeles and beyond. Cuz, it’s never not a good time for tacos.

Southern California mainstay Wahoo’s Fish Taco opens stand at STAPLES Center

Fast-casual restaurant Wahoo’s Fish Taco announced its newest stand at the Los Angeles STAPLES Center. Founded by Chinese-Brazilian brothers Wing Lam, Ed Lee and Renato “Mingo” Lee, Wahoo’s Fish Taco has been serving Mexican-Brazilian-Asian food since 1988, according to a press release. They have over 60 locations across the U.S. and Japan, and are distinguished by their Southern California flair. Menu options include crispy fish tacos, loaded nachos, bowls, and churro chips. The STAPLES Center location can be found on the Main Concourse next to Section 117. “It’s truly a privilege to be part of the STAPLES Center world,” says co-founder Wing Lam. “We have built our brand around great food while supporting a wide range of entertainment and sporting events around the globe. To be able to do it in our own backyard with the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks, as well as world-class performers, is an opportunity of a lifetime. We couldn’t be more excited.”

“A taco saved my life.”

A Tucson man narrowly missed a stray bullet just after noon on Sunday according to KOLD News 13. Ryan Bishop says he normally drives with the window down and his arm rested on the window ledge. But that day he drove while eating a taco, and decided to roll the window up. "I'm pretty sure [eating a] taco saved my life, or at least stopped my arm from getting blown apart," he said. “I had the window closed because I didn’t want pieces of the taco flying around.” As he was approaching Pima County Fairgrounds, a bullet entered his car right where Bishop normally rests his arm, and shattered his window. Bishop wasn’t sure what hit his car at first, but Pima County Sheriff’s deputies confirmed that it was a bullet. "The bullet came from somewhere in the vicinity [of open desert], which is right next to the freeway,” Bishop said. "I hope whoever did this hears this story and thinks ‘Oh my gosh, I could have killed someone!’ Maybe they will think a little bit harder before they go out into the desert, close to very publicly used roads [to shoot]."

OC Restaurant Association Founder and President Pamela Waitt recently purchased the domain TacoTuesday.com, which will launch in Spring 2020. The website will include a database of 500 restaurants across five states with the highest search volume for “taco tuesday:” Arizona, California, Hawaii, Florida, and Nevada. It will provide a way for consumers to find taco deals on Tuesdays, chef interviews, and more. According to a press release, “The first and only hub where restaurants upload their profiles and menu specials—and a simple zip code search takes consumers to the nearest Taco Tuesday—the website will serve as an unbiased, all-inclusive and non-contentious platform for everyone everywhere to share, watch, read about and applaud everything tacos. [...] The site will eventually expand as an umbrella brand for taco events, social media activations, media tours, guest chef interviews and an opportunity to foster strategic partnerships, corporate citizenship, philanthropic giving and beyond.”

“Considering its rich history and connection to Orange County, we think it’s the perfect place and time to give the beloved taco, which has made Tuesday the new Friday, a virtual home that’s accessible to all and absolutely free—free for restaurants and consumers and, more important, free from litigation,” Waitt said. “Rather than trying to own two words that have become part of American culture in many places across the US., we are democratizing Taco Tuesday, with a vision to establish TacoTuesday.com as the go-to site where establishments and taco lovers can share their favorite taco stories, images, videos, humor, events, and recipes with anyone.”

Macheen x El Barrio Tacos Collab

Next month, you can join Macheen and El Barrio Neighborhood Tacos as they collaborate with Ilegal Mezcal as their alcohol sponsor for a six-course, four-cocktail dinner with Chef Ulises Penada-Alfaro of El Barrio and L.A. Taco favorite Chef Jonathan L. Perez of Macheen. Tickets are being sold for $75, and the event will be held in Redondo Beach.