LA taqueros meet Baja’s best for two-night DTLA taco festival

Finding a good taco in Los Angeles isn't as hard as it used to be, but finding an excellent one requires an almost obsessive devotion to the craft.

Bill Esparza, the James Beard Award-winning food writer who's spent the last two decades chronicling L.A.'s taco scene, has made it his mission to uncover the best the cuisine has to offer.

His latest effort is Taqueando After Dark, a new festival he's curated, taking place Thursday, Aug. 27 and Friday, Aug. 28 at Level 8, located inside the Moxy Hotel in downtown L.A.

The festival brings together acclaimed chefs from both Los Angeles and Northern Mexico — specifically Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe — who will offer their distinct region’s cuisines as festival goers roam through Level 8’s eight rooms.

The event

Esparza said he wanted to bring together taqueros from Baja California, Sonora, and Los Angeles "to express this wonderful moment that Northern Mexican food is having."

"We have a big Sinaloense culture, a big culture from Mazatlán,” he said. “And Tijuana tacos have been viral for the last decade. It's everywhere: birria, carne asada, adobada.”

Thursday evening will feature Ruffo Ibarra, the acclaimed chef behind Michelin-recognized Oryx in Tijuana, while Tomás Gastélum and José Luis Hinostroza of Michelin-recognized Mira Fireside in Valle de Guadalupe will be cooking on Friday.

Taqueando After Dark takes over Level 8 for two nights, Aug. 27 and 28.

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Courtesy of Level 8

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LA chefs

While Ibarra, Gastélum, and Hinostroza bring the border-crossing star power, local talent is also on display, including Ray Garcia of Qué Bárbaro  (DTLA), Broken Spanish Comedor (Culver City), Eloy Aluri of Tacos Royale (Silver Lake),
Tijuanazo (East L.A.) and Tacos La Carreta (Whittier and Long Beach).

Some of the festival's most compelling cooking may come from Vernon. Francisco Leal of Mariscos Chiltepín has quietly built a reputation for serving some of the best mariscos in the city.

Francisco Leal's aguachile at Mariscos Chiltepín brings the heat — and the kind of shrimp that makes the Vernon drive worth it.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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For Leal, Taqueando After Dark isn't just an opportunity to flex his skills creatively, but also a chance to rub elbows with the Baja chefs he admires.

"I love the way they handle almejas chocolatas, reinas, pismo clams, and oysters — the different techniques to flavor them, whether French, Japanese, or natural," he said. "They're really doing it very well."