Spot Check! Taquitos With Smoked Eel, Sichuan Chile Hot Chicken, and L.A. Food For Lahaina
If you want to help raise funds for Lahaina, you can do so over aguas frescas and a collection of great L.A. chefs and food businesses this Sunday.
Torta de asada at Taqui Taqui in Mid-City, photo: Taqui Taqui
Spot Check! We're bringing you the latest and most exciting openings, pop-ups, and food events around all of Los Angeles to check out, as well as a few important fundraisers for Lahaina. In the midst of the incomprehensible tragedy facing Maui and Hawaii right now, we also encourage you to check out this guide to local restaurants who are staging benefits and giving proceeds to help on L.A. Times and please donate if you are able.
Healthy, family-run aguas frescas brand Aguas Locas is holding a fundraiser for its Lahaina ohana at Mi Vida in Highland Park this Sunday, 2-6PM. Attendees will find food from East Los Musubi and hot sauce brand El Chilito, as well as refreshing drinks, lively music, and shopping while helping to lend a hand.
5159 York Blvd. Highland Park, CA 90042. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 182 - “York/Avenue 52.”
A benefit brunch for victims of the Lahaina fire is planned for this Sunday at City Club L.A. in Downtown, run by chef Victor Munoz, whose "mole madre" L.A. TACO featured in 2022. $50 entry includes food and drink by a variety of LA chefs, pop-ups, gourmet food purveyors, and national spirits brands, plus live music, "raffles, prizes, and surprises." 100% of proceeds goes to Maui Strong & World Central Kitchen.
Sun. Aug. 20, 11am-3pm, 555 S. Flower St. Los Angeles, CA 90071. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro A, B, D, E or J (910/950) Lines - "7th Street/Metro Center Station" or Bus Lines 16, 18, 20, 53, 55 or 62 - “5th/Flower.”
Taqui Taqui is open in Mid-City from the Le Cordon Bleu-educated chef Norlin Rubio, and his brother, the force behind L.A.s 29-year-old Rubio's Bakery. The business masters in tortas and other sandwiches on freshly baked bread, including a "carnitas fried chicken" torta, an al pastor cemita/burger-looking thing, and one with chicken mole. Options also include tacos, bowls, burritos, and tortas with carne asada, al pastor, shrimp, carnitas, birria de res, battered fish, and chicken adobada.
4972 W. Pico Blvd. Ste 102 Los Angeles, CA 90019. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 212 - “La Brea/Pico” or Bus Line 33 - "Venice/La Brea."
Pecking House, the New York-imported Sichuan chile fried hot chicken pop-up from chef Eric Huang, has extended its pop-up at TukTuk's "Turntable" space on Sawtelle Boulevard through October 22. Looks great.
1644 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Santa Monica/Corinth.”
Ce Fishe is now popping up every Saturday and Sunday at Pico Rivera's A Mi Hacienda with its gleaming sashimi tostadas and phenomenal tacos al gobernador, beginning at noon both days.
Katsu Bar is now open Wilshire Boulevard, near the eastern edge of Santa Monica. Pork tonkatsu is the big draw of its small menu, found in dishes such as a rosemary katsu sando, curry katsu plates and curry katsu udon, as well as impeccably proportioned egg sandos and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches.
3032 Wilshire Blvd. Ste. C Santa Monica, CA 90403. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 720 - “Wilshire/Bundy.”
The Neighborhood Cafe is now open in Huntington Park, offering approachable dishes from Mexico and the U.S., including steak sopes, chicken and waffles, burgers, chilaquiles, "lowrider" tacos, breakfast burritos, chili dogs, and turkey melts, among the many choices.
6531 Seville Ave. Huntington Park, CA 90255. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 110 - “Gage/Seville” or Bus Lines 60 and 251 - "Pacific/Gage."
Chef Roberto Alcocer of Baja's Malva and Oceanside's Valle, which was recently awarded a Michelin star, will be a guest chef at Wes Avila's Ka'Teen on Wednesday, August 23, the first of a planned series of regular guest chef nights. A $95 six-course menu will include mini potato taquitos with wild mushroom soup, smoked eel, and caviar; and a lobster and heirloom tomato salad, among others. Reservations here.
Read More:
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from L.A. TACO
The Ten Best Panaderías in Los Angeles to Get Your Pan De Muerto For Dia De Los Muertos
Los Angeles has the best pan de muerto scene in the country, from a sourdough variation to others that have been passed down through generations. Here are ten panaderías around L.A. where you can find the fluffy, gently spiced, sugar-dusted seasonal pan dulce that is as delicious as it is important to the Dia de Muertos Mexican tradition.
A New Genetically Modified ‘Low THC’ Hemp Was Just Approved by the USDA
The modified hemp plants are not available for purchase yet but when they are, they will likely appeal to hemp farmers since hemp that exceeds the .3% limit on THC can not legally be sold and must be destroyed.
Walnut Woman Gets Prison Time For Selling L.A. Homes That Weren’t Actually For Sale
Using other people's broker's licenses, Gonzalez listed the properties on real estate websites, even though many were not on the market, and she did not have authority to list them.
Family Awarded $13.5M In 2019 LAPD-Related Death Of Father
According to the suit, Jacob Cedillo was sitting on the sidewalk outside a Van Nuys gas station on April 8, 2019, at about 4:15 a.m. when police were called. Officers responded, immediately putting Cedillo in handcuffs even though he had not broken the law, according to the complaint.
L.A.’s 13 Most Infamous Murder Sites
While these sites' physical appearance or purpose may have changed over time, the legacy and horrors of what might have happened there linger forever. Once you know the backstory, walking or driving past them on a cool, crisp October evening is sufficient to provide you with a heaping helping of heebie-jeebies.
