I Went Inside Tanlines, L.A.’s New Bikini Coffeeshop ^37.5%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 6/18/2026, 5:58 PM

Anecdotal 35.3% - Biased Writer Voice 29.1% - Halo Effect 22%

There's something beautifully dirtbag about setting an alarm the night before—not for church, not for a flight, not even a hike—just to make sure you beat the rush at the titty-centric coffee shop. Eight a.m. on a Sunday. The pews are still warm from the 7 AM service of churches all around Los Angeles, and yet, I was pulling up to Los... more

Microdosing World Peace at Downtown L.A.’s Michelin Restaurant-Themed Sex Party ^25.6%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 6/3/2026, 12:10 PM

Biased Writer Voice 32.6% - Availability Heuristic 17.7% - Anecdotal 16.5%

The youth of today yearn for the house party, and at Downtown’s 99 Warehouse, that’s exactly what they get. My recent night inside one of Los Angeles’ wildest kink parties was elaborate, artsy, dirty, chaotic, confusing, and strangely wholesome. The parties, thrown by a self-described “movie character” named Lydia, feel like immersive... more

The 9 Best Restaurants In L.A., According to Dishwashers ^24.2%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 5/19/2026, 7:29 PM

Halo Effect 18.7% - Anecdotal 14.1% - Hasty Generalization 10.2%

Dishwashers hold the kitchen together. Every restaurant owner and chef knows you can lose a line cook for a shift and still survive. Stressed, scrambling, but alive. Lose a dishwasher? Throw in the towel and call it a day. Anthony Bourdain said it best: "Everything important I ever learned, I learned as a dishwasher and as a cook. You... more

Who Is L.A.’s Hero Posting Up These Anti-ICE Parking Signs? ^67.9%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 4/2/2026, 7:02 PM

Biased Writer Voice 38.8% - Appeal to Emotion 26.1% - Halo Effect 18%

Last week, as I stepped into my shift at Solarc Brewing in Glassell Park, the sunset glinted off something unusual bolted to the post outside. It wasn’t the typical neighborhood clutter of fading concert flyers or frantic "lost dog" posters. It was a sharp, sterile rectangle of metal that commanded immediate, civic authority. "No I.C.E.... more

Superbloom Eats: Where to Eat in Antelope Valley Before Visiting the Poppies ^53.6%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 3/24/2026, 9:22 PM

This poppy season, don’t just stop and see the beautiful orange fields; stop and enjoy the special restaurants the Antelope Valley has to offer. Growing up in Palmdale was a lot of things: a thriving punk scene with backyard shows spotlighting local bands (or a stop for bigger bands like seeing The Adicts as my first show at age 13 for... more

L.A.’s Best Comfort Dishes, According to L.A. Line Cooks ^34.4%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 2/25/2026, 6:09 PM

Anecdotal 62% - Halo Effect 5.7% - Hasty Generalization 5.1%

Everyone knows line cooks are the engines behind every restaurant we hold near and dear. The ones standing in place for hours, snapping peas, peeling potatoes, and coaxing order out of chaos so that a plate can land in front of you looking effortless. My own time as a line cook started at Croft Alley on Melrose, in a three-person kitchen... more

L.A.’s 12 Best Old-School Italian Delis ^0%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 1/21/2026, 8:19 PM

​​My family has been in Glendale since the 1920s, which meant every holiday came with a folding table stacked high with cold cuts and cheeses from Mario’s. Those platters weren’t just food, they were tradition, shorthand for where we come from. Italian delis in Los Angeles are more than places to grab a sandwich. They’re neighborhood... more

What 94-Year-Old Canter’s Deli Means to These Legacy Staff Members ^47.8%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 12/15/2025, 8:06 PM

Walking into Canter’s Delicatessen is like stepping into a warm, humming piece of L.A. history. The original business was started by brothers Ben and Joe Canter in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1924. After the Great Depression shuttered that first shop, the family moved west and opened Canter Brothers Delicatessen in 1931 on Brooklyn... more

This Pop-Up Is Reviving OG Filipino-Style Clay Pot-Baked Coconut Rice Cakes ^81.9%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 12/10/2025, 7:54 PM

Outside Now Serving in Chinatown, the scent of steaming banana leaves and sweet rice fills the air. Otto Markel, better known as “Otto vs. Jello” for his viral adventures in eating vintage Jell‑O recipes, is trading gelatin for something far more personal: bibingka, a traditional Filipino rice cake. Markel’s background is as eclectic as... more

Your Favorite Jumbo’s Clown Room Dancer’s Favorite Meal ^55.1%

L.A. TACO - By Lauren Bethke - 11/25/2025, 11:50 PM

Once the Jumbo’s pizza oven disappeared and the poles showed up, its legacy as an adult entertainment hub for off-duty chefs, line cooks, celebrities in the food world looking to blow off steam after service was sealed. Jumbo’s Clown Room has been a neon-lit pillar of Los Angeles nightlife since it first swung open its doors in 1969.... more