Bill Esparza

Petty Cash Taqueria: This Week's Restaurant Review

This week, our main review considers Petty Cash Taqueria. Read the full review over in the food section, or see below for a quick rundown. Backstory: Petty Cash is in the space formerly occupied by Playa, John Sedlar's Latin restaurant which closed in March. Restaurateur Bill Chait brought in chef ... More >>

Petty Cash Review: Fancy Tacos and Mezcal in Mid-City

The Mysteries of Mezcal at Petty Cash Taqueria

Mezcal has long been one of the bastard children of the cocktail world. While its brother tequila is now considered a versatile cocktail companion ("Tequila! It's not just for margaritas anymore!"), mezcal has languished. Long considered a poor man's beverage, mezcal suffered because the low-grade ... More >>

Izote de Patricia Quintana Closes in Mexico City

This past Sunday, June 30, legendary Mexican chef and cookbook author Patricia Quintana closed the doors of her fine dining restaurant Izote for the final time in Mexico City. The shutter comes roughly two years after she re-opened Izote, which had closed temporarily for renovation. Quintana named ... More >>

May Roundup of Restaurant Openings and Closings

Big-name chefs are doing big things this summer. Opening June 4 is L.A.'s newest clam "shack" Connie & Ted's. Chef-owner Michael Cimarusti's (Providence) friends and family previewed the goods last week; the rest of us are soon to follow. Possibly the most notable recent opening is Petty Cash Taque ... More >>

Petty Cash Taqueria Opens Tonight

There was a lot of speculation about what would become of the space formerly known as Playa on Beverly Boulevard when the restaurant closed earlier in March. About a week and a half ago, restaurant partners Bill Chait and chef Walter Manzke -- with assists from food blogger Bill Esparza and chef Gui ... More >>

L.A. Weekly's Tacolandia: A Summer Taco and Tequila Party

Regardless of your protein predilections, tacos are a staple of the Angeleno diet. We've recognized as much on this blog, with no less than three top-10 lists counting down our favorite tacos: meat-filled, seafood and those you specifically get from a truck. On Sunday, June 23 from noon to 5 p.m., ... More >>

Watch this Weekend: Bill Esparza on L.A. Street Eats

Bill Esparza is going from Street Gourmet to host of the Street Eats: USA Los Angeles episode this Saturday, March 23, at 3 p.m. He announced the news earlier this morning on his blog. While it's not the first time Esparza has appeared on Travel Channel, it will still be a first of sorts for the mus ... More >>

Q & A With USC Professor Sarah Portnoy: On Latino Food in L.A

We all eat for pleasure. Some of us also eat in pursuit of academic knowledge. "Food studies" is a burgeoning field where scholars consider food a potent tool for illuminating a vast range of topics and issues. Among L.A. colleges and universities, you'll find classes on "Animal Ethics," "Restaurant ... More >>

Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre L.A. Restaurant Overview

On a recent episode of his podcast "Go Fork Yourself," Andrew Zimmern -- host of the Bizarre Foods series -- reveals his list of Los Angeles restaurant picks in something less sensational than we've come to expect from the Travel Channel guide to unfamiliar foods around the world. In fact, it's so s ... More >>

Test Kitchen's Latino Series, Part 1: Mexican Chefs to Take Over Bestia This Weekend

If Angelenos are becoming intoxicated by Mexico's culinary renaissance, Northern Baja has been our gateway drug. Several events have popped up in recent years (most recently, at Playa) in which chefs from Tijuana and Ensenada have come up over the border to showcase their talents to eager SoCal fans ... More >>

Tijuana Grub Crawl: Where To Eat, Drink and Walk on Your Tour of TJ

See also: Anthony Bourdain Told Me to Go to Baja. So I'd Be OK There. Right? See also: Anthony Bourdain's Baja Episode of No Reservations Will Make You Want to Cross the Border Immediately See also: OC Weekly's Column Tijuana Sí! You're going to Tijuana, and you want to eat. That's a very good pla ... More >>

74: The Sea Urchin Tostada at La Guerrerense

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 74: The Sea Urchin Tostada at La Guerrerense. Sure, you can eat Sabina Bandera González' glorious seafood tostadas here in Los Angeles, at the LA Street Food ... More >>

Street Gourmet L.A.'s Bill Esparza on Bizarre Food America Tonight

L.A.-based food blogger and professional saxophonist Bill Esparza, whom you might remember from his L.A. Weekly piece about being a "reverse coyote" for Tijuana food tourists, will serve as guide for Bizarre Food America host and man-who-will-eat-anything Andrew Zimmern as the duo explore San Diego ... More >>

Tapatio Blanco Now Available In L.A. How The Cult Tequila Finally Made It Stateside

After 75-years, Tapatio Blanco tequila is finally being imported to the U.S. For local tequila aficionados, you might say the news is sort of a big deal. Consider the Facebook reaction of Bill Esparza, a.k.a. Street Gourmet L.A., who has decades-worth of Tapatio suitcase stashing on his resume (and ... More >>

Meet Your Food Bloggers: Drew Hubbard and Ben Waters of L.A. Foodie

Pair two affable, self-described "food dudes" living in L.A. -- digital marketing consultant Drew Hubbard with film and video editor Ben Waters, who has improv comedy training -- and you get L.A. Foodie. The site with the colorful burger logo and light-hearted tone delivers commentary on topics rang ... More >>

Twitter Feud of the Week: The Great Squash Blossom Debate

This week's Twitter war began innocuously enough: On May 8, Portland-based food blogger and restaurateur Nick Zukin, who owns a Mexico City-style snack shop called Mi Mero Mole in PDX, inquired via Twitter where to find jarred flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) on a recent trip to Orange County. Wh ... More >>

L.A. Weekly Food: New Hires and Big (Exciting!) Changes

Let's start by stating the obvious: There have been big changes to the L.A. Weekly's food section recently. And there are even more on the way. After our longtime critic Jonathan Gold departed for the L.A. Times, we've been nibbling on this and that: a reflection on cookbooks from Roy Choi, a piece ... More >>

The Reverse Coyote: Bill Esparza on Smuggling Food Tourists into Tijuana

Even if you're not one of Bill Esparza's Street Gourmet LA readers (who are legion), many of whom have accompanied the musician-as-food-blogger on his famous border-crossing culinary pilgrimages, you might want to check out today's feature food story. Of course, you may want to read the story -- aga ... More >>

Meet Your Food Blogger: Valentino Herrera of Trippy Food

Valentino Herrera abides by two philosophies: Try everything, at least once. And share unusual experiences with others, especially when it comes to travel and eating. Both ideas are evident on his blog, Trippy Food. Don't expect hallucinogenic mushrooms. For Herrera, "trippy" means unusual items ran ... More >>

Meet Your Food Blogger: Valentina Silva of Eastside Food Bites

At the Antigua Cultural Coffee House on a recent afternoon, Valentina Silva talked with us about Eastside Food Bites, her voice carrying over the coffee grinder's noisy whirr and the stereo's booming cumbia. Silva often eats at local spots such as Antigua, close to her Mt. Washington home in northea ... More >>

Meet Your Food Blogger: Adam Roberts of The Amateur Gourmet

Adam Roberts is one of those food blogger-turned-published authors whose success makes the rest of us drool. He created his blog, "The Amateur Gourmet," in 2004 while studying law at Emory University. "I'd come home from a long day of law school, my brain would be fried, and the only thing I could ... More >>

Battle Sangria: Rick Bayless vs. Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken a Recipe from the Winner

C. LeVasserJamaica sangria by Rick Bayless​Some of us have been going out a lot less these days. But rather than unnecessarily spending twenty dollars on a rare gueuze at Father's Office, we've been throwing our money at things like Scharffen Berger chocolate, or imported speck from Alto-Adige ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

Flickr/dubh​ What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free), it's where most of ... More >>

Eat Real Fest: Photo Gallery

Round up the usual suspects. Anyone who's been to a certain Los Angeles food festival can be forgiven for feeling a certain déjà vu at this weekend's Eat Real Fest, held at the Helms Bakery complex in Culver City. The vendor list read like it was cribbed from Artisanal LA: Cast Iron Gourmet, C ... More >>

L.A. Street Food Fest: Trucks, Beer, Breathing Room No Waiting

​The complaint is nothing new. You spend your hard-earned money on a food truck festival and end up stuck in lines windier than the yellow brick road, slow-cooking in the sun, only to head home only after just a bite or two. But that won't be the case at the 2nd Annual L.A. Street Food Fest Su ... More >>

Best Food Blog: Street Gourmet LA

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

Flickr/dubh​ What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free), it's where most of ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

Flickr/dubh​ What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free), it's where most of ... More >>

Street Food Mondays Brings Antojitos de mi Abuelita to Angeli Caffe

Guzzle & NoshA pambazo from Antojitos de mi Abuelita.​ The first time we met Street Gourmet LA blogger Bill Esparza, we were about to dig into one of Antojito de mi Abuelita's bright red, guajillo chile-dipped pambazos with its guts of chorizo, potatoes, shredded lettuce and crumbled cheese n ... More >>

Rick Bayless Taco-Blocks Local Blogger

Chicago-based chef Rick Bayless, who graciously introduced Los Angeles to authentic music right after introducing us to authentic Mexican cuisine, doesn't want a certain Los Angeles blogger to know what he's doing. The blogger in question is Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA, who savaged Red O in ... More >>

The 10 Best Dishes of 2010

From entree to cappuccino, short ribs to bacon-wrapped bacon

Eat This Now: Tacos de Guisado at Tacos Carmelita

From humble taco tables to neighborhood trucks to brick-and-mortar joints, Los Angeles has no shortage of taquerias. Yes, that might be the understatement of the century. The rub is that while we're awash in carne asada and al pastor, Mexico City-style tacos de guisado are something of a rarity. Th ... More >>

Tacos Guanajuato Robbed Closed Indefinitely

Bill Esparza​ If you haven't tried the salty, greasy, cheesy culinary triumph of a vampiros taco from the much-blogged about Boyle Heights stand Tacos Guanajuato... Bad news, you're not going to any time soon. Those addictively delicious vampiros (or volcanes, depending on which region of Mexi ... More >>

Last Night: Zócalo Union Station Speakeasy Cocktail Party

Jo Stougaard / My Last BiteA bartender pours a cocktail, and a plate of sashimi and beef tendon from Providence at the 2010 Zócalo Speakeasy.​ The cocktails flowed freely at Saturday night's Union Station Speakeasy Cocktail Party. Organized by the Weekly's own Jonathan Gold as a fundraiser f ... More >>

Brian's Hair: Your New Twitter Mashup

​No one will ever duplicate the one-shot schizophrenic hilarity of Ruth Bourdain, bless him or her or whomever. But it seems like we now have our own Twitter mashup here, the very funny Brian's Hair, who goes by the name of @BrianSaltsHair: a Twitter hybrid of Test Kitchen's Brian Saltsburg an ... More >>

Red O: Back to Bayless

Bringing Mexican to L.A., With Mixed Results

Tacos Leo: Authentic Al Pastor Comes to Venice and La Brea

N. GalutenTacos al pastor from Tacos Leo​ UPDATE: We spoke yesterday with the Bureau of Specialized Surveillance and Enforcement, who confirmed that Tacos Leo was cited on Friday night, and that the trompo was confiscated, as it was not classified as "commercial equipment." When asked for the ... More >>

Web Surfing: A Roundup of News from L.A. Food Blogs & Beyond

-- A recipe for salted butter chocolate chip cookies. [David Lebovitz] -- Live lobster, crab, giant shrimp, geoduck, fish, and more at Sea Harbour in San Gabriel Valley. [Exile Kiss] -- Dose of Vitamin P: Bludso's Pork Ribs. [Food GPS] -- John Sedlar's new menu(s) at Rivera. [Gourmet Pigs] -- R ... More >>

Street Food Mondays Continue at Angeli: Sri Lankan Hoppers from Priyani Dissanayake

Bill EsparzaA hopper from Priyani Café​ A few weeks back, Angeli Caffe debuted their first installment of Street Food Mondays, featuring fish and shrimp tacos from Ricky's Fish Tacos. The night was a success, with long waits for the event which was organized by Angeli owner and Good Food hos ... More >>

Street Food Comes to Angeli Caffe

Bill EsparzaRicky Piña of Ricky's Fish Tacos​If you've resisted driving deep into unfamiliar terrain to get great street food, you can now find it closer to home, that is, if you live mid-city or on the Westside. This Monday, July 26th, Angeli Caffe starts a series of Street Food on Melros ... More >>

Street Gourmet LA on Bizarre Foods: Viewing Party Happy Hour at Guelaguetza

Bill Esparza, of Street Gourmet LA​Local food blogger Bill Esparza (Street Gourmet LA) will be appearing on the upcoming Baja episode of the Beard Award-winning Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. To celebrate, there will be a viewing party at the Olympic branch of Oaxacan restaurant Guelaguetz ... More >>

Vendy Awards Update: Nina's Foods the Winner

Midtown Lunch LANina's Foods wins Vendy Awards​ The 1st Annual L.A. Vendy Awards were on Saturday, and Nina's Foods, from Nina Garcia, was named the winner, after serving pambazos and handmade, grilled quesadillas. The judges for the event were Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA; The Teenage G ... More >>

L.A. Vendy Awards This Saturday

Vendy AwardsVendys come to L.A. this Saturday​ For the past five years in New York City, The Vendy Awards have celebrated the best street food that city has to offer. This Saturday, for the first time, they're coming to Los Angeles. This year's proceedings will take place at MacArthur Park, w ... More >>

L.A. Bloggers Judge Top Chef Masters A Viewing Party at The Edison

Top Chef MastersMake room for some food bloggers at Judges' Table​ L.A. chefs like Mark Peel, Susan Feniger and Ludovic Lefebvre aren't the only locals showing up on Top Chef Masters this season. Wednesday night, the judges' table will get a little bit bigger with L.A. food bloggers Bill Espa ... More >>

Web Surfing: A Roundup of Posts from LA Food Blogs

-- Food GPS goes for goat at Bulrocho [Food GPS] -- Pat Saperstein takes a tour of Latin American desserts [Eating LA] -- Zach Brooks tries Ciudad's lunch special [Midtown Lunch LA] -- Bill Esparza finds the real food of Baja in Sun Valley [Street Gourmet LA] -- ExileKiss dips into the sakes at ... More >>

Meet Your Food Blogger: Javier Cabral of Teenage Glutster

Javier Cabral turned 21 two weeks ago, which means not only that now he can legally drink alcohol when he eats out with his blogger friends, but that the name of his blog, Teenage Glutster, seems a bit outdated. Some might agree that after a mention from Dana Goodyear in a New Yorker profile of Jona ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 9/12 - 9/18

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Hard to believe it was only five weeks ago I tweeted: Why doesn't someone start a pancake truck? " Eating L.A.'s Pat Saperstein on her wish come true. "Really, we have to rethink USDA." Marion Nestle finds hope that t ... More >>

Meet your Food Blogger: Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA

Bill Esparza is a professional saxophonist, and the mouth and mind behind food blog Street Gourmet LA. He also teaches a class called Affordable Ethnic Dining at the Burbank Adult School, an eating-intensive class that takes students out into the streets of Los Angeles to diversify their palates and ... More >>

Roadtrip to Tijuana: Why All Your Foodblogs are Posting From Mexico

Thanks to the tireless work of Mexican food expert and blogger Bill Esparza--in conjunction with the Tijuana Tourism Board Tijuana Convention & Visitors Bureau--a group of bloggers, food writers, chefs and restaurateurs headed south last week on a mission of exploration and eating, to consume some o ... More >>