Bee Taqueria and Taquero Alex Carrasco in Los Angeles

I fell in love in February 2021. Just as dawn was breaking over the landscape of the Pandemic horror. A writers group I'm in (contains a number of chefs and discerning palettes) kept recommending a taco place. Being the know-it-all Taco Maven that I am, I thought they were saying Bea's Tacos. Of course I know Bea's! Al and Bea's? Is it an offshoot of the best bean and cheese burrito place EVER?

Nope not that Bea's. BEES, as in bumble, buzzing, honey bees. Turns out to be an amazing metaphor for a taquero-chef who has a rad bee tattoo on his calf and a whole hive of bees inhabiting the space he chose for his first L.A. Taco venture. The bees bring the magic, make the honey, pollinate the flowers; and so does Alex.

Alex Carrasco is one of a kind: He's funny, friendly, charming, highly skilled, dedicated, spiritual and tireless. When he was invited to attend an Omakase seminar via Zoom last year with a number of famous chefs including Josiah Citrin of Melisse renown, he was humbled to be included. He had to laugh when his virtual background was a graffitied wall and a tiny kitchen inside what looks like a trailer against the stainless steel, fancy kitchens of many of the other participants.

I was excited to try Bee's, especially when my friend Adam said, "He must be a serious chef, his tacos are just too good to be random." Oh he's serious alright. Alex shared part of his journey with us on my first visit to Bee Taqueria. It was a rainy Wednesday. I didn't care. I was going. A few others were able to hop on to the Bee Train. Once I decide I need to try a taco,  nothing will stop me, even in a Pandemic. Thank God his place is outdoors.

Chef Alex is from Mexico City. He has graced many a venerable L.A. kitchen as a line cook including Osteria Mozza. He was living and working in Vegas when he was offered a chance to helm his own place. What he quickly realized is that he wanted to keep it real, reach the most amount of people at a fair price, and not be in debt up to his ears for the next 5 years. Alex is a guy who follows his heart and his instincts and opening at the end of 2019, before a global crisis struck, made it even smarter that he chose to start small.

He took over an old BBQ joint at the corner of W. Adams and Slauson. It took a bit of work to modernize the kitchen and update the property. Part of that required having a bee whisperer come out to decide what to do about the hive living in a rusted out flagpole, next to the kitchen. Alex decided to ask the bees nicely not to bother his customers and then he planted a bunch of lavender for them and that's how the restaurant got its name! More or less!

Seriously, I know... enough stories and move on to the tacos already! I will! But part of the taco magic comes from the magic of Alex. It really does. The tacos are great. Try them all! Vegan, non-vegan, try every damn thing and go often. Seriously. That's my review. Even the churros are a work of art. Dreamy, delicious, skinny, crispy, and fresh with innovations like a drizzle of green tea creme anglaise,  wrapped in a shisho leaf with a fresh pansy for garnish?! Yeah, Alex is not effing around. His bright  yellow business card says "chingon" on one side and "El Padre de los Tacos" on the other. I'm thinking of framing it. I want to bee a badass like Alex.

In my "taco" opinion, he's right up there with Taco Maria for innovation and flavor.

I was all ready to do my blog post back in late February, but then I learned that Alex does a 7-8? course Taco Omakase dinner (by reservation and cash only) for $95 per person. Insanely underpriced for the amount of food, the quality of the food, and the fun conversations you get to have with him. All this while he's serving you plate after plate of astounding seafood and other inspired taco combinations. It really can't be described... I mean... it could be, but better if you go and have the experience. You get to sit at a rustic wooden table next to the kitchen and BYOB. It's MAGIC, puramente mágico! Like wtf, if I didn't take pictures I would maybe think it never happened. Truly. Unlike Father's Office (no burger modifications for 20+ years) Alex will take a few of your limitations into consideration. Just a few, don't go driving him crazy though with a bunch of "Harry met Sally" nonsense! Do you promise?

Jonathan Gold (RIP) would have loved Alex and his tacos and would have been championing him via his review outlets. Read this great article by L.A. Taco who wrote about Alex in August of 2019. They give a lot more food detail than I do! Honestly, it's all about Alex. Just trust him. Eat what he says, leave a big tip and go often.

Alex also does private parties for the Omakase. So you can have him come to your house and work his magic in your backyard. It does mean that sometimes he has to close the restaurant while away for one of these events, but hopefully with the pandemic lifting he will have more customers, more help and can really find his bee wings and fly high in the sky over L.A. 

Bee Taqueria

5754 W. Adams Los Angeles 90016
Instagram: @beetaqueria

323 452 9575

Holbox Tacos at Mercado La Paloma Downtown, Los Angeles

These fine folks have been working hard since around 2016 I believe, making incredible fish tacos, cocteles and ceviche. I'm not sure how I missed them! (Insert finger wagging here). Maybe because the name doesn't have taco in it? Maybe because I'd just moved back from Mexico and was busy eating tacos in Pasadena? There's no excuse really.

I was waiting to try to coordinate with friends but last night the moment was nigh and I ordered over the phone and drove 8 miles or so down Jefferson Blvd. to Grand (from Culver City) to have my experience.

I had never heard of the MERCADO LA PALOMA either. A very cool neighborhood revitalization project that houses CHICHEN ITZA along with a Vegan Ethiopian restaurant and other tacos; 9 Restaurants total plus a few shops. I recommend getting on their mailing list, which you can do on their website.

HOW WERE THE TACOS? Muy excelente! The scallop taco was my favorite. The scallops were seared and juicy, really fresh and flavorful. I was given several salsas and crema, 4 in total for my array of tacos but I gotta say, the scallop taco needed nothing. It was friggin' perfect. It did have some mild chiles included. Seriously? PERFECT.

A word about their corn tortillas. Nutty, chewy yet thin enough that they don't dominate the taco in a way where you feel carbed out, if you get the kernel of what I'm sayin'. Not soggy either, no breakage. A nice bend but so thin I didn't feel overly stuffed after eating 3 tacos in total. The Taco Maven is 5'.1" and on a wee bit of a diet (lost 10+ lbs on Noom since January). It's hard being an aging Taco Maven but staying slim. Holbox tacos, especially the ones that aren't fried, are very friendly in this arena.

I tried both the battered shrimp and fish tacos. They were a little oily because THEY'RE FRIED. I knew that. The batter was light. Somewhere between tempura and a heavier wheat-based batter. Lots of flavor, light golden brown, artful. Not down and dirty or extra dark and crispy but still good! I would probably stick with non-fried items on subsequent visits and get my fried taco fix at Marisco Jalisco or the Ricky's Fish Taco Truck.

But for top notch seafood, sophisticated yet classic, fresh and flavorful modern fare, support these Taco Artisans and get your booty down to Grand Ave. for some HOLBOX. The dove will set you free.

P.S. Why is it called that? Perhaps named for the island in Mexico off of the Yucatan Peninsula where the fish must be very fresh and delicious. It also means "black hole" perhaps your stomach when you're hungry or their tiny square setup. It's pronounced Hole-bosh in Mayan.

Holbox at Mercado La Paloma 

3655 S. Grand Ave (Figueroa Corridor)

Space #C9

11:30AM - 8PM (Closed MONDAY)

www.holboxla.com

Chuy's Tacos Dorados, Los Angeles

 

Hello Taco World,

It's been a minute. More like a year and a half! What the... While I'm grateful I kept eating tacos in 2020 and haven't gotten Covid yet, I wasn't able to blog. But I learned, as I think we all did, that it's the little things that bring the most joy. Little crunchy things in my case... salt & vinegar potato chips, any kind of chip really, and CRISPY TACOS.

2020 was the year I discovered Chuy's Tacos Dorados one of the best potato tacos I have eaten, ever. Seriously, EVER. It helped me and many of my local friends get through the darkest days of the pandemic and it's still helping. Over Xmas, we met in the parking lot of the Van Nuys Chuy's, ordered our tacos and stood outside our cars, 6 feet apart and ate and talked with masks on.

I started eating weekly at the one in Van Nuys before the 'shutdown' in March. Everything inside is white; the tiles, the floor, the countertop and it's one of the cleanest restaurants I've been in. Seriously, like sparkling with stars everywhere. The staff is delightfully cheerful and proud to be serving these amazing tacos. Also polite, always efficient, always clean, always wearing gloves and masks.

DTLA Location

After the shutdown I discovered that Chuy's is actually a DRIVE-THRU. WHAT? Yes! A drive-thru for bitchen-ass crispy tacos people. Are you hearing me? 'Welcome to Chuy's, can I take your order?" You sure can! I favor the potato tacos but the shredded beef are good too. A friend that I hipped to Chuy's is a fan of their burritos and quesadillas. Yum-Yum. It's ALL good. Even the rice, which I think my old sidekick 'Side 'o Rice' would appreciate.

The best part about the potato taco is the warm, red salsa. Sort of like a tomato broth and a tradition for crispy potato tacos but one that few people bother to follow. It's not spicy, just crazy flavorful in some mad addictive way. Is it the oregano?  It's almost like a dipping sauce. Buy extra. Trust me! 

They've started doing this wonderful desert which isn't on their online menu. It's a variation of a Flan but it's less jiggly. It's regional. They make it in Jalisco and Guadalajara. It's called JERICALLA. It's a cross between flan and creme brulee. Chuy's makes it in a lovely JAR you get to take home and keep! Big enough for 2. Yes! It's very smooth and tasty, not too eggy like a lot of flans can be. Definitely give it a try. You won't be sorry, just a little full.

2020 was a very difficult year for the food service industry. As a former restaurant owner, caterer, kitchen witch, etc. I tried to support local spots in any way I could. Chuy's made it easy! They're Instagram feed is the best kind of food porn and their photos are magical. Thank you Chuy's for kicking ass and taking names and making my favorite kind of taco, AND making it really easy and safe for me to buy one and eat it! Te amo muchisimo!