Taqueando with Bill Esparza

LA Has a Wet Trompo Problem. Danny Trejo Has a Bigger One.

Los Angeles, we have a wet trompo problem. And Bill Esparza has had enough. This week on Taqueando, Bill and Robert Haleblian get to the bottom of why so much of LA's be

Is Michelin Falling for Mexico City’s Taco Hype?

Taqueando has a new home! Search “Acquired Taste” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and follow the feed for new episodes of Taqueando with Bill Esparza, alongside The LA Food

Heritage BBQ's Danny Castillo Wants All The Smoke

This week's Taqueando is available on the Acquired Taste podcast feed! Bill Esparza sits down with Heritage Barbecue's Danny Castillo to uncover California BBQ's Mexican

Q&A: Mariscos Backlash & Taco Truck Mythbusting

Bill Esparza is back answering your questions, your DMs and, yes, your hate. Bill and Rob tackle the backlash over their LA mariscos guide, what makes great ceviche and a

Is Hype Making Taquerias Worse? Matt Kang on Asadero, Influencers & Carne Asada

Bill Esparza is joined by longtime food writer and Eater LA contributor Matt Kang to unpack the hype around Asadero, one of Los Angeles’ buzziest new taco stands. They de

32 States of Mexico, One Dinner: Inside Evil Cooks’ Disciples of the Corn

This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down with Chef Alex Garcia of Evil Cooks to talk about the restaurant’s evolution from a backyard pop-up into one of Los Angeles

Is Goldfish Copying Holbox? Inside a Wild Restaurant Ripoff

What happens when a former employee leaves one of LA’s most acclaimed restaurants and opens a place that looks… remarkably familiar? Bill Esparza and Robert Haleblian dig

Inside The New York Times’ 41 Greatest Mexican Restaurants in America

Bill Esparza spent more than a year helping The New York Times build its list of the 41 greatest Mexican restaurants in America. This week, Rob flips the script and inter

What Tourists Get Wrong About Spanish Food, with PABÚ’s Coco Montes

On Episode 69 of Taqueando, Bill Esparza returns from Barcelona with a challenge to the way Americans talk about Spanish food: Michelin-starred temples may dazzle, but th

The Rules of Salsa with Chef Jonathan Zaragoza AKA Goatboy International

Chef Jonathan Zaragoza joins Bill Esparza to trace his journey from his family’s acclaimed Birrieria Zaragoza and Michelin-starred Chicago kitchens to Goatboy Internation

Nithya Raman Wants to Make LA a Restaurant City Again

Los Angeles mayoral candidate and City Councilmember Nithya Raman joins Bill Esparza at Las Margaritas in Boyle Heights to explain how she would confront the crisis facin

Gabriela Cámara Bets Big on Vegas With Cantina Contramar

Gabriela Cámara has brought the spirit of Mexico City’s legendary Contramar to the Las Vegas Strip. In this episode, Bill Esparza explores Cantina Contramar at Fontainebl

“Creativity Is Over”: Daniel Ovadia on What Happened to Mexican Fine Dining

Before Mexico City became one of the world’s most celebrated dining destinations, Daniel Ovadia was helping create its modern culinary identity. He opened the groundbreak

What Most People Get Wrong About Mariscos: Bill Esparza’s Guide to the Best Ceviche in Los Angeles

Where can you find the best ceviche, aguachile and Mexican seafood in Los Angeles? Bill Esparza drops his definitive LA mariscos guide, explaining why great seafood requi

Phil Rosenthal on Leaving Netflix, Bad Food Influencers, and the Ultimate Taco Crawl Faux Pas

Somebody Feed Phil host Phil Rosenthal joins Bill Esparza at Max & Helen’s, his Los Angeles diner created with Nancy Silverton, for a wide-ranging conversation about food

Is Valle de Guadalupe in Trouble? Roberto Alcocer Reflects on the State of Baja Wine Country

In this episode of Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down at Michelin-starred Valle in Oceanside with Chef Roberto Alcocer, the Ensenada-born chef behind Valle and the beloved

Don’t Mess With the Empanada: Alto’s Chefs Bring Río de la Plata Fire to LA

At Alto in Studio City, chefs Juana Castellanos Lagemann and Esteban Klenzi are bringing the food and fire traditions of Argentina, Uruguay and the Río de la Plata to Los

Marcela Valladolid Is Reclaiming the Mexican Pantry (Part 2)

In Part 2 of Bill Esparza’s intimate conversation with chef, author and television personality Marcela Valladolid, the two dig deeper into Matriarca, her growing Mexican

Marcela Valladolid Is Done Asking for Permission (Part 1 of 2)

In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, chef, author and television personality Marcela Valladolid welcomes Bill Esparza into her Chula Vista home for an intimate look back

The Art of the Scam. With Katie Molinaro (@EatItKatie).

This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza takes on the messy new era of LA food influencers, anti-influencers, restaurant grifters, and the viral claim that “LA dining is a sc