LA is bursting at the seams with restaurants that serve tacos. Despite that fact, most of them are of the traditional Americanized variety or based on the lonchera truck with meats such as carne asada, pollo asada, carnitas and fish. One that stands out as being unique is La Huesuda Tacos.
A new generation of chefs are reshaping the way we think about Mexican food in LA. They are providing locally sourced quality ingredients with cross-cultural ingredients that are healthier and full of flavor. These chefs take their grandmother’s recipes and reinvent them based on their culinary training and experience.
The Wall Farmers Market, DTLA
La Huesuda Tacos is one such venture. I discovered them recently through my social media feeds and visited them at The Wall Farmers Market in downtown LA. The Wall Farmers Market is located in the Los Angeles Flower District on Wall between 7th & 8th streets. The Flower District is part of LA’s Wholesale District.
Chef Pablo Ricardo Vega preparing my tacos
Pablo Ricardo Vega is the chef behind La Huesuda Tacos. He was born in Torreon, Coahuila where he obtained his culinary degree from the University Valle de Mexico. He has worked with LA’s top Peruvian chef, Ricardo Zarate, and later became sous chef to Josh Drew & Thomas Mendez.
I ordered one each from their taco line-up: La Costilla, El Vegetarian, La Tinga and El Compadre. I had a nice conversation with his partner while Vega carefully prepared each taco. I was really happy that Vega handed me a tray with the four tacos; most vendors would have given it to me in a manner difficult to carry with two hands.
My tray of gourmet tacos from La Huesuda Tacos (top left to bottom right: La Costilla, La Tinga, El Compadre, El Vegetarian
I found some shade and sat down with my tray of tacos. The vegetarian had mushrooms with Mexican pesto sauce and was topped with grated cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds. This was very savory in nature and the pesto sauce was delicious. I added some of their hot sauce in order to increase the level of spiciness.
While the vegetarian was very good, my two favorites were the La Costilla “rib” and La Tinga “shredded chicken”. The ribs were braised in a guajillo sauce and had a nice crispy finish. The housemade chipotle BBQ sauce was delicious and a bit spicy. The pineapple’s sweetness nicely complimented the spiciness of the sauce.
Their version of La Tinga is made with shredded chicken that is steeped in a chipotle sauce. Vega drizzled a delicious avocado crema over the taco. It was supposed to come with a slice of bacon, but they were out of bacon that morning. The chicken was moist and full of flavor and the avocado crema was a nice bonus.
Others that were seated near me were enjoying the music and the people watching. An entertainer named Tony Bazurto was belting out Latin canciónes with a loads of enthusiasm. While my Spanish is rusty, I found his music to be quite enjoyable.
La Huesuda Tacos is definitely worth trying. The corn tortillas they use are handmade and extremely fresh and pliable. The La Costilla (in my opinion) is one of those memorable tacos that you need to experience from time to time. Due to Vega’s creativity and talent, the others are tasty as well.
Looking at their schedule, they visit some of the LA area craft brewers as well as The Wall Farmers Market. I took notice of them at Timeless Pints in Lakewood, but they also visit Iron Triangle Brewing and Frogtown Brewery to name a few. See the “Events” heading on their website for their schedule.
La Huesudas Tacos
http://www.lahuesudatacos.com/