This menu requires arrow keys to be able to use it Related activities Virtual visit to the MUHBA Bon Pastor The new equipment "Les Casas Barates del Bon Pastor del Districte de Sant Andreu-MUHBA Bon Pastor" wants to reflect the memory of the history of housing in Barcelona during the 20th century through museumization from a block of cheap houses in this working-class neighborhood one of four housing estates built in the city in 1929 of which ten have become museums: four show the struggle for housing in the city and the other four how people lived in the Bon Pastor neighborhood and the evolution of the interiors of the cheap houses between 1929 and 2017 The remaining two show general aspects of the themes represented The process of creating the space has been made possible by the complicity established between the neighbors The Cheap Houses museum project was started in 2010 at the initiative of the Association of Neighbors and Neighbors of the Good Shepherd which obtained the support of the District of Sant Andreu and the Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona The proposal was consolidated with the alliance with the MUHBA funding through the Neighborhood Plan made the new museum space possible from the historical research to the creation of the collection and the intervention in the houses The project would not have been possible without the enthusiastic methodical and lasting collaboration of the neighbors of Bon Pastor and the AVV Bon Pastor The project was directed by Carme Cazalla and Joan Roca Here you can watch the audiovisuals of the MUHBA Bon Pastor MUHBA Bon Pastor Press Kit new member of the ICONIC HOUSES international network barcelona.cat/museuhistoria https://www.facebook.com/museuhistoriabarcelona twitter.com/bcncultura Archive Architecture the Talavera La Real (Badajoz) and Bon Pastor (Barcelona) penyas celebrated their 40th anniversaries both clubs having been officially endorsed by FC Barcelona in 1982 The celebrations at Peña Barcelonista de Talavera La Real (Badajoz) were attended by Antonio Escudero vice-president of the FC Barcelona Social Area welcomed them to the town hall and gave a speech The festivities continued at the clubhouse where the club’s president Fernando Carmona and his guests unveiled a commemorative plaque produced by the club secretary Antonio Valle A further 100 or so members of PB Talavera La Real and guests from other penyas then enjoyed a gala dinner The day after came the turn of Penya Barcelonista Bon Pastor where FC Barcelona was represented by board member Josep Ignasi Macià who has always been a close follower of penya proceedings Former Barça player Paco Martínez also attended Around a hundred people were there for the lunch where club president Francesc Pagan gave a welcome speech Macià also said some words recognising the importance of such long-lasting clubs as Bon Pastor loyalty and support is so highly appreciated by everyone at FC Barcelona Les cases barates del Bon Pastor have been included in Iconic House a list that values buildings-museums where there are places like La Pedrera This has now been pointed out by the Iconic House network which has included the Casas Baratas del Bon Pastor in its prestigious list of buildings which also includes some of Gaudí’s jewels Iconic House is an organization that selects 20th century homes and studios that stand out for their architectural value and function as museums the cheap houses of Bon Pastor join the list of 198 houses around the world that are part of this network among which already include in Barcelona the Pedrera (Casa Milà) the visitable floor of the Casa Bloc and the Casa Moratiel This recognition underlines the historical and architectural importance of these modest dwellings built in 1929 in response to the need for affordable housing for the city’s working classes Inside the houses, visitors can tour an exhibition that reflects the daily life of the residents over nearly a century, with architectural details and objects that transport them to different eras. That stigma led them to be out of the heritage panorama of the city, but in recent years the claim of the periphery has put them back on the map, and the precariousness of housing conditions in the city make see these houses, small individual low houses with their own courtyard located in pedestrian streets, as a small luxury that many would sign right now in the city. where we call on a local expert to share the best versions of their city's most iconic food when in search of the very best tacos in LA we turned to Cabral to put together a guide This is perhaps the most exciting time (dare I say ever?) to love tacos in LA There are so many different styles being cooked across the city from regional classics to vegan variations—but it wasn’t always like this Over the 18 years that I’ve been writing about food in the city I’ve seen the taco scene evolve from the same five tacos (asada to tacos that now represent hyper-regional approaches honoring places such as Puebla The best tacos in LA right now include rich There are a couple of factors that make LA’s taco scene more robust than Texas’s The first is the city’s immigrant population LA has such a rich and diverse population of people who have immigrated from all over Mexico That makes for a huge amount of regional Mexican cooking and also a hungry audience for all of those different regional cuisines There’s a lot more space to grow as a Mexican regional restaurant here because there are entire communities that fuel demand for it LA’s taco culture also benefits enormously from its proximity to Mexico via Tijuana—chefs here source everything from ingredients to ceramics from Tijuana The closeness of the border means a lot of culinary influences flow back and forth between the cities which are about two hours away from each other on a no-traffic day There are a few boxes to tick if you’re hoping to find a memorable taco in LA Seeing some kind of marker of regional pride—the state emblem of Sinaloa on a taco truck That often indicates that taqueros care enough to not homogenize the food they’re serving I also usually look for a sense of connection and loyalty between taqueros and their customers so when I see that a taquero and their customer have a rapport and a sense of mutual loyalty that’s a sign that the tacos are good enough to come back for tortillas are a huge part of what makes a taco great too If taqueros can tell you where the tortillas are made chances are they care enough about the final product to make a superb taco Whether or not a shop makes its own agua fresca from scratch or uses concentrated syrups—rendering a watery version—also says a lot about a taquería’s general philosophy there’s always the salsa test: Try a bit on the back of your hand to make sure it’s thick I’ve put all of the tacos on this list through their paces These 12 (including a vegan option!) represent the best of regional Mexican cooking in LA while others might be completely new to you but rest assured: They’re all worth the trip Downtown Los Angeles, multiple locations If I had to choose one taco to best represent the LA taco scene The restaurant doesn’t have a traditional kitchen setup Everything gets cooked over a mesquite grill and instead of just using flap meat for asada they use a unique rib cut that is extra juicy and crisp at the same time as is customary in a lot of northern Mexican cuisines Opened in 2016 by Teodoro Diaz-Rodriguez Jr this restaurant serves food in the style of San Luis Río Colorado The region is famous for flour tortillas that are particularly thin and they’re so paper-thin you can almost see through them The cooks go through nearly 4,000 of those gorgeous tortillas each day between their Downtown and Mid-City locations The first bite of a Sonoratown taco feels different than any other taco in the city The meat inside has a slight crisp to it from the mesquite smoke It’s deliciously delicate and a little fatty Those big flavors are rounded out with a light refreshing salsa and a bit of minced cabbage which is the classic style of garnish in Mexico’s northern states—as opposed to onion and cilantro found pretty much everywhere else Make sure you take a bite of the accompanying grilled green onion which is customary in that part of Mexico to punctuate each bite of rich meat and it’s best accompanied by the nondairy coconut horchata—the ideal way to wash down the smoky meat This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Multiple locations There have been times I’ve made myself late to meetings because I’ve been driving by the Mariscos Jalisco truck and couldn’t resist stopping in for one or two tacos The truck—which Raul Ortega has run since 2002—is a great daytime spot for incredible tacos de camarón this will probably become your next obsession No one outside of the kitchen knows exactly how the taco de camarón is made here—it’s a secret recipe. My theory is that it’s filled with chopped shrimp, onion, tomato, cilantro, and a soaked bread mixture, like a panade What I do know is that the filled taco is almost creamy inside the corn tortilla takes on a crackly crispness It’s all topped with a slice of ripe avocado for a balanced Order: The taco de camarón is the star of the show I recently discovered you can customize these tacos so I like to order them with one or two oysters on top for another wave of brininess This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 4077 Avalon Blvd, Los Angeles This may very well be LA’s best nighttime taco spot Tire Shop Taquería is spectacular because it truly feels like Tijuana That feeling of “I’m not in Los Angeles” briefly overcomes you when you take a bite of these tacos which are made Tijuana-style: with handmade corn tortillas The stand is an extremely streamlined operation that sets up in a liquor store parking lot (not in the namesake tire shop anymore) There are about eight taqueros and taqueras making quesadillas and tacos in a long line a lot of people go into autopilot and order carne asada—it’s always going to be delicious But the cabeza taco is really the sleeper hit at Tire Shop Cabeza means “head,” and you’ll be getting mostly cheek meat and because there’s so much collagen in that particular cut it’s very tender and melts in your mouth with each bite you’ll find a little nuttiness from the corn tortilla but when you have a particularly excellent one Order: Whether you’ve never had a cabeza taco before or can’t get enough Tire Shop Taquería’s version is the one to beat This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 1707 Mariachi Plz De Los, 1707 Pleasant Ave, Los Angeles There comes a point in every taco-obsessed person’s life when they have to graduate from asada and carnitas and try some of the other meats out there That means venturing into the world of offal I understand that some view tripe as an acquired taste but the tripe taco at Santa Cecilia is the perfect entry-level offal taco is phenomenal for two reasons that go beyond the food: First you can get there using public transportation (a blessing because it’s in Mariachi Plaza—an iconic fixture of the Boyle Heights neighborhood The small restaurant serves incredible tacos out of a window on the plaza where a lot of mariachi musicians hang out in their uniforms waiting to get work and a lot of places don’t do it with the same care and attention as Santa Cecilia That well-prepped tripe is reflected in the final product which is shatteringly crispy and accompanied by a beautifully thick salsa on a handmade corn tortilla The tripe is aggressively fried so that it almost has the texture of chicharrón such that it almost ends up tasting like a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto There aren’t a ton of great tripa tacos out there and this one might just ruin you for all other versions This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 5944 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles This taco spot consists of a few folding tables under tents Catch an outdoor showing of a classic movie at the outdoor theater Cinespia have a couple of drinks with the picnic you brought al pastor is seasoned and marinated pork that is cut thin and roasted on a trompo (a vertical spit) along with a whole pineapple This particular al pastor doesn’t have the same savory-sweet chorizo flavor a lot of people are used to and vinegar is adjusted to boost that bright acidic flavor The taqueros marinate the pork before roasting it on a rotating trompo and the final taco is finished with sliced pineapple for a really well-balanced sweet-and-savory combination then gets sliced directly onto the waiting corn tortilla to bring together those vinegary The result is an al pastor that’s much lighter and more bracing than is typical This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 3440 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles which in Mexico is traditionally made with goat and since it’s often made with beef in the U.S. it’s fun to be able to dip your taco in a rich meaty sauce Birria tacos generally consist of stewed beef but the goat birria at Birrieria El Jalicience is its own kind of special This business consists of a few tents and tables set up on the sidewalk and opens up just one day a week you’ll have to make a point of stopping by early The meat is accompanied by what could almost be mistaken for tomato soup It has the unmistakable taste of smoky goat which is rounded out by the savory flavor of roasted tomato and back meat depending on what’s available which allows you the pleasure of building each bite That’s the real birria experience—plus your hands smell like birria tacos for the rest of the day This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Roving food truck a taco truck located in the parking lot of a gas station These are the kind of tacos you could eat every day if you wanted to They’re made with steamed tortillas and steamed meat—that’s it These tacos aren’t necessarily a flavor bomb—but that’s what’s great about them; you can eat six or seven of them and still feel good afterward because they aren’t cooked with any added oil or fat No matter how many times I’ve tried to find out who the owners of this gem are What I do know is that the owners are from Nayarit evident by the Huichol art—done by an indigenous group in Nayarit—adorning the food truck You can inhale these tacos at one of the few picnic tables in the parking lot by the truck Tacos El Cachetón’s tacos al vapor are so satisfying thanks to the ingredients they use Because these tacos consist of just a few elements it’s crucial that each part of the taco is excellent: a really fresh and a refreshingly light green salsa over the top you can spoon over a few slices of habanero These tacos have a super straightforward beef flavor When you’ve been eating tacos professionally for years these are the ones you still want to eat every day This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Roving food truck No one in LA was making tacos quite like this before 2019 when Los Dorados founder Steven Orozco Torres found one niche that wasn’t saturated: crispy taquitos These tacos are rolled up and fried until they are splintery crisp Whereas a lot of barbacoa is made with beef—especially as the dish made its way to northern Mexico and Texas—the traditional barbacoa served at Los Dorados is made with slow-roasted The meat at the edges of a taco at Los Dorados is almost like jerky since it gets fried and becomes crisp and brown—but inside covered with some Cotija cheese to bring everything together The salsa is part of what makes Los Dorados stand out or “drunken salsa,” comes from the use of beer in the mixture but it has an intense charred flavor from the burnt chiles and the ideal complement to the smoky barbacoa This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Multiple Locations Taco Nazo is a small chain of five locations around LA the same family that founded the original food truck in 1978 They call themselves the pioneers of fish tacos and they very well may be the ones who popularized fish tacos in LA Taco Nazo goes above and beyond to source high-quality fish while keeping prices reasonable A lot of restaurants in LA that serve fish tacos use tilapia because it’s cheap The cooks here batter filets of cod and fry them to a crackly-crunchy texture The tacos are topped with a thinned-down cream-mayonnaise blend you can opt for the chipotle mayo to finish it off I love this spot because it’s a bona fide community hang You'll see entire families celebrating birthdays and other working residents of southeast Los Angeles coming to eat but it’s a great place to taste LA’s fish taco history for yourself—and grab a cold Mexican beer on tap while you’re at it Order: A big plate of fish tacos is my go-to order; if you like shrimp This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 2000 E 7th St, Los Angeles There’s a time and place for what I call “date night tacos,” or tacos featuring what some might consider untraditional conversation-starting ingredients—Guerilla Tacos exemplifies the genre the business ushered in a new era of tacos in LA one that breaks tradition while remaining crave-worthy The sweet potato taco here reinvented the wheel—taking the classic fried potato taco to the next level and finished off with an almond salsa—almost like a thicker People might be used to tacos under $5 a pop Other options like the fall apart-tender pork belly taco and bright serranos round out the thoughtful menu at Guerilla Tacos the perceived value of a dish changes dramatically based on its context No one bats an eye at sky-high prices in a French restaurant but a $5 taco is the end of the world—even if it’s made with the same high-quality ingredients from the same purveyors This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 3401 E 69th St, Long Beach Trust me when I say these tacos are worth the drive to perhaps the most industrial area of North Long Beach getting here is still cheaper and faster than actually flying to Mexico—and the tacos are just as good José Morales Jr.’s family comes from El Verde Concordia and has been rolling this taco truck through LA since 2020 which I think will become the next great taco trend in LA alongside birria and Tijuana-style The tacos of El Verde are similar to those of Sonora—this style starts with a flour tortilla which gets topped with mesquite-grilled meat The torito de asada here is really special. Special enough that it won LA Taco’s extremely competitive Best in Show trophy at our annual Taco Madness taco competition A flour tortilla comes together with melted cheese The meat is smoky and just slightly charred from the mesquite and the chiles are spicy and just a bit chewy Wash it all down with sips of horchata made with toasty roasted barley There aren’t any tables or chairs set up outside the food truck so you’ll have to eat these tacos sitting on the hood of your car This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 6265 Sepulveda Blvd Unit 12, Van Nuys which eventually led him to open the first vegan Mexican restaurant in the San Fernando Valley he uses mostly old-school soy alternatives as opposed to some newer non-meats like Impossible or Beyond He gives these proteins a heavy fry and an intense seasoning until they take on the texture and flavor he’s after the flavors in his food are no less intricate layered flavors and just the right amount of heat but I’m particularly impressed with the vegan chicharrón taco Chicharrón is typically made by frying pork rinds they’re stewed which can make them a bit spongy Vargas has somehow gotten around that textural issue to create a vegan chicharrón taco with an amazing crunch It’s made with soy curls that are fried until they’re airy and puffed up umami-forward flavors of true chicharrón—But I think I prefer the vegan version This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Get Bon Appétit’s restaurant coverage in your inbox with our daily newsletter American pizza culture has never been more inventive and varied. These eight pizzerias are leading the charge Planning (or dreaming of) a trip to Paris? Check out our list of the best kebabs in the City of Lights Should children be allowed in fine dining restaurants? Contributor Maggie Hennessy talked to restaurateurs and parents across the country to find an answer At Naar in the Himalayan foothills Chef Prateek Sadhu serves a 15-course tasting menu Food director Chris Morocco solves your kitchen emergencies on the Dinner SOS podcast Check out our merch shop to source the perfect gift for your food-loving friend (or yourself) But trying to subscribe to this type of cookbook felt false and meaningless to him “Authenticity is a very American construct and what I believe to be the intersection of marketing and real racism,” Martinez explains “The way that these books by people of color about non-white American food are sold is by this idea of it being a hyper authentic having lived in Mexico now for almost three years if I invited 10 people to my house and I all told ’em to bring the same dish there would be 10 wildly different versions of each of those dishes.” And none of those versions would be wrong or inauthentic—just different So how could Martinez make an “authentic” cookbook and instead decided to be wholeheartedly himself—sharing the actual food and stories he came across during his 586 days traveling across the different regions of Mexico was just red sauce—but then you started getting authors that were exploring Italian cuisine from a regional perspective and all of a sudden we had a language to start talking about Tuscan cuisine and Sicilian and Northern Italian,” Martinez says “I wanted to do that same thing for Mexican cuisine because there is such a diverse culture and geography and climate Each page and subsequent recipe is a new and delicious recipe certain to satisfy the hunger for any reader with a pang of wanderlust Although Martinez—who is a former senior food editor at Bon Appetit and hosts food and travel show Pruébalo for Babish Culinary Universe—has had professional culinary training and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cooking he devoted his time in Mexico as a space for learning he would ask chefs across Mexico about their favorite dish to make and serve whether it’s at a restaurant or somebody’s house I want to taste the cook,” Martinez explains “I want to be able to understand what motivates them—what is their passion The recipes within Mi Cocina are so diverse and colorful it would be his pollo al pastor (which he concedes shares the number one spot with tacos gobernador) “The pollo al pastor was a hard one to get right,” Martinez begins “It’s difficult to replicate the flavor in a dish that has a very specific cooking method.” (Al pastor ensuring there are speckles of char and deep caramelization.) which is why when he finally nailed the flavor down he was overjoyed and deservedly filled with pride “One of my cheats for anything that I want to impart a smokey flavor and I think this is a great tip for home cooks is to use something with some smoke built into it The aroma of chipotle peppers provides the signature smokiness of al pastor absolute most incredible chicken you’ll ever eat.” And if you don’t want to bake it Martinez has had great success grilling the chicken using a gas stovetop or over coals with indirect heat Photo by Ren FullerThe cookbook Martinez produced is nothing like he had initially envisioned It is colorful and witty and full of his own personal anecdotes It is uncompromising in its celebration of the cuisines across Mexico and the people who cook them “When I decided that I was not going to write the book that I had originally proposed “I decided to lean into what I am—a gay Mexican American living in Mexico—and just decided that I’m going to be happy here If there’s one wish Martinez has for Mi Cocina it’s that his readers can move beyond the preconceived notions they have about Mexico and become empathetic in their own explorations of identity “I want to change the conversation—moving beyond the food—so people can see the beauty of this country,” Martinez says “I think I am genetically predisposed to enjoy certain things: the parties I feel it deep within me and I think it’s important to explore that.” break up the recado rojo so no large clumps remain using the fork to smash into a smooth paste Vigorously whisk the agave syrup and ¼ cup of the olive oil into the achiote mixture until completely smooth.2 Place breast-side up in the center of a 13 × 9-inch baking pan Liberally brush the chicken with the achiote sauce and there shouldn’t be any sauce remaining Tie the ends of the drumsticks together with kitchen twine; tuck the wings underneath the back.3 and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour; if you have more time cover the pan (skip letting it sit at room temperature) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 Uncover and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.4 Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350°F tossing the onion and pineapple with the juices in the pan halfway through and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts registers 155°F (the temperature will climb to 165°F as the chicken rests) Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest uncovered in the pan for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and carve Reprinted with permission from Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martínez By Sarah BlaskovichSenior Food Reporter sweet chicken al pastor at its 3,200 restaurants worldwide Chipotle currently offers adobo chicken as a protein option for a burrito The new chicken al pastor is a second chicken option The name “al pastor” often refers to marinated meat cooked on a trompo Al pastor is a signature in Mexico but likely has origins in the Middle East Chipotle’s chicken al pastor marinade includes a seared chipotle pepper called morita The meat is finished with lime juice and cilantro Restaurant NewsGet the scoop on the latest openings GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy In a taste test, the Dallas Morning News food team found the grilled chunks of chicken to be spicy and slightly sweet from the pineapple. The meat comes smeared with reddish paste. Chipotle tested it at 94 restaurants in Denver and Indianapolis before unrolling it to all of its stores globally in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. It’s the first time the company has released a new menu item worldwide. Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt says Chipotle added it to menus, in part, because “guests are looking to restaurants for unique menu items they cannot make at home.” Chicken al pastor will be available for a limited time, and a company spokesperson wouldn’t give details. Customers who order chicken al pastor from March 16-26, 2023 can get free delivery. Minimum order is $10. Follow @sblaskovich on Twitter and ask her what to do where to eat or where to drink in your area The world’s leading publication for data science The financial crisis of 2008 had a significant impact on the Spanish economy Spain was undergoing a slow but continuous economic recovery The coronavirus pandemic has ended with a growth that seemed unstoppable increasing again unemployment levels across the whole country This article analyzes unemployment rates across all the neighborhoods of Barcelona in the last 8 years The study aims to respond to multiple aspects related to the temporal and geographical distribution of unemployment rates How much impact has the corona crisis had in terms of unemployment Which neighborhoods have been most severely affected by the crisis Where are the areas with higher levels of unemployment located Is there gender equality in terms of unemployment And many more questions… keep reading ❤️ All the data sets used in this article were obtained in Open Data Barcelona: Open Data BCN We start the article by analyzing the evolution of unemployment rates in the different districts across Barcelona The interactive visualization below shows the evolution of unemployment rates from January 2012 to December 2020 Each line represents a neighborhood of Barcelona no line is visible with the exception of Baró de Viver; however we can easily activate/deactivate lines of the plot just by clicking on their respective names on the legend we will notice a couple of interesting insights we can observe an overall downward trend in unemployment rates across practically all neighborhoods The city was still recovering from the financial crisis of 2008 when the crisis of coronavirus hit hard the economy of Barcelona once again we can notice a rapid growth in unemployment from February 2020 until June 2020 we however observe a much slower increment we can observe a constant recovery in terms of unemployment rates across all neighborhoods in Barcelona This recovery was broken in February 2020 with the corona crisis Another aspect that you might notice while interacting with the visualization above is the different evolution of unemployment rates across neighborhoods Although the overall trend is practically the same in all neighborhoods we can observe a greater seasonal variation in employment (mainly linked to tourism and the Christmas season) in districts with higher unemployment rates The visualization below shows the evolution of unemployment rates in high-unemployment districts there is generally a precipitous drop from April – May to July – August followed by a considerably less pronounced decrease around New Year the situation is quite different in neighborhoods with lower unemployment rates Those districts do not present seasonal variations This is partly because the type of employment in these areas requires a higher educational background and is But the abundance of skilled manpower is not the only reason why those districts have more stable employment We do not have to forget that those are also the neighborhoods of Barcelona with a higher income per capita We observe a greater seasonal variation in unemployment in districts with higher unemployment rates it’s often useful to visually inspect the data on a map Choropleth maps provide an easy way to visualize how a variable changes across a region by using shaded areas These areas are commonly administrative sections such as countries The maps below represent the distribution of unemployment rates across Barcelona for each year (from 2012 to 2020 – one map per year) we have calculated yearly unemployment rates per neighborhood as it does not make any sense to provide 108 choropleth maps (one per month) the distribution of unemployment rates has barely changed over the past few years so providing yearly data turns out more meaningful the use of color is one of the key elements we should always keep in mind and therefore it is important to use them accordingly to avoid misunderstandings we have chosen to use a diverging color scheme This scheme is designed for situations where low and high values in the data should be emphasized the RdYlGr scheme (previously flipped) was applied to the choropleth maps to highlight the neighborhoods with lower (depicted in green) and higher (depicted in red) unemployment rates The regions with higher unemployment rates are located near the port and on the inner northside of the city Even though the jobless rate has fallen in those neighborhoods from 2012 until 2020 these districts have always had the highest unemployment rates in the city we can observe that unemployment rates are not geographically evenly distributed across Barcelona as the most affected regions have around 4 times more unemployment than the neighborhoods with lower rates The unemployment rates are not evenly distributed across the city as the most affected neighborhoods have around 4 times more unemployment than the ones with lower rates The coronavirus outbreak has seriously affected the global economy; particularly Spain shed over half a million jobs in 2020 as the Spanish economy is mainly based on tourism without having a strong production sector as other European countries do it is impossible to figure out which districts have been hardest hit by the corona crisis in terms of unemployment The visualization below is designed to address this problem It illustrates the relative change of unemployment rates by neighborhood sorted in descending order (showing only the top 10) The relative change (in %) is calculated using the following formula Percent Change = ((Rate in December 2020 – Rate in December 2019) / Rate in December 2019) * 100 all neighborhoods in Barcelona faced a rise in unemployment last year ranging from 17.11 (el Bon Pastor) to 65.5 (el Raval) There are in total 6 districts that have experienced a relative change in unemployment rates greater than 40% during the corona crisis: el Raval there is no relationship between unemployment rates just before starting the corona crisis and relative changes in unemployment a year later meaning districts with higher unemployment rates did not suffer larger relative increases than neighborhoods with lower unemployment ratios All neighborhoods in Barcelona faced a rise in unemployment as a consequence of the corona crisis There is no relation between unemployment rates in December 2019 and the increment of unemployment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (by neighborhoods) El Raval is the neighborhood that has been most affected by the corona crisis in terms of unemployment reaching even the unemployment ratio of 2012 The image below shows the relative change in unemployment rates during the corona crisis the most affected areas are located near the port; however we can not observe a relationship between relative changes in unemployment from December 2019 to December 2020 and unemployment rates in December 2019 just before the corona crisis started (depicted above in a scatter plot as well) The neighborhood el Raval has been most affected by the corona crisis in terms of unemployment Open Data Barcelona provides also information about the number of unemployed by duration and district The following plot shows the number of unemployed by duration for all neighborhoods (aggregated values) from January 2013 until December 2020 the number of unemployed (for the three groups of duration) decreases continuously over time till the outbreak of the corona crisis the number of unemployed up to 6 months increases rapidly until May 2020 which shows that many workers were fired at the beginning of the crisis we observe a precipitous drop in the number of unemployed up to 6 months meaning that no additional employees were fired the workers fired during the corona pandemic with great certainty did not find a job during the crisis since the number of long-term unemployed (more than six months) has not stopped growing since the beginning of the crisis The workers fired during the corona pandemic with great certainty did not find a job during the crisis Gender equality must be a focal point in the agenda of any democratic country And while it is true that the role of women has completely changed over the last decades in Spain The following plot shows the number of men and women unemployed in all neighborhoods (aggregate values) there were roughly 50k jobless women and 44k men in Barcelona the number of unemployed has decreased steadily from 2013 till the beginning of the corona crisis; however male unemployment has declined more rapidly Men have benefited more than women from the economic growth in terms of employment If you are interested in a particular district you can select it using the drop-down list located in the upper left corner After interacting with the visualization for a while the number of unemployed women exceeds the number of men To properly visualize the variation between districts The following map shows the difference between the number of unemployed women and men by neighborhood in December 2020 The areas colored in pink represent the neighborhoods where the number of jobless women is larger than the number of men there are many more districts where the number of unemployed women is higher although in some of them the difference is not significant El Raval is clearly an exception since the number of men exceeds the number of women in a meaningful way we are going to analyze the relation between average income per household and unemployment rates in the various districts of the city of Barcelona there are districts of the city of Barcelona with around 4 times more unemployment rates than others there is a strong negative relationship between income and unemployment meaning the neighborhoods with high income per household also have low unemployment rates the size of the bubbles represents the population between 16 and 64 and the animation (play and stop button) allows us to visualize the evolution of this relation between 2015 and 2018 (the only years we have information about income per household from Open Data Barcelona) There is a strong negative relationship between income and unemployment The plot above shows that social inequalities are present even in a city so prosperous and developed as Barcelona it is important that the administrations do everything they could to try to minimize those inequalities ensuring that even those coming from low-income districts have equal opportunities in life Note: All the visualizations were created by the author Step-by-step code guide to building a Convolutional Neural Network Here’s how to use Autoencoders to detect signals with anomalies in a few lines of… Solving the resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) with D-Wave’s hybrid constrained quadratic model (CQM) An illustrated guide on essential machine learning concepts Derivation and practical examples of this powerful concept Columns on TDS are carefully curated collections of posts on a particular idea or category… The world’s leading publication for data science Founded in 2005 by Marta Peris and Jose Manuel Toral both graduated from ETSAB, peris+toral.arquitectes is an architecture practice based in Barcelona which combines its professional activity with the academic one They are currently working on different projects while working as teachers in the Faculty of Architecture in Barcelona (ETSAB) and IED Their work has been published in architecture books and magazines the practice has published articles in architecture books and magazines Fundamentos and DC Papers are to highlight Their work has been recognized with awards such as AJAC Joves Arquitectes 2011 and Saloni d’Arquitect award finalists Premio Europeo di Architettura MATILDE BAFFA UGO RIVOLTA 2021 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 Gold Award 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 First Prize Premios MAPEI a la Arquitectura Sostenible 2021 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 Winner Jury's TOP PICK 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 Winner 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 Winner Best of best ARCHITECTURE MASTERPRIZE AMP 2021 - Residential Multi Unit 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 Winner ex-aequo Premio CATALUNYA CONSTRUCCIÓ 2021 - Innovació a la construcció Premio A+ by DAIKIN - Vivienda plurifamiliar XV Premios NAN Arquitectura y construcción 2021 - Residencial 85 Viviendas sociales en Cornellà2021 Awarded Archive HOUSING That’s why we turned to him to create a list of the city’s eight can’t-miss burritos My first burrito experience was when I was a kid where I spent most of my childhood and where I live now and a burrito was one of the ways she would feed me quickly without really having to cook anything Burritos were always in my life and always what got me through the day This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from You’ll find great burritos throughout San Francisco, but a majority of the city’s best burritos are located in the historically Latino Mission District. This neighborhood is where the namesake Mission burrito was born—piled high with meat and (sometimes) rice and wrapped expertly tight with aluminum foil and it will arrive packed to its limits with guacamole The Mission burrito has become so ubiquitous that when you hear the word burrito it’s likely some version of this San Francisco classic that comes to mind You can tell a lot about a place by the way they cook their steak taking breaks between bites just to calm the tone a little bit Another pro tip: Ask to have your burrito put back on the stovetop after it’s rolled to get a nice crisp on the edges Some restaurants call this “dorado style.” Now for the don’ts: I never put lettuce in my burrito; it gets too soggy and it ruins the whole thing unless you’re a very fast burrito eater And I don’t always add cheese—that depends on the day and if I want to treat myself a little bit forgoing rice means the butt end will be filled with all the flavorful juices from meat and salsa that otherwise would have been absorbed going rice-free can result in an overly greasy burrito This list consists of burritos I’ve been eating since I was a kid and others that I’ve sourced from friends’ recommendations over the years Most of the spots I love are in the Mission but there are a few spots that are worth a drive in other neighborhoods These are the eight San Francisco burritos you can’t miss if you’re visiting Multiple locations run by Joel Campos and his family since 1995 is one of the places where my mom would pick up burritos when I was a kid It’s the ultimate nostalgia burrito for me and the standard for my burrito taste The rice is fluffy and seasoned just enough Good rice is hard to find; it’s usually undercooked or overcooked and it can ruin a meal faster than any other ingredient Here you can tell that they cook the rice in a flavorful broth The beans have a lot of flavor and are cooked firm enough to hold their shape but soften as soon as you bite into them The guac is fresh and chunky with just enough zest to brighten the other fixings La Corneta’s burritos have a very specific Mission-style burrito flavor It’s something about how they prepare the protein—how they season it and how it sits in its own juices as it’s waiting to be served Order: The super steak & prawn burrito and avocado (if the kitchen is out of fresh avocado This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Multiple locations is where I end up on a late night after a party or a bar crawl and I feel better about my decisions from earlier in the night The Mission location that I like (2779 Mission street) has great al pastor but it still has that flame-broiled flavor that I’m looking for which is a hard thing to get—you want a little bit of crunch with those nice little burnt chunks The 24th Street location feels like being in your family’s kitchen You want to sit there and eat the burrito inside The steak and chicken are a bit juicier here too so at this location I opt for the carne asada or pollo asado The important burrito components are always consistent at El Farolito the super al pastor burrito with pinto beans; at the 24th Street location This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 3275 22nd St, San Francisco Andrew Perez opened the restaurant several years ago Their burritos are not super big or super greasy—they’re nice and light Some of the breakfast burritos here feature standard offerings like bacon But my favorite is closer to a take on a Salvadorian breakfast I appreciate the experimentation they’re doing here Order: The Tia Maria burrito (scrambled eggs This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 2288 Mission St, San Francisco This is another amazing late-night Mission spot that's been open since 1993 It’s one of the best places for carne asada The way that they salt and season their meat is spot-on Some burrito joints keep their meat bland to mix well with the other flavors of the burrito they found a flavor that really works for them Whatever marinade they use definitely has a little kick to it (maybe a bit of cayenne?) Cancún’s burritos are a bit greasier than the other burritos on this list (not a bad thing!) so if you’re looking for that sober-up kind of meal Some places are just greasy for the sake of being greasy but Cancún is the best of both worlds—it’s greasy and has really good flavor A burrito here will get you filled up quick so you can eat half and save the rest for round two later Order: The carne asada super burrito with black beans This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 544 Excelsior Ave, San Francisco Don Chuy’s is in the Excelsior neighborhood so you have to drive a bit for this one if you’re coming from downtown or the Mission where burritos are stuffed to bursting point some have gotten smaller recently as a response to rising ingredient costs These burritos are some of the bigger ones I’ve had It’s nice to see some spots are still doing it big The carnitas here are the perfect mix of crisp Nice big chunks of avocado too—I prefer straight avocado versus guac but straight-up avocado adds a balance of creaminess with the meat Multiple locations This is another location off the beaten path (or at least but El Burrito Express’s Sunset District outpost (1601 Taraval Street) is well worth trying There aren’t a lot of burritos in the neighborhood Owner Mila Lopez opened the doors to El Burrito Express back in 1981 and has been packing well-balanced local ingredients into these burritos ever since El Burrito Express has well seasoned rice and beans which act as a nice bedding for your meat of choice It’s one of the better places outside of the Mission Order: The carne asada or carnitas burrito with rice This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 601 Mission Bay Blvd S, San Francisco You won’t find more innovative and decadent burritos than the ones Miguel Escobedo has been making out of this food truck since opening in 2018 Not only is his al pastor some of the best in the city but the specialty burritos are a nice change-up from the standard offerings This is the best place for a vegan burrito option that isn’t just rice and the rotating vegan option always has more flavor than any Beyond Meat or Impossible burrito I’ve tried Their al pastor has just the right amount of crunch This is one of the few places that you can order “Tijuana style,” which has no rice and beans—just the al pastor with cheese They put their housemade salsa right inside the burrito so it already has a kick and you can add more as you eat Order: The vegan burrito or al pastor Tijuana-style burrito with cheese This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from 2889 Mission St, San Francisco draws immense lines—and it’s worth the wait If you’re coming to San Francisco to visit This burrito has all the flavors and textures you’re looking to experience in a traditional San Francisco burrito some nice touches that set this burrito apart from others in the Mission: They don’t use any rice—which is why I started skipping rice at other taquerias—so expect a nice shot of juice at the butt end of your burrito It all comes down to the flavor of the meat and the flavor of the beans here The carne asada has a backyard barbeque feel to it; You can taste the flavor of open flame I used to call ahead to order when it got busy and people always got mad at me for cutting the line Order: The carne asada burrito with pinto beans This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. 2016Alex LauAll products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links The carnitas, frizzled a deep brown from braising in fat, have fibers that splay open as I chew. The pinto beans are earthy and soft, the pico de gallo a dense hash. The fresh avocado option, essential here at La Taqueria in San Francisco’s Mission District unifies everything in a buttery medium where the line between flavor and texture is indistinct I’m still sweaty after a four-block jog from the nearest parking spot on a Saturday night but I don’t care because the burrito my friends have waiting is as good as it’s always been since my first time here three decades ago I can even look past the evil eye of the woman peeved about my friends hogging a table To find a seat at perennially jammed La Taq you face the kind of public aggression that this historically chilled-out city isn’t known for—except when it comes to scoring one of the best burritos in America Left: Crowds gather outside of La Taqueria Right: A bottle of Mandarin orange Jarritos is the perfect pairing for a Mission burrito It’s hard to believe in this age of the burrito emoji burritos existed mostly in Latino neighborhoods like the Mission The ones that crossed over were visitors from other worlds folksy Tex-Mex (BurritoVille in Manhattan) or California exotic (Tortillas in Atlanta) Jeremiah Tower’s flashy San Francisco brasserie many burritos; Ells would sometimes grab one before his shift at the restaurant “A burrito looks totally different in Colorado—or did.” Ells was mostly influenced by the form of the burrito So he opened his first Chipotle in Denver in 1993; within a month that shop was selling more than a thousand Mission-style burritos a day spreading Ells’ generic version of this local specialty throughout the country There are burritos for drywall men and tech bros Some are the batons for the city’s current relay sprint toward gentrification; others live on as they have despite the pressures of a city in full-on boom Most—and I say this as a man who has been eating burritos in San Francisco for more than 30 years—are delicious But in a city where the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in 2016 spiked above $3,600 these burritos face an existential challenge San Francisco is shedding blue-collar workers and Latinos at a rate that has affordable housing advocates freaking out Last year the city released a report showing that the Mission’s Latino population fell from 60 percent in 2000 to about 48 percent The same data projects Latinos could make up just 31 percent of the historically Latino district by 2025 Yet the Mission remains a place you cannot understand—or even enjoy—without the burrito even as the streets where it was born become disturbingly high-end working-class food endure in a place that’s suddenly neither Left: The carne asada super at El Faro Right: The whole squadron shows up for burrito time You take the BART train to 24th Street and make your way past the homeless and the loitering high school kids to get to El Farolito you’ll eat a burrito that shows you what the ones in other cities are not The carnitas in an El Farolito super burrito is savage and salty It dominates the tubular form the way a 24-ounce T-bone commands a plate at Ruth’s Chris: without equivocating The sheer volume of pork makes the orange grains of Mexican rice they’re packed with recede seeps through the thick clump of ingredients This is one of the defining burritos in the Mission style This is one of the great burritos of San Francisco A Mission burrito starts with a large flour tortilla typically steamed on a press like a laundromat’s Then it’s filled egg roll–style with Mexican rice and some chopped or shredded meat (carnitas It is universally known that “a super,” which costs a buck or two more at each place Hitting the carne asada burrito at La Cumbre with a hefty dose of crema but they don’t have a culture of good burritos The burrito maker—often a she—folds in the tortilla’s ends and compresses the fillings into a fat I watched a woman roll the excess flap of tortilla into a crisp chewy spine then embed it to run the length of the filling It was a move of staggering artistry.) An optional turn on the griddle to crisp the tortilla’s outer skin—what the menu calls dorado-style at La Taq—and then the burrito maker sheaths it in foil and drops it onto a plate or red plastic basket alongside a handful of chips The Mission burrito is a thing so fused to California’s relationship with Mexico that its evolution is nearly impossible to chart You can see the embryo of it in the burrito de carne the rolled taco of Sonora in northern Mexico It’s plausible that some version of that spread to California through proximity But the Mission burrito is specific to San Francisco and a thousand miles of mutation separate these from the ones in Sonora is a hyperbolic blowup of Austin’s breakfast tacos California’s burritos are better than other states’ burritos (I’m aware of the controversial nature of this truth.) Left: The burrito maker at La Cumbre looking saintly Right: Shaving the al pastor meat from the spit is a holy experience San Francisco hardcores say they’re weak; Los Angeles hardcores think Missions are vulgar Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold once called San Francisco burritos “monstrous things wrapped in tinfoil and filled with what would seem to be the contents of an entire margarita-mill dinner.” It’s hard to defend the aesthetics except that a good Mission burrito requires talent and ingredient quality as pastrami on rye or a bowl of ramen That girth has fueled their appeal since the beginning born as rations handed out to pickers at the huge produce farms in the central state restaurant consultant Peter Garin was working the lettuce fields “I remember the texture of the shredded beef,” he told SF Weekly in 1993 and the proper proportion of rice and beans.” You didn’t need a fork It was back in the 1980s; I had moved to San Francisco from Berkeley with a few crates of English-lit paperbacks and some Hefty bags of clothes That carne asada burrito was one of the first things that sold me on the potential of cheap food It demonstrated how a few basic ingredients can become perfected—unpolished You peeled back the foil and chewed at the compressed magma of grilled skirt steak with soft ranchero beans and rice rolled up in a flour tortilla with a slice of Jack cheese It was large enough that you could feed like a ball python; after finishing Today I’m a couple of bites into the loose roll of carne asada and La Cumbre feels like a place with its best burritos behind it San Francisco’s first generation of burrito creators is kind of like Madonna La Cumbre’s sign juts out onto Valencia Street its heavy black Mexican Gothic font looking defiant like a collarbone tattoo with three-inch letters a row of restaurants and boutiques with prim fronts and minimal signage there’s been a push to recast the burrito in upscale terms a central neighborhood that’s in the throaty flush of trending up I order a duck confit burrito at Papito Organic Mexican Cuisine it spills a pile of duck slicked with sugary mole unloading so much confit that I worry about the number of birds compelled to sacrifice their legs dresses it up in a summer-weight linen blazer to accessorize the Mission right the hell out of it I notice that the guys cooking are behaving just like the ones at El Farolito though the confit they’re heating up is a dubious update of crisp carnitas But I wonder what they think of this burrito version is a burrito I sample at ground zero of the tech capital that San Francisco has become: Twitter’s headquarters The Mission burrito is a pillar of that company’s origin story Left: San Francisco pride all around Right: There's some incredible wall art hanging at La Cumbre Jack Dorsey and a couple of buddies ordered burritos that Dorsey shared his vision for the social network he declined to be interviewed for this story.) The Market is a public food hall on the ground floor of the Twitter building I order a chipotle chicken burrito from its taqueria As millennial tech workers cruise by in their workout gear—guys wearing Vans with high socks backpacks with logos for companies like Uber and Optimizely vintage striped basketball shorts—I face the worst burrito of my life I get a mouthful of frigid sour cream in one bite and then slack white-meat chicken embalmed with cumin I drop its heavy remains in the compost can pick my way past young bearded guys wearing chambray shirts Bearded bros are nowhere in sight on the Mission Street sidewalk in front of El Castillito sucking at the remaining inch of what must have been an epic blunt businesses sell car insurance and cheap bleached jeans—this is the kind of place where the Mission burrito was nurtured when the neighborhood started to change from Irish and Italian to Mexican the Mission has been a place known for its texture in the crates of bruised plantains and shiny yuca fronting corner markets But also cultural: the overlap of Latino and gay It’s the San Francisco of cultural compression You can’t blame Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and all those condo buyers for wanting to live here and it’s got a real patina—despite changing demographics classic places like El Castillito haven’t been squeezed out a guy with a sparkly ear stud leaves the cash register He jabs the remote again and the Giants-Padres game stutters into focus Half a dozen men slouching over burritos turn toward the screen Left: Customers waiting in line at Taqueria El Tarolito Right: El Castillito's al pastor burrito The cook reaches for a gob of al pastor from a bin on the line spreads it down a tortilla piled with orangey Mexican rice and black beans (“You want espicy or mile?” he asks I call Arellano to ask why a place that makes such good burritos has kept such a low profile. “Because it stayed resolutely working class,” he says. “There’s ones that become Instagram and Yelp sensations, and then ones that are better.” The pastor pork is crisp around its dark edges, chewy, animated by a charge of vinegar and heat that bucks like a gun in recoil. The rice has tooth, the beans a fine grain. There’s a satisfying tightness to the roll, it feels good in my hand, and it cost less than ten bucks. This could be the best Mission burrito in San Francisco. This could be the best Mission burrito in the world. Damn, I’ll go Chang one better: This is the best burrito I’ve ever eaten. Maybe it’s survived, with original Mission soul intact, by building enough of a wall to obscure it from the tourists, the techies, and the condo buyers. That’s some irony: The most authentic Mission burrito is also the most obscure. Long may it roll. Archive REMODELING-RENOVATION I was there to eat 26 breakfast tacos in a single day on-the-go morning staple that Texans know and (usually) love It’s a combination of Mexican technique and American flavor a Mexican tortilla made with flour supplied by German immigrants piled with ingredients familiar to cultures across the world It is Tex-Mex in its most transportable form The breakfast taco is proof that diversity rather than the dogma of authenticity and segregation But what makes a great breakfast taco great I hit 13 of the most highly-regarded breakfast taco joints in town and ordered two tacos at each spot I ordered whatever specialty taco was recommended or well-known at the taco stand Here’s what I was looking for in the control taco: The TortillaThe flour tortilla is the base of every true Austin breakfast taco and the best ones come hot off the griddle A warm tortilla keeps everything else inside the taco insulated (similar to how restaurants serve food on warm plates) lard!) sections of the tortilla giving way to pockets of air The EggsThere are three constants that should always exist in a scramble whether you’re eating them out of a taco or not Scrambled eggs should always be well-seasoned under-seasoned scrambled eggs are a bad roommate in an apartment called Tacos The BaconBacon should be equal parts crispy and chewy. Not one. Not the other. Both. That applies to bacon in a breakfast taco too, whether it’s chopped and incorporated into the eggs or laid down as a whole strip right on top. Every bite of the taco should have some bacon-y goodness going on and proof that I kissed a bunch of tacos at Tyson's Tacos The CheeseYou’ll most likely see shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese on an Austin breakfast taco I don’t want to swim through a giant sea of melty cheese to get to the rest of my taco (even though I would like to swim through a giant sea of melty cheese at some point in my life) The PotatoThe potato is what fills up your stomach and pats you on the back as you walk out the door (or crawl into bed the potatoes should be seasoned and cooked through Nothing ruins a breakfast taco (or anything Breakfast tacos and The Real Deal Holyfield at Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ makes a monumental breakfast taco called the Real Deal Holyfield This thing is a testament to both barbecue and tacos The slice of brisket dropped on top of an already loaded taco is a co-sign[?] of excess almost as if the folks at Valentina’s are saying We will.” And yet it still remains balanced The welcoming face of the truck that is Rosita al Pastor Rosita al Pastor served the best classic breakfast taco I ate all day The eggs were perfectly scrambled and seasoned The cheddar cheese was sprinkled with care pressed and cooked in a truck parked in front of a bingo hall was something I wanted to wrap around my body and take a nap in This was the taco that I would go back and eat again after devouring 26 It was everything I wanted and certainly the best thing I’ve ever eaten in a strip mall parking lot a humble combination of ingredients that made me feel less like I was eating a taco and more like I was existing exactly where I was meant to be He was a visiting professor at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) during the spring semester of 1994 and is a founding member of the School of Architecture of the International University of Catalonia (UIC) Since 1997 he has also been a professor of master's and postgraduate courses at the Barcelona School of Design and Engineering (ELISAVA) on corporate and office design Octavio Mestre was a correspondent for several magazines and has published numerous books on architecture He is currently co-director of the digital magazine t18.OMA Octavio Mestre Arquitectos also includes architects Bernadita Jofre (1993) a new column by associate food editor Rick Martinez he’ll take us on a culinary tour of Latin American food and culture Tacos al pastor are an institution in Mexico and food cart cook has their version of this classic which fills the streets with the smell of spicy grilled pork with charred pineapple and onion These iconic Mexican tacos were originally called tacos árabes ("Arabic tacos") as Lebanese immigrants brought shawarma (lamb) and the spit-roasting technique to Mexico in the early 20th century "tacos in the style of the shepherd") they evolved from the fusion of Lebanese grilling techniques with local ingredients and the Mexican flavor palette a technique that's difficult for the home cook to replicate Marinated pork shoulder steaks are skewered in layers on a large upright spit (or trompo) and topped with a pineapple and an onion the pork is simultaneously slow-roasted and basted by the pineapple The fire eventually caramelizes the sugars and crisps up the edges of the meat Al pastor tacos to-be, hanging out on the spit. Photo: Flickr/pasa These tacos are great year-round and can be made just as easily outdoors, on a gas or charcoal grill, as indoors, on a stove-top grill pan. So there’s no excuse—fire up the grill and make these tacos! ¡Buen Provecho! standing on the corner of Warren and Church We're here for another episode of One of Everything and I'm bringing a guest along with me, Rick Martinez, to eat tacos, quesadillas, maybe some tostadas, We've got a lot to do, let's get to it. All right, we're at Los Tacos Numero Uno and look who's with me, that's Rick Martinez. Rick, what do you know about Los Tacos Numero Uno? This is the place where I eat tacos in New York City. You're traveling the world eating tacos. and this is one of the only places that make both, Okay, so you've seen the show before? Okay cool and you know there's some rules. All right, we have to order one of everything on the menu. We have to take one perfect bite of each thing. And then finally, after we've tasted through everything, we decide what the best things on the menu are. So to start, chips and guac, chips and salsa. Perfect, yeah, classic. Classic, par for the course. And then also there's a beverage situation as well. There's a couple agua frescas and horchata, too. Tacos, tostadas, tostadas corn only though. And then, I think we should move to quesadillas And then, we're gonna do the on a plate. And then, I hear, I've been tuned in and listening, And then we figure out what's the best. You know, and I've been here so many times. I normally come in and like I get the adobada, so. we're going in with favorites but maybe we are. The line is forming. It's already slamming. It looks like we're in the right spot. It's like the saddest thing in the world. people make guac and they cut up everything too fine. This is really nice 'cause you get the chunks of onion, Mm-hm, there's salsa that leans like more fresh meaning you're getting like brighter flavor And there's salsa that means more roasty, toasty, And this looks like we're leaning towards the fresher side. Fresh yeah, it's very balanced, also very well seasoned. Let's get into the beverage category. Los Tacos as two agua frescas, a tamarind and a hibiscus. tamarind a little visually less exciting but for me, It's got brightness, acidity, color's great. That's like there's no bullshit there. This is very much what you would find in Mexico. It's like rice and canilla and a little sugar. Simple, it doesn't need anything else. Dude we already made it through one section of the menu. That whole one bite thing, God, it's gonna kill me. [laughs] I know dude, well now that's all right. So like there's a lot of food left here. I'm not sure if you're aware or not, there's a bunch of tacos in front of us. I'm like kind of in a dazed and confused state right now. I'm like I want to eat everything right now. what's your beverage of choice with tacos? I'm going with a little grapefruit action. There's a little charring on the side of the tortilla, So we've got the avocado, hooray, crema situation. Right, that's more classically what you'd find in Mexico Guacamole is thinner, it's more like a salsa. Look at that, like you can tell the lard content. it feels like do you like corn or flour tortillas better. but it's kind of what do you want from a tortilla. you're probably leaning a little bit more on texture, like the chewiness of a good flour tortilla. And I think depending on like the filling, too, like that one, I actually prefer the flour. so taco's always straight and you tilt your head. Because if you do the reverse, everything falls out. And that's why I was looking like an idiot. Mm-hm, 'cause I didn't get that char on the steak. Nopal's usually like a prickly pear right, like flat, paddle. Yeah it's a flat paddle. Like the biggest thing, it's a veggy tortilla. But you know, for the vegetarians out there, And this is what I get excited about when I come here. Like you walk in and you see a giant spinning cone of meat, Adobada is basically a marinade and it's an adobo. The biggest difference between this and the al pastor is the inclusion of achiote, the annatto seed, which gives it like this really intense bright orange color. the cooking process is exactly the same right? Thin kind of sheets of usually pounded meat, so it's constantly cooking the outside, constantly being shaved, sliced really thinly off. So like here, you got a really hard char on one side and it's just like nice and tender on the inside. It's like kinda not fair to the other tacos. That heat but then also having the deeper baking, And that pineapple, it just kind of lifts it up. You get a little bit of acid, a little bit of sweet. The whole taco just changed with the flour tortilla. I mean I would definitely finish that one. I might save this, put this is in my backpack. Rick with the Fanta Grapeleaf with the Jaritos. So I think a lot of people think that tostadas are fried These are toasted on the plancha or the camel, and taking it off after about two minutes, you leave it in there for like between five to 10. It dries it out and then you start to get this really nice, Okay, where should we start with the tostadas? I think we're gonna have to just lean in it's just gonna crumble. It's just gonna crumble. Having a mustache and eating any of this is dangerous. Toasty corn and the texture of the tostada That's where love, our soul mate of the taco world. I'm scared of how big a bite I'm gonna attempt to take. The tostada just like changes the taco completely. Yeah, the sweetness, the heat, the spice, the juiciness, you could possibly want from a tostada filling. I mean the chicken was a close, well close-ish. I heard you were crazy [laughs], okay what? So it's still one tortilla, it's not folded over. We've been coming here and getting tacos. I really like how these tortillas are like fatter. And then with that extra layer of cheese... Cheese really does make everything better. And the cheese and the flour tortilla, mm! The texture of the corn with the cheese is so good, so good. I love that we always save this till the last. Mm, I like the taco version of this one better I think the cheese on a toasted corn would be really nice. Dreams are made of fried-- Look how crispy Uh, corn tortilla with cheese, just plain? Okay, so these guys, literally just cheese and tortilla. That's like me getting home on a Saturday night it's like you only need the two things. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better. These bubbles can only exist when you have dough Earlier we were saying like it's tough now, I'm just like almost impossible. Just the amount of adobada they put on here, too, more cheese to eat, we got more meat, more cactus. tortilla, cheese filling, protein, salsa, cilantro, and then another tortilla also with cheese. The flour tortilla, the cheese and the chicken, it just plays so nicely with the fat of the flour tortilla, It's so good man! It's just so good! is that it kinda makes the tortilla less absorbent that's like letting any of the juices kind of pool off of it 'Cause it's just gonna flow out like a river. Of all the nopal kind of variations that we've had, You guys already know what we're saving for last, I still can't get over the texture you get on the adobada like one side of your mouth it's like bam, The other side's like [fingers snapping] and then it just like, it's interesting. Mm-hm, and I still love that, the warm spices at the end. and it just kind of slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly dissolves Yeah, we're with Christian and Tyler, These are the guys that are responsible for all these tacos. Yeah, how did you come to open a taco shop? and decided to put a little business plan together and bring the cuisine you know from our home to New York. And yeah, we started about six years ago now. Probably the thing that I love about you guys the most are the tortillas, both the corn and the flour, Don't even think about it, corn or flour? Wow, that's a tough one. You can't choose. Okay, so we still got to do the off-menu stuff. I think we're gonna do a queso taco and then a vampiro. We're not looking at a tortilla right now. This is the nopal-blay, charred nopales on the bottom, Yeah, something we haven't seen before. Also I wasn't expecting it to be warm meaning a taco and instead of a corn or flour tortilla, It kind of cakes down on top of the plancha The reason why it's called the vampiro Just when I thought I had everything figured out. Each time we're like no, that's the best thing. That gets the check mark seal of approval. It's not on menu but if you ask at the counter, So I think the thing about the beans on the taco There's more to handle with the taco. Usually when I have beans on a taco, they're refried. And I have had your refried beans a million times We're gonna give you the three best things. Each thing appropriate for a certain situation. This is the thing that Rick and I both were like we need another one the next time we walk in the store. We're not thinking about anything else. And then you've got that marinated pork and the pineapple, the cheese, it's perfect. It's everything that you want in life. Secondly, this is the second time around, the next time. I've already had the especial but I'm back for more, I think you're gonna go like more classic, Yes, okay again, we're back in the adobada. and fall deeper and deeper in love with this thing, okay. We liked it a little bit better than the corn. I mean actually you really should get one of each. you've probably explored this entire menu that you really want a chicken mula, flour tortilla. I was totally surprised how much I liked that. Yeah, it's the one thing like that I, both of us like would never order a chicken taco. Yeah and I'm, you know, like it's a quesadilla. I don't want a quesadilla, I want a taco. But when you put a quesadilla on top of a quesadilla and you get twice the amount of fatty floury tortilla and twice the amount of cheese, come on man. And then fourth, the thing you need to get is just a nap. We know what to order at Los Tacos Numero Uno now. The industry has been through a lot in the last few years but these new restaurants point to a hopeful next chapter Dishes and foodways that were previously hard to find in a lot of US cities are taking center stage which means more Guyanese and South Indian and Palestinian and Indigenous Mexican food for all of us After the pandemic made plain exactly how thankless restaurant work can be some of the places on this list are challenging industry norms and putting their staff first in ways that feel new and refreshing And even as the influence of platforms like TikTok grows and reshapes restaurant culture (whether we like it or not) a handful of new restaurants have decided to hell with fleeting trends divided by region and filled with our thoughts on what to order and what to know acts as an invitation to shake off any skepticism as to whether going out is “worth it” these days nothing is more worthwhile than a trip to one of these 50 restaurants 818 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn, NY Sitting in a snug corner of this breakfast you’ll be inclined to feel like you’re being cared for by your very culinarily talented Jewish grandmother influenced heavily by Eastern European traditions allows you to have both a glass of cold borscht and some truly excellent Hungarian baked goods like fluffy knots of dough called Ferdinand buns At night a generous pour of natural wine leads into unfussy plates of chicken liver mousse and a hefty slice of New York–style cheesecake that will remind you you’re still in Brooklyn What to order:For weekday breakfast and lunch: Confit Tuna Melt ($17); Glass of Cold Pink Borscht ($9); assorted pastries ($5–$10) menu changes seasonally: Chicken Liver Mousse ($12); Dill Spaetzle Mac ($20); Cod Croquettes ($28); New York Style Cheesecake ($13) 398 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY Is there anything more New York than a restaurant so highly anticipated that it’s a rare day you can walk right in and get a table? Maybe there is: a restaurant that gets almost as much love for its cool bathroom (think lots of neon lights) as for its food. That’s Bonnie’s, the Cantonese American restaurant chef Calvin Eng opened to rave reviews and a waitlist to prove it the small restaurant is buzzing with energy from excited diners and a friendly staff all ready to point out their favorite dishes and drinks a glossy hunk of a sandwich inspired by one fast food behemoth But unless you’re dining with a large group stick with the smaller plates so you can try more of the menu—and definitely save room for a sundae What to order:Dao Gok ($15); Chrysanthemum Green Salad ($15); Hup To Ha ($17); X.O Chef-owner Calvin Eng helms the kitchen at Bonnie's 757 Columbia St., Hudson, NY but as the restaurant’s Instagram bio points out: “We don’t have fucking breakfast sandwiches.” Instead in a cottage-like corner building on a quiet street in Hudson chef-owner Shaina Loew-Banayan takes a deliberately trend-averse approach With just two additional cooks in the kitchen and Loew-Banayan’s wife Bettina Loew-Banayan running the front of house the tiny crew focuses on Old World cooking influenced by Loew-Banayan’s meat-loving Hungarian ancestors and informed by what their farmer and forager friends bring them each week While there might not be any breakfast sandwiches there is made-from-scratch fried bologna piled onto bread along with homemade sausages and poached eggs done up with the most velvety hollandaise lightly breaded and served with sauerkraut makes a very strong case for more restaurants cooking pig feet Whatever Loew-Banayan and their team are cooking—whether it’s a plate of buttered up crepes or a piece of toast holding a mound of blue cheese and halved figs—you won’t miss breakfast sandwiches for a moment What to order:The menu here changes frequently Reliably available and delicious breakfast offerings include: Crepes With Butter and Maple Syrup ($12); Fried Bologna Sandwich ($11) 1451 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC When chef Suresh Sundas and co-owner/bar manager Dante Datta first joined forces they aimed to open a cocktail-forward spot with a handful of bar snacks it did so with equal emphasis on food and drink—a boon Datta’s cocktails are creative without feeling overly serious; the Chai-teani serves as a refreshing rejoinder to the espresso martini trend Sundas’s menu is similarly thoughtful and cheeky highlighting Indian flavors while eagerly pulling from a range of cuisines and local ingredients—his richly spiced black daal topped off with an oozing orb of fresh burrata is without a doubt the best use of the cheese we came across this year What to order:Blue Cheese Reshmi Kebab ($12); Bharwan Mirchi Ka Salan ($18); Black Daal Burrata ($8); Bread Basket ($10) 1741 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA This sunlit Cambridge wine bar has a fresh interesting list—and the food is just as fun bright and elegantly unfussy as the wine you’ll drink The menu will make you want to come back two nights in a row (We did.) Order small plates and wine—glasses for here plus bottles to go—from the counter along the back wall and because the wine offerings rotate frequently plus the grilled sandwiches and seasonal toasts You can’t go wrong with any of these dishes especially when they come with a caviar topper The dining room gets louder as the night goes on so walk in early with a group to sit out on the patio and try as many dishes as you can or come in later and cozy up at one of the two-tops with a few snacks and a glass of whatever the bar recommends What to order:House Preserved Fish (varies); Smoked Mozzarella Grilled Cheese ($13); Sea Dog ($14); Aguachile ($16); rotating pie ($9) A spread of dishes and pastries at Dear Annie 327 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY it’s wise to say hello to your fellow diners in this snug Bedford-Stuyvesant dining room and you’ll be eating hip to hip with neighbors and new friends chef Ayo Balogun prepares a prix fixe menu of Nigerian dishes the chef tells a story—both about his memories of these flavors and techniques from childhood and of their importance to Nigerian culture The result is a meal that leaves you very full and craving just one more of Balogun’s meandering What to order:There’s one tasting menu each night ($75) 372 Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY The team at Gage & Tollner does a delicate dance The original iteration of this historic Brooklyn steakhouse wasn’t exactly hot and new—it first opened in 1879 But when the dining room reopened to diners in 2021 with a new set of partners and a fresh menu There are plenty of steakhouse classics for the wedge salad and bone-in steak lovers But even the most recognizable steakhouse dishes have been reapproached and made fresh by the touch of chef-partner Sohui Kim and executive chef Adam Shepard The Clams Kimsino are drenched in kimchi butter there’s a welcome sweetness from pear and date in the beef tartare and months later we’re still dreaming about the restaurant’s supernaturally smooth creamed spinach All the desserts made by pastry chef Caroline Schiff are delightful but you’d be particularly remiss to leave without a taste and a photo of the towering Baked Alaska For Two What to order:Crispy Hen-Of-The-Woods Mushrooms ($18); Creamed Spinach ($14); French Fries ($10); Bone-in Ribeye ($4.55 per oz.); Baked Alaska for Two ($26) Ribeye with creamed spinach from Gage & Tollner 1740 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA With just two seatings of 24 diners per night and an “open sometimes” set of hours a seat at Amanda Shulman’s dinner party–style restaurant is hard to come by Reservations open every other Sunday at 6 p.m. complex yet comforting set menus that feel as deeply personal as they are expertly executed What to order:Multicourse set menus ($75 per person) change weekly and even daily with plenty of luxe add-ons (think shaved black truffles 800 Mifflin St., Philadelphia, PA Chef Michael Vincent Ferrari made his name cooking nonna-perfect pasta at Res Ipsa Cafe in Center City Philadelphia the gorgeous modern Sicilian restaurant he opened on the 8th floor of the BOK Building he has a perch befitting his lofty ambitions Every plate that hits the table—be it a seasonal vegetable caponata transcendent plate of chewy handmade trofie or sticky agrodolce chicken—positively sings dancing on the razor’s edge between rusticity and precision that makes good Southern Italian cooking so thrilling What to order:Fritto Misto ($20); Eggplant Caponata ($16); Gnocchi Sardi ($15/$28); 1/2 Agrodolce Chicken ($35); Semifreddo ($12); Tiramisù ($12) 1700 S 10th St., Philadelphia PA Poet and baker Phil Korshak’s humble South Philly bagel shop draws long lines Even the most basic elements of the menu are crafted with extravagant care fermented for 48 hours before being boiled and baked to crisp-chewy perfection So is the tangy house Korshak Schmear—cream cheese which Korshak describes on the menu as “Whipped w/ The Milk of Goat and Brine of Mozzarella.” One bite and you’ll be clamoring to join the Cult of Korshak just like we were What to order:Egg-rything Bagel With Whitefish Salad; Cooper Sharp Long Hot Bagel With Korshak Schmear; Pumpernickel Bagel With Pastrami Smoked Salmon 1 White St., New York, NY One White Street’s second floor dining room is primed for a special dinner—the kind you dream about weeks in advance and hold onto long after you get the check In the upstairs portion of the elegant Tribeca townhouse turned restaurant you’ll experience a set menu complete with such unfailing luxuries as foie gras with Parker House rolls and delicately stuffed chicken you’ll get standouts like a shaved fennel salad with liberally distributed anchovies or a plate of fennel crusted duck you can appreciate the freshness and flavor that’s possible when a restaurant sources so many vegetables from its own farm—in this case à la carte: Shaved Fennel ($18); Sourdough Focaccia ($16); Fennel Crusted Duck ($52) with a supplemental wine pairing ($96 surcharge) 547 Congress St, Portland, ME Sparkling-fresh Maine seafood doesn’t need much adornment but chef Neil Zabriskie’s thoughtful garnishing makes the argument for fancying it up and his native California for his savvy takes Briny local oysters shine brighter with a judicious splash of yuzu mignonette Peekytoe crab tastes even sweeter when pressed into a cake with crispy brown rice supple hamachi collar feels at home served alongside nori and Regards feels like a welcome reminder that when it comes to the very best ingredients What to order:Maine Oysters ($10); Scallop Ceviche ($20); Charred Cabbage Caesar ($14); Fried Arroz con Cangrejo ($26); Roasted Hamachi Collar ($38) Scallop Ceviche with Husk Cherries and Guajillo 60 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY Regional Southern Indian dishes reign at New York’s Semma Chef-partner Vijay Kumar pulls from the flavors of his childhood to turn out instant classics such as spicy-sweet Goanese oxtails Mangalore cauliflower presented in a delicate crescent that belies a major punch of spice The West Village dining room is bright and noisy and perfectly matches Kumar’s expert use of heat and fragrant spices Pair your dishes with one of the bar’s killer drinks a particular favorite that features curry-leaf-infused gin Indian restaurants may be a dime a dozen in New York—and nationwide—but the wide breadth of Southern Indian cuisine hasn’t always received the attention it deserves across the country What to order:Eral Thokku ($25); Kudal Varuval ($18); Gunpowder Dosa ($19); Mangalore Huukosu ($19); Meen Pollichathu ($45) 75 Mulberry St., New York, NY But retirement simply wasn’t a fit for Wong So he did what anyone would do for a little excitement: He gathered a few friends and some of his family a Cantonese restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown Specializing in loh wah kiu village-style cooking If you’re lucky enough to get a table (there’s often a wait during rush hours) you may find yourself sitting next to Wong’s sister or any of the loyal fans who now come once or twice a week for Cantonese classics that are hard to find elsewhere The entire menu (that’s more than 200 dishes) is great but many of the standouts are in the loh wah kiu section of the menu where dishes like steamed fish with braised pomelo peel shine Come with at least two friends so you can taste as much of the menu as possible What to order:Steamed Buffalo Fish With Braised Pomelo Peel ($20); Homestyle Seafood Stir-Fry ($22); Braised Pork Belly With Mui-Choy ($19); Crispy Garlic Chicken ($16) 1111 Nelson St., Rockville, MD The Dubbaneh family started selling manoushe DC’s Foggy Bottom farmers market back in 2016 and quickly gained a loyal following their products are available in 14 mid-Atlantic Whole Foods locations and they finally have a permanent home base bakery located strip mall restaurant space where their grandfather once ran a fried chicken shop Here the manoushe emerge puffed and blistered from the saaj and come with toppings that range from the expected to the inventive go ahead and overorder; you’ll be thankful for leftovers later What to order:Classic ($8); Toum Raider ($11); Hot Halaby Honey ($15); Lahm Bi Ajeen ($15) 2944 E 12th St. Unit A, Austin, TX but it doesn’t feel like it when you’re drinking a sunset-colored bottle of pét-nat hand-picked by self-described wine guy Arjav Ezekiel and housed in its own little portable iced wine bag you’ll order from a highly seasonal menu of nothing-but-hits from chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel who co-owns the restaurant with Arjav (the two are married) and settle in the yard at one of the white picnic tables The dishes you ordered counterside will stream out: bright salads locally famous minute steak with smashed fingerlings and whatever handmade pasta the chef is making that day (on our visit soft nubs of cavatelli in a creamy sauce with parmesan maybe some house-made vanilla soft serve with blood orange Agrumato and linger until the sun sets—or until you start feeling bad for all the people still waiting in line What to order:Minute Steak ($32); fresh pasta of the day ($19); whatever seasonal snacks and small plates strike your fancy Fresh pasta is not to be missed at Birdie's 1914 E 6th St. Suite C, Austin, TX Austin’s Canje is the brainchild of Tavel Bristol-Joseph a Guyana-born pastry chef who’s been at the helm of some of Austin’s most beloved eateries with his business partner But what separates the pair’s newest endeavor from the rest is not just that Bristol-Joseph is taking the lead on savory dishes but that it’s the first time in his restaurant career where he’s cooking the kind of food he grew up with In this chicly tropical and warmly welcoming restaurant Bristol-Joseph and his team seek to represent not just the country he’s from but the entire Caribbean from the crispy-skinned wild bass swimming in rum butter sauce to the cloudlike What to order:Wild Boar Pepper Pot ($26); Fish With Rum Butter Sauce ($28); Guyanese Style Roti ($5); Tres Leches ($10) 122 E 37th St., Savannah, GA or caught in the state of Georgia are front and center at Common Thread but this is by no means a pretentious affair Chef Brandon Carter has a talent for taking pristine ingredients and adding layers of complexity that always highlight plump local oysters practically jump out of their shells with the addition of pickled watermelon rind; beef tartare tastes fresher and grassier with a dose of lime and chile mirasol; a sunflower seed tahini brings out the earthy edges of summer tomatoes This is contemporary farm-to-table cooking at its finest—fun What to order:Oysters ($3.50 each); Beef Tartare ($24); Pork Presse + Sausage ($34) 2260 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA Once you’re seated on the sprawling covered patio at Juniper Cafe you’ll almost forget you’re in a shopping center overlooking a parking lot and the pastry counter set a calming mood before a menu is even dropped off fresh house-made sodas and cocktails (we particularly like the breezy gin-based Patio Country) Snappy appetizers include crisp fried okra and beautifully fragrant mussels and with an unfussy all-day menu anchored by banh mi and noodle salads What to order:Crispy Okra ($10); Mussels ($12); Banh Mi ($12); Savory Mushroom or Coconut Shrimp Crepe ($17-$20); Roasted Duck Leg ($26); Coconut Shaved Ice ($7/$12) Crisp okra with sweet and hot peppers and nuoc cham salt 2905 Race St., Fort Worth, TX In a little old house painted dark blue on Fort Worth’s Race Street Chef Victor Villarreal has proven that dry-aging (a technique that pulls out meat’s moisture over time to enhance both texture and flavor) is not just for steakhouses The concept isn’t entirely novel—Japanese chefs have been dry-aging seafood for a long time—but it is rare here in the States and Villareal’s whimsical approach to things that swim may be unique only to him or Villareal’s signature “shark-cuterie” board which features no actual shark but plenty of his creamy smoked fish dip and a little jar of seafood and pickled veggies floating in chili oil Oysters are served with mezcal-infused mignonette and ceviche features Ora King salmon and watermelon Villarreal’s wife Misty runs front of house and cocktails and the whole place is suffused with the kind of when-you’re-here-you’re-family vibes that make us wish this little blue house was our little blue house What to order:Fish of the day (prices vary); Shark-cuterie Board ($42); Ceviche of the day (prices vary) You can't go wrong with La Onda's fish of the day 1245 Constance St., New Orleans, LA There’s a beguiling quietness to Lengua Madre where a young chef is thoughtfully exploring the history of traditional Mexican cuisine minimal space feels like entering another world—the lights are low and the team doesn’t say much about what’s for dinner until you’re seated That element of unknowingness and trust is And it is a truly lovely way to experience Ana Castro’s modern Mexican tasting menu five courses that feel personal without ever feeling precious What to order:The five-course tasting menu ($70) is rooted in traditional Mexican cuisine with supplemental wine and cocktail pairings ($40) 3413 Main Hwy., Miami, FL The first thing you’ll notice about Los Félix a restaurant dedicated to Mesoamerican foodways whether you’re seated inside in the dinner-party-like space (often complete with a DJ spinning vinyl) or outside amidst the evening bustle of Coconut Grove you’ll notice the attention to detail from owners Pili Restrepo There is a focus on indigenous ingredients and preparations the kitchen team cooks and grinds maíz daily to make tortillas from scratch That same maiz is in just about every dish on the menu: esquites Our advice is to order it all and pair your feast with one of their natural wines What to order:Esquites ($18); Crudo ($18); Tetela ($16); Grilled Octopus ($36); Pork Cheek Carnitas ($36) 3005 Peachtree Rd. NE Suite 300, Atlanta, GA Right off one of Atlanta’s busiest roads sits Lucian Books and Wine a welcome respite from rush hour or whatever else might ail you Meanwhile Lucian’s back wall is lined with highly curated specialty books It would be enough to sit in this space with a glass of wine and soak it all in the food menu is curated just as carefully as the wine (and the books) but whether you end up with a strip steak blanketed in creamy pepper sauce or a simple tomato salad and a side of fries every plate of food is delicate and elegant What to order:Chicken Liver Pâté ($11); Gem Lettuce Salad ($14); Seasonal Crudo (~$21); Ricotta Gnudi ($21); Strip Steak au Poivre ($48); Fries With Seasonal Mayonnaise ($11) 1624 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX Our meal at March would have been a thrill even without a bite of food or sip of wine—every aspect of the second-floor space is lavishly designed and carefully considered from the hand-painted vintage champagne buckets to the custom dining tables and linens The food and drink are every bit as riveting as the space itself with tasting menus that change twice a year to reflect chef Felipe Riccio’s exploration of a different subregion of the Mediterranean luxurious embrace of a team that is doing the absolute most What to order:The menu here changes twice per year; the current menu features dishes spanning more than 2,000 miles—from the Balearic Islands to Cyprus The six-course tasting menu ($185) includes a supplemental wine pairing ($80–$160) and the nine-course tasting menu ($245) includes a supplemental wine pairing ($95–$195) as well 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA One could easily become confused or overwhelmed by a sprawling menu that at once features Filipino lechón kawali and rigatoni with chile-verde-braised pork But chef Sophina Uong makes it all make sense brash flavors are the common denominator here with a frenetic tropical roadhouse vibe to match Uong calls the food at Mister Mao “unapologetically inauthentic,” a statement that points to the combination of intention and giddiness with which she approaches each dish What to order:Kashmiri Fried Chicken ($19); Ginger Salad ($13); Pani Puri ($12) Ssam-style charmoula octopus served with lettuce 12831 W Dixie Hwy., North Miami, FL Paradis Books & Bread’s Instagram bio reads sour dough.” At this worker-owned hybrid retail shop and restaurant in North Miami You could certainly come here to have a glass of wine and read in the indoor room where the shelves are filled with natural wines and rows of radical books you could sit on the patio at the mosaic-adorned tables and sample their bread-centric evening menu which features tinned fish served alongside their homemade sourdough and seaweed butter What to order:Kale Salad ($9); assorted tinned fish ($9); assorted pizza by the slice ($3); reliably delicious rotating desserts 906 Hoefgen Ave., San Antonio, TX Brothers Nick and Elliott Reese are still relatively new to the barbecue game Before they started working pits in West Texas back in 2018 their only barbecue joint experience had been front of house But ever since they opened their own truck nestled beside a covered patio full of rainbow picnic tables in a residential part of San Antonio they’ve been winning coveted Texas barbecue awards left and right—which The proof is on the tray: fall-apart brisket oak-smoked to barky perfection juicy-spicy sausages stuffed with queso fundido and a slew of excellent Mexican-inspired sides from chefs Jorge Flores and Gabriel Perez What to order:Prime Brisket ($14 for 1/2 lb); Queso Fundido Sausage ($6 per link); Poblano Mac n Cheese ($4 for 8 oz.); an always superb torta 1709 Belt Line Rd., Garland, TX Imagine our joy at finding an entire menu of vegan tacos hiding demurely beneath the flat blue roof of a highway-side former Sonic Drive-In just outside Dallas and owns the restaurant with her husband Gerardo Gullien presses out a rainbow of seven different types of corn tortillas Each is doctored up with homemade flavoring mixes—magenta beetroot she fills them with clever blends of plant-based ingredients: juicy jackfruit quesabirria even chicharrones made of shredded coconut and did we mention the creamy mushroom tamal bathed in salsa verde There are plenty of excellent meat options too (and a very good horchata) but here What to order:Vegan Birria Taco ($3); Hibiscus and Cauliflower Taco ($3); Mushroom Tamale ($3) 8400 Oak St., New Orleans, LA and nearly anything on the menu at Seafood Sally’s—from boiled crawdads to crispy gulf shrimp—will emerge from the kitchen tossed in an aromatic combo of lemongrass The bright flavors on display here are a delicious nod to the irresistible fusion of Vietnamese and Cajun cooking found throughout southern Louisiana The freshest local seafood and a thoughtful selection of cocktails and wines make chefs Marcus Jacobs and Caitlin Carney’s latest spot our new favorite place to celebrate the Gulf’s ample bounty What to order:Hot Fried Turkey Necks ($9); Chargrilled Oysters ($18); BBQ Blue Crabs a la Louie Lipps ($18) 7357 NW Miami Ct., Miami, FL Sunny’s Steakhouse at Lot 6 is a fully en plein air restaurant It’s housed in what was previously an open lot in which a Porn Star Martini comes with a little glass of champagne—so you can alternate between sips of bubbles and harder-hitting booze prepared in the lot’s outdoor kitchen: the platonic ideal of Caesar salad There’s also not-to-miss “potato butter,” a genius sauce that is effectively mashed potatoes but with the butter-to-potato ratio reversed And as soon as your dreamy meal reaches its close you’ll want to come back for every occasion Sunny’s Steakhouse is currently closed for renovations and will reopen with an indoor dining room and kitchen What to order:Parker House Rolls ($4); Caesar Salad ($15); Tuna Tartare ($18); Striped Bass Crudo ($17); Dry-Aged Ribeye ($156); Potato Butter ($3) 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC a restaurant housed in a restored redecorated midcentury church An enormous chunk of tender Wagyu pot roast comes in a Dutch oven A kitschy seven-layer salad is served in a goblet the size of a small trophy You won’t have to worry about splitting three small meatballs among a group of friends—here they come glazed in Memphis-style cherry barbecue sauce In a rebuttal to the trend of “small plates big-spirited restaurant where you’ll need the assistance of your entire friend group just to clear the table What to order:Roasted Oysters ($18); Sausage Gravy Croquettes ($13); Wagyu Pot Roast ($38); Pork Can Can ($49); Miso Mac and Cheese ($16); Smashed Potatoes ($15) 511 Broadway St., Lubbock, TX Chef Finn Walter spent 20 years cooking around the world before settling down in his hometown of Lubbock a casual-fine dining spot focusing on “High Plains Cuisine.” What is that creative celebration of West Texas terroir—think elk tartare house-made pappardelle stuffed with avocado and jaw-dropping quantities of piñon (a.k.a a testament to Walter’s far-ranging experience and passion for his roots What to order:Elk Tartare ($28); West Texas Crudites ($14); Colorado Lamb ($45); Poussin Baked in Masa ($40) 1019 E 63rd St., Kansas City, MO Yahia Kamal has been a fixture of the Kansas City food scene for nearly two decades but Baba’s Pantry represents a number of firsts for the Palestine-born chef It’s the first business he’s run with his family and together they’ve created a space that feels warm and charmingly idiosyncratic the ideal platform for his abundant creativity It’s also the first time he’s run a business that proudly and explicitly celebrates the food of his homeland and a wide array of homemade sauces and seasonings Baba’s Pantry is a delicious expression of what it means to feel at home What to order:Baba’s Hummus ($8) with added beef kebab ($5); Baba’s Falafel Pita Sandwich ($10); JuJu’s Baklava ($4) 2342 N Clark St., Chicago, IL At the laid-back and thoughtfully designed Bocadillo Market chef James Martin highlights similarities between Spanish dishes—particularly those brought over by the Moors of North Africa—and the Low Country–influenced ones he grew up eating as a DC-born child of Southern parents Croquetas on the dinner menu are packed with smoky ham hock and the Sunday brunch menu features such revelations as a waffle loaded with duck confit Whether you show up for weekday breakfast (a towering slice of egg-yolk-rich Extremadura pie plus a sandwich piled with Serrano ham and Mahón cheese) or dinner (saffron-tinted lima bean stew is a must-order) you’ll leave very full and wondering why someone didn’t think to bring all these flavors together sooner What to order:For weekday breakfast: Extremadura Almond Pie ($6); Jamon Serrano Bocadillo ($16); Crispy Calamari Bocadillo ($16) For Sunday brunch: Tortilla de Patatas ($18); Duck Confit Waffle ($25) For dinner: Serrano Ham Croquetas ($15); Spanish Bean Stew (An Ode to Mable) ($16); Cadiz Tuna & Squid Ink Paella ($50) 1524 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH You could build a whole day in Cincinnati around Cafe Mochiko (We have.) Show up early for fresh coffee and a taste of one of Elaine Townsend’s superlative pastries—think purple yam jam–filled croissants Then come back later for a bowl of Erik Bentz’s Cincinnati-style ramen an ingenious dish that fuses the iconic local chili and a generous pile of shredded cheddar with chewy dipping noodles What to order:Ube Halaya Croissant ($5); BBQ Pork Snow Bao ($5); Everything Cream Cheese Bao ($4); Sweet Corn Bibingka ($4); Cincinnati Tsukemen ($16); Hokkaido Smashburger ($16) Don't leave Cafe Mochiko without a few pastries for the road 1634 N Blackwelder Ave., Oklahoma City, OK After years spent cooking Japanese food around Oklahoma City chef Jeff Chanchaleune has turned his considerable talents to the Lao food he grew up eating—and he is pulling no punches His food is mouthwatering and sizzling with complexity leaning into the earthy-salty-funky punch of fermented seafood and big chili heat that makes Lao cuisine so irresistible Be sure to order plenty of sticky rice and jaew and take the menu’s advice to eat with your hands Dipping and scooping your way across a table covered with saucy plates is by far the best way to experience the gutsiness and delicacy of Chanchaleune’s vision What to order:Original Lao Papaya Salad ($11); Steamed Catfish ($12); Lao Sausage ($8); Grilled Beef ($11); Sticky Rice ($4); Chili Dip ($2) 40 E Court St., Cincinnati, OH A martini so cold it makes your teeth hurt These are the sorts of simple comfort food pleasures that But at the charmingly self-assured Mid-City Here digging into some fried smelts and an “easy salad” before moving on to a plate of slab pie feels natural the kind of place that believes that excellent food and hospitality are more than enough of a “concept” to build a restaurant around The world could use more places like Mid-City; until then Cincinnati is uniquely lucky to have one What to order:Easy Salad ($7); Potato Croquette ($7); Fried Smelts ($8); Fried Sandwich ($10); Mid City Plate ($15); Baked Alaska ($6) Fried polenta with ramp-piquillo pine nut pesto 449 W 14 Mile Rd., Clawson, MI In a strip mall in the Detroit suburb of Clawson next to a Hungry Howie’s pizza and kitty-corner from a tropical fish pet store is a sushi spot that’s taking on the mission of serving seafood as sustainably as possible You might savor invasive snails fragrant with sake incredibly tender abalone (that was too small to sell elsewhere) and lightly fried shrimp heads we can only describe as fluffy—each dish was another reason we can’t wait to go back and see what owner Hajime Sato has sourced next What to order:There are five omakase options at the sushi bar À la carte options are also available in the dining room 1301 Grand Ave. Unit 1, Phoenix, AZ The irresistible waft of burning mesquite and seared meat emanating from chef Rene Andrade’s massive wood-fired grill fills the air for blocks tempting passersby and tormenting hungry diners-in-waiting are the star of the show at this Sonoran hot spot and they come to the table accompanied by an embarrassment of riches: charred vegetables be sure to pay careful attention to the (usually long) list of specials on offer zippy ceviches and aguachiles are not to be missed What to order:Elote ($7); Steak of the Day ($MP); Ceviche of the Day ($MP); Caramelo ($14) 35 E Toole Ave, Tucson, AZ minimalist industrial space is the backdrop at Bata a fine dining restaurant in Tucson where a wood-fired oven touches every dish Its à la carte menu feels like one for a true food nerd A flaky malawach flatbread might come with a smoked carrot butter which all sing in perfect harmony together Those who expect meat at fine dining restaurants should be aware that while the restaurant does offer meat dishes Malawach ($12); Smoked Cauliflower Custard ($16); Toasted Bread Ice Cream With Kettle Corn and Whey Granita ($13) 4316 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA Every meal feels like a dinner party at this wine-bar–slash–“fermentation-restaurant.” Tables fill up quickly so show up early (doors open at 5 p.m.) and grab one of the tiny indoor tables or pull up a stool at the outdoor parklet On our visit standouts included charred favas with candied sesame brittle and white-jasmine ricotta and hand-cut pasta with honeynut squash miso and pearls of kelp But you’ll also want to order most of the inventive small plates made for eating alongside a second or third glass of funky natural wine Order anything featuring Shared Cultures’ small-batch misos 3560 18th St., San Francisco, CA The vibes (and the staff-first philosophy) at Good Good Culture Club are Here a chicken wing is deboned and delicately stuffed with sticky rice and cross-cut short ribs are lovingly bathed in a sesame-cherry glaze and the food is prepared with a tremendous amount of care While there’s plenty of space for dinner and drinks in the spacious dining room where you’ll eat an assortment of dishes that blend Asian influences while surrounded by lush What to order:Lil’ Gems ($12); Crying Tiger Shrimp ($19); Good Good Chicken Wing (stuffed with sticky rice and glazed with an adobo sauce $9); Pandan Bibingka ($10) don't skip the chicken wing stuffed with sticky rice 2469 Broadway, San Diego, CA San Diego’s Kingfisher is a stunner of a restaurant by any metric intriguingly organized into “minimalism” and “maximalism” subsections The modern Vietnamese menu is as fresh and complex as it is brilliantly executed But what we can’t stop thinking about are chef Jon Bautista’s genius sauces The toasted coconut ranch served alongside crunchy tamarind-glazed chicken wings that had us licking our fingers long after the bones were picked clean herbaceous nuoc mam chimichurri that sent bites of smoked dry-aged duck soaring the dried scallop and preserved lemon cream that turned a simple plate of charred local broccoli into our favorite dish of the night Go ahead and ask for a spoon from the start—you’re going to need it What to order:Diver Scallops ($32); Crispy Chicken Wings ($19); Roasted Chino Farms Broccoli ($18); 1/2 Smoked Dry-Aged Duck ($72); Wagyu Smoked Beef Rib ($81) 2233 Larimer St., Denver, CO imported from Mexico and painstakingly nixtamalized in-house is the beating heart of chef Jose Avila’s menu supple tortillas encasing a range of meaty guisados But the focus on this aptly named restaurant’s menu is You’ll find whole chewy kernels of imported hominy in the five pozoles on offer each distinctly complex and served in kiddie-pool-size bowls a blessing for anyone looking to balance their meal with the long expertly curated list of mezcals and other agave spirits What to order:Salsa con Chicharron ($8); Assorted Pozoles ($17); Tacos Tres Chorizo ($6); Tacos al Pastor ($3) 727 N Broadway #120, Los Angeles, CA the Filipino fine dining hot spot Lasa morphed into a casual both lavished with an aromatic combo of garlic and all of the accompanying sauces—complex and miraculously vegan—had us licking our plates clean everyone-looks-great lighting and a killer natural wine list and you’ve got a counter-service experience that feels like a revelation What to order:Chicken Inasal ($16); Pork Belly Lechon ($16); Inasal Prawns ($16); Pancit Kang Kong ($18); Sizzlin’ Shroom Sisig ($18); all the sauces ($1.50–2.50 each) but especially the creamy Coconut Green Goddess Chicken inasal is one of Lasita's greatest hits 1315 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR Chef Cameron Lee Dunlap is a survival forager which means he could be lost in the woods of Oregon for weeks and live off of what he finds a restaurant dedicated to foraged and wild foods he serves a menu that goes far beyond survival Here you won’t find any chicken or beef or fancy cheeses you will taste venison tartare bathed in fermented leek aioli with crispy lavash crackers Or a cushion of porcini bread pudding topped with an umami bomb of tender Venison Tartare ($19); Braised Duck With Porcini Bread Pudding ($22); Celery Root & Apple Wheels ($14) The menu at Morchella changes with the seasons 1923 7th Ave., Seattle, WA you might have to do something confusing: walk through a closed pho restaurant where chairs have been put up on tables and floors are freshly mopped but above the small Seattle franchise’s downtown location a take on egg yolk coffee spiked with aquavit And so you don’t get too sloshed (or so that you’re well fed while doing so) there’s plenty of Vietnamese snacks to accompany the inventive cocktails Standouts include wonderfully chewy tapioca dumplings and intoxicatingly rich and briny crab dip accompanied by a small bowl of pho to chase it down What to order:To drink: Cà Phê Trứng ($14); Khoa Was Here ($10) To eat: Bánh Bột Lọc ($11); Phở Cup ($14); Cua Dip ($16) 1305 Portia St., Los Angeles, CA but the pies from Aaron Lindell and Hannah Ziskin’s pandemic pop-up turned permanent location blew the competition out of the water lightly soured with the ideal chew-to-crunch ratio and topped with equal parts care and exuberance along with a few slices of Ziskin’s marvelous cakes and a bottle of natural wine and head over to nearby Elysian Park for an unbeatable LA afternoon What to order:Menu changes from week to week and whole-pie preorders ($25–35) for the weekend start on Wednesday; slices of both pizza ($5–$7) and cake ($10–$15) are available for walk-ins on a first-come 721 NW 9th Ave. Suite #175, Portland, OR unpretentious tasting menu spot in Portland’s Pearl District lovingly tell the story of Indigenous Mexican foodways bringing reverence to the native ingredients they cook Here each artfully presented course comes with a history lesson and a thoughtfully paired wine that’s probably from Mexico The ever-changing offerings may include gorgeous tri-colored tortillas stuffed with oozing quesillo creamy moles flavored with rare chicatana ants and delicate pineapple and raicilla mousse for dessert you might just wonder if you’re eating the most thoughtfully prepared food in the world What to order:Dinner at República consists of a five-course chef’s tasting menu ($78–$85) which changes nightly along with supplemental wine or mezcal pairings ($44) 712 S Santa Fe Avenue, Los Angeles, CA What to order:Biscuit and Kare Gravy ($14); Congee Pot Pie ($16), topped with roasted abalone when available ($30); Yangban Signature Wings ($30); Bone-In Heritage Pork Katsu ($34). Correction: (9/9/22) A previous version of this list mentioned three people who no longer work at República in Portland, Oregon. (9/12/22) A previous version of this list misidentified the family that owns El Rincon del Maiz in Garland, Texas. he added a “Pizza Mexicana” to the menu with traditional taco components like avocado would sneak slices of their pizza into take-out orders and hand them out to regulars for free “Some people thought it was weird,” he says When customers started calling into the restaurant and ordering the Mexican pizza by name he began experimenting with pizzas inspired by other classic dishes and mole—still some of the most popular flavors today to slices loaded with Trinidadian oxtails in Brooklyn young chefs are reshaping pizza to represent their cultures and our collective appetite Fusion pizzerias and their many fans are everywhere you look “Pizza is one of those foods that everybody in the world has a reference point for.” Chef Travis Matoesian had been working in Los Angeles restaurants for four years when he enrolled at the True Neapolitan Pizza Association in Italy in 2023 he probably would have gone on to make textbook Neapolitan pizza he stopped in Armenia to visit family friends Medjool dates—borrow from the pair’s favorite Armenian foods “Pizza is one of those foods that everybody in the world has a reference point for,” Rudoy says It’s an ideal medium for introducing diners to new flavors which were introduced in the last decade and marketed to home cooks For around $1,000 for an oven that can reach 950 degrees chefs can mimic the conditions of a commercial pizzeria at a fraction of the price allowing them to break into the historically cost-prohibitive pizza industry “If you wanted to start a pizzeria 10 years ago there was a lot more overhead,” Rudoy says “Now you can buy a Gozney oven and a tent and basically have a little pizza shop.” “I didn’t know enough about pizza to know what’s acceptable or not.” The Truongs interpret an array of Asian dishes through their pizzas “There's a lot of problem-solving that goes into translating some of these Asian flavors,” Aaron says “It’s a lot of trial and error.” One of the best sellers The problem wasn’t the brisket or bean sprout toppings—it was the sugary hoisin sauce that formed the base It worked much better when it was replaced with a thick pho broth slurry fork-and-knife pizzas with chicken masala and spinach curry The latest wave of fusion pizzerias is driven by chefs who are building on craft styles that were once thought to be “sacred or untouchable,” Wiener says such as blistered Neapolitan pies and the New York slice They blend flours in unconventional ratios and create hybrid styles that fit their tastes they started selling pizzas topped with jerk chicken They don’t have to worry about a crowd anymore: The Mclarens have pizzerias in Brooklyn and Queens—and a slice for anyone who walks through their doors There are curry shrimp pizzas and pies topped with chunks of golden “We’re changing the narrative of what belongs on pizza,” Randy says Get Bon Appétit’s restaurant coverage in your inbox with our daily newsletter Lemon pepper wings are synonymous with Atlanta. Here are the best ones This is the design firm behind today’s hottest restaurants and hotels Should children be allowed in fine dining restaurants? Contributor Maggie Hennessy talked to restaurateurs and parents across the country to find an answer Local writer Rachel Monroe knows exactly where to eat and what to do in Marfa, Texas Food director Chris Morocco solves your kitchen emergencies on the Dinner SOS podcast Check out our merch shop to source the perfect gift for your food-loving friend (or yourself) a column dedicated to our very opinionated editors’ favorite things to eat The document proposes using over half the factory for public space, meaning an area of over 49,000 square metres. This would include the new Plaça de la Mercedes, a large city park made up of a square, two gardens, inner quadrangles and green streets: All these spaces will be reserved for walking, public use and sustainable mobility, free of motor vehicles and thus replicating the Barcelona Superblock model. In addition, the area will have new bike lanes and bike parking, with bus traffic better located and with improved circulation. The transformation of the factory comes in addition to the changes at La Sagrera in the next few years, with new mobility generated by the new rail station and helping to free up the whole area of industrial use and integrate it with the city’s urban layout. Another change is the reorganisation of Passeig de l’Havana. The street will be widened and all existing trees kept. New buildings constructed on the side of the street will ensure that existing housing in the street gets direct sunlight. The new planning proposal includes a new nursery school, a vocational training school, a socio-cultural space and a memory space located in the old main building (formerly the head offices of the factory) and another two buildings in the western section of the cite. The old football field in C/ Santander will also be regained for sports use. The project also entails the enlargement of the Bon Pastor primary healthcare centre in C/ Mollerussa, the enlargement of the community centre with multi-purpose halls in the Enric Sanchis building and the extension and improvement of the facilities at the Bon Pastor municipal sports centre. The new Mercedes-Benz site will have up to 1,300 new homes, 40% of them for affordable housing and the rest on the free market, with at least half of the affordable housing to be rental properties. The housing blocks will make the most of the inner quadrangles of the block, as well as rooftops and intermediate terraces to create a community atmosphere. In terms of economic activity and teaching, up to 84,000 square metres of space will be used for this. The expectation is to create as many as 5,000 quality new jobs in the mid to long term, linked to the circular economy, innovation, small industry and local commerce. One of the existing buildings at the old factory will house the new headquarters of the Faculty of Design and Engineering for ELISAVA and the UVic-UCC. The Fundació Letita is also expected to install its own centre and head the management and implementation of tech companies linked to 4.0 creative industries. After the agreement with the company which owns the site was sealed in April last year, a participatory process was launched to introduce the project and gather input and suggestions from local people and groups linked to the space. The process entailed eight sessions and preceded the initial approval of the new planning project. The municipal government will take the proposed amendment before the Commission for Ecology, Urban Planning, Infrastructures and Mobility for initial approval next Tuesday. Once this step is completed, the project will undergo a public scrutiny period of two months so that citizens and organisations can raise any issues they have with it or give any additional input. The participatory process will continue to debate and improve the planning amendment proposal and further define aspects such as the final location of facilities. The idea is to be able to gain provisional approval for the plan from the Full Council early in 2023. Tacos in the U.S. are made possible by the migration of people and that special alchemy that happens when cultures coexist. That’s what Mando Rayo found while traveling the country for his TV show, United Tacos of America: the new and the tried-and-true; faithful interpretations from across the border and unique local creations. Here are 10 he can’t stop thinking about. Crispy boiled and fried beef intestines + local Kentucky corn + a rickety Mexican tortilla machine = a very tasty example of what happens when south and sur collide. Herb-kissed Michoacán-style carnitas are king in Chicago, but none compare to this crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside pork-fried pork, made by the same family for more than 40 years. A Jaliscan staple—meaty red stew laced with chiles—gets the L.A. taco treatment with local goat, dried chiles, chocolate, and California oranges sourced from the chef’s uncle’s backyard. Yes, haters, NYC does have great tacos. But you might have to go to Jackson Heights, a.k.a. Puebla York, to find them. This one’s packed with rice, chile relleno, nopales, and a hard-boiled egg. Traditional Tejano cooking meets Houston’s high-stakes craft BBQ scene in these crazy-tender pecan-smoked beef cheeks, served on fresh flour tortillas made by the pitmaster’s abuela. This Yucatán classic nods to Baltimore’s rapidly growing Mexican population: Citrus-marinated pork cooked under banana leaves is shredded into a house-nixtamalized corn tortilla. Just over the border from Baja, San Diego often feels like an extension of Mexico. So do these corn tortillas topped with hot battered tilapia, cabbage, and a dollop of creamy, creamy crema. After Katrina, Mexican immigrants came to help rebuild the city, creating in their wake Mexican-Creole crossovers like this taco full of gulf shrimp cooked to pineapple-y pastor perfection. In Austin, tradition and novelty go hand in hand. These blue corn tortillas are nixtamalized Aztec-style, paired with not-so-traditional duck confit carnitas, and topped with spicy green salsa cruda. Leave it to the Sinaloans, one of Phoenix’s largest immigrant groups, to make an excellent chicken taco: charcoal-grilled, doused in cheese, sprinkled with pork, and wrapped in two corn tortillas. For a growing group of Chicana cooks, eating meat-free is about reclaiming their roots. In the kitchen, I teach my kids how to be Mexican and proud. Growing up in the South, I struggled to locate my Mexican-ness. Then, Mexico came to me. They're what taught actor-turned-restaurateur Danny Trejo some of his most important life lessons. Sandra Cisneros’s grandfather didn’t talk much—instead, he spoke through his handmade tortillas. “In northern Mexico, this taco is called a vampiro because the crunchy fried tortilla looks like a vampire bat wing. Down south, it’s volcán—maybe since they see more volcanoes than bats! Either way, juicy pork al pastor and oozy quesillo are a brilliant combo.” —RICK MARTINEZ From canned tortillas to crispy carnitas, professor Steven Alvarez (who teaches a Taco Literacy class at St. John’s University in Queens), traces how the American taco found its way Though tacos gained popularity as a Mexican street snack in the late 1800s (and wrapping food in tortillas traces back to the Aztecs), this is the year of their first known mention in a U.S. newspaper. Brought across the border by migrant workers, tacos were typically sold out of pushcarts in border cities like San Antonio and L.A. At Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, CA, the Rodriguez family’s fried tacos dorados—literally “golden tacos”—hit the scene. Three decades later a dude named Glen Bell would take notice, infiltrate the kitchen, and use them as the model for the standardized hard-shell tacos at his own restaurant, a little place called Taco Bell. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. Tacos get the official American food treatment of the day when a company named Ashley Foods of El Paso (a precursor to Old El Paso) markets the first taco dinner kit nationally. It introduces the concept of tacos as “Mexican sandwiches.” Oof. The kit includes Ashley brand canned tortillas (…no comment), beans, taco sauce, and…a tortilla fryer. Second-generation Lebanese immigrants in Mexico City adapt the shawarma rotisserie technique into the trompo—a vertical slow-cooked pork spit, marinated with pineapple and sliced onto a tortilla—which became what we know today as tacos al pastor. It would take another generation, however, before they became a standard in taquerias across the U.S. Mexico City traffic cop turned Los Angeles dishwasher turned entrepreneur Raul Martinez converts an ice cream truck into the world’s first taco truck. He parks it outside a bar in Cypress Park, selling meaty soft-shell tacos topped with his signature homemade salsa. It’s so successful that he opens a brick-and-mortar within six months, which today has expanded into the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain King Taco. Rubio’s—a chain specializing in deep-fried breaded fish tacos referred to as Baja style—opens in San Diego. Though popular among surfer bros in Southern California in the 1960s, fish tacos were eaten in Mexican seaside communities across the Pacific and Gulf Coasts long before any of the Beach Boys were even born. Fast-food chain Taco John’s trademarks Taco Tuesday® nationally (except in New Jersey, where Gregory’s Hotel, of all places, holds the trademark and dares to also serve tacos on Thursdays). Both companies have held tight to their trademarks, much to the chagrin of LeBron James, who tried and failed to get his own in 2019. The Mexican peso crisis—a sudden devaluation of the peso against the dollar—leads to mass migration across the border and beyond to places like Kentucky and New York. Regional tacos such as al pastor, placeros, and birria come too, expanding America’s taco horizons for good. Welcome to the world, taco emoji! After years of griping from taco-hungry typers around the world, an official Taco Bell petition, and multiple rounds of tacoless additions (including four types of mailboxes and 25 clocks), the Unicode Consortium adds to the official emoji keyboard a tiny taco, cementing its status as pop culture icon. Except…it’s a hard shell. The battle continues. For asylum seekers in Matamoros, Mexico, daily meals are about more than just survival. Mom did what she could with the supermarket's Global Flavors section in our small town. My path to becoming a taco expert was paved with internalized racism. Now I know better. For comedian Margaret Cho, fusion is the finest form of flattery. Through life’s greatest, worst, and most hungover moments, this euphoric mash-up has been there for me. “Many think Mexican food is heavy and meat-forward, but that came with Spanish colonization—before, it was mostly vegetables. I tapped into that tradition by seasoning beets with chorizo spices. An egg on top adds Texas-style breakfast taco vibes.” —R.M. Texans know: These chewy, buttery beauties are a state treasure. But where did they come from? Claudette Zepeda doesn't need man-made boundaries around her life—or her food. I come to my favorite New York City taco truck for the perfectly seasoned lengua tacos, but I stay for the community. Sometimes, your salve becomes your kryptonite. “I may get some hate mail for this, but I’m not that into the thin consomé traditionally served with birria. Instead of straining out all the flavorful aromatics nestled up against that slow-roasting goat meat, I purée them with the jus for a super-flavorful dip or drizzle.” —R.M. A plate of tacos, rice, and beans is a fixture of Mexican American restaurants. But it’s seldom celebrated. A great taco must start with an excellent tortilla. The only question is, which one will you choose? Is a love story even a love story if it doesn’t feature tacos? Georgia-based, California-born, Mexico-rooted chef Maricela Vega can sum up her complicated identity in this one dish. Strawberries? Tarragon? Rick Martinez shows us how to make salsa out of anything. “Carnitas are my favorite taco in the universe. My dad makes a classic pork version, but here I use luscious slow-roasted duck confit with crispy duck skin chicharrones cooked in pork fat. Same texture, same flavor…but extra extra, just like me.” —R.M. Project Leads: Hilary Cadigan, Sasha Levine, Rick Martinez Photo Editors: Emma Fishman, Michelle Heimerman, Allie Wist Art & Design: Chris Cristiano, Bryan Fountain Illustration: Miguel Reyes, Daniel Shepard Copy & Research: Brian Carroll, Joseph Hernandez, Joyce Pendola, Greg Robertson Special Thanks: Aliza Abarbanel, Caitlin Brody, Christa Guerra, Rebecca Jurkevich, Julia Kramer, Alex Lau, Laura Murray, Michele Outland, Alp Ozcelik, Carey Polis, Adam Rapoport, Meryl Rothstein, Amanda Shapiro, Annalee Soskin ACN First published: February 12, 2016 02:41 PM Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, together with the Catalan government vice president, Oriol Junqueras, the Catalan Minister for Territory and Sustainability, Josep Rull and former Catalan President, Artur Mas, took part in the maiden trip. Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and the mayors of the two other neighbouring municipalities which are now connected by this stretch, L’Hospitalet del Llobregat’s mayor Núria Marín and El Prat de Llobregat’s mayor Lluís Tejedor, also attended the event. In contrast, Spanish Minister for Public Works Ana Pastor wasn’t present, after claiming that the Catalan government had “vetoed” her. The Catalan government denied doing so and explained to the media that an invitation had been sent to Pastor on Thursday. The Spanish Secretary for Infrastructure, Julio Gómez-Pomar, was the only Spanish government representative to attend the event. Puigdemont lamented Spain’s lack of investment in Catalonia Colau described L9 as “an opportune and essential investment for the country’s present and also for its future”. She emphasised that, due to growing pollution and climate change threats, “public transport is not an option but mandatory”. Colau also wanted to address those neighbours who live in areas with poorer metro connections and stated that Barcelona “owes them” this new infrastructure. The ticket to El Prat airport’s Terminal 1 will cost €4.50 and train frequency will be 7 minutes on working days, reduced to 4 minutes when big events are taking place. An infrastructure completed after seven years of tests and delays Although the line opens more than 7 years after the original projected completion date, the need for a connection between Barcelona’s industrial outskirts and the metropolitan city centres remained present despite setbacks. Though progress was slow through the years of financial crisis, former President Artur Mas assured Barcelona passengers in June 2014 that the new connection to the airport would “breathe life into the economic activity” of the city. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb, an Amazon company© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc. the Spanish term those in the know like to abbreviate—native ingredients and traditions blend with cosmopolitan style for a restaurant scene that’s reliably risk-tasking (ant larvae But the food in Mexico City is second only to the people with their disarmingly warm hospitality that shines through anywhere from street-food stalls to fine-dining temples to housewares stores and beyond The phenomenon of the precariousness of places of worship in Barcelona is real; it is not endemic but it affects the most impoverished communities The demand for spaces for religious use is increasing and the administration is starting to look for other solutions A Vaisakhi procession celebrating the Sikh new year and ends with a large communal meal in Les Tres Xemeneies park The seats in the stalls of the Teatre Principal on Barcelona’s Rambla are full A dozen musicians play the final bars of the third song (“I will sing to the one who rescued me / I will sing to the one who received me”) One of the 20 or so technicians working this Sunday morning activates the smoke machines on the stage coming out from the shadows towards the lights The sound technician adjusts the volume of the band lowering it to the level of background music pastor of the Hillsong Barcelona Evangelical Church grabs the microphone and blesses the congregation He is the pastor of the Power of God’s Grace Ministry waiting to give his sermon at the Sunday service of this Evangelical community which is formed mainly of people of Nigerian origin as is the entire service – and the pastor demonstrates passionate devotion in his sermon and the congregation pray out loud with their eyes shut forgotten on a precariously tarmacked side street on an industrial estate in the Bon Pastor neighbourhood which is why the workers on the estate give precise such directions: “They are there on the left The city council is trying to improve their situation through funding lines that have been available since 2014 to refurbish places of worship but sometimes the problem is more deeply rooted Gloria García-Romeral is a municipal technician at the Oficina d’Afers Religiosos (OAR Office of Religious Affairs) and works with Muslim communities: “In the African communities the majority of members are undocumented and collect scrap or are street vendors according to OAR director Cristina Monteys paint the premises and begin their activity without registering in the Ministry of Justice’s Registry of Religious Entities The requisite paperwork is not accessible to persons who do not have their documents in order: “If the District initiates proceedings the community could end up without any premises since they are carrying out an activity without a licence.” If this occurs the OAR can only act as mediator: “We don’t have the jurisdiction to grant licences or permits or to carry out inspections” The sermon from pastor John Asemota is the most impassioned of those heard at the Sunday service for the Power of God’s Grace Ministry evangelical community who are mostly from Nigeria.Photo: Arianna Giménez Children from the Power of God’s Grace Ministry evangelical community play following the Sunday service.Photo: Arianna Giménez the Power of God’s Grace Ministry Church passed through various premises in Santa Coloma de Gramenet that they had to leave owing to noise complaints from the neighbours particularly as Sunday service takes place on a day when the estate is deserted Hillsong pastor Juan Mejías is giving his sermon dotting his talk with present-day allegories The average age of attendees is under 40 years old “Just because we have a modern church doesn’t mean that it’s a superficial church” The Hillsong Barcelona Church originated from meetings between Mejías and his partner Damsy Mich They spent the time reading the Bible and debating After studying theology at the Hillsong International Leadership College in Australia around 1,000 faithful attend the three Sunday services Although they have been in the city for almost two centuries the arrival in the 1990s of Latin American and Sub-Saharan Evangelicals has led to the creation of independent churches Many communities (not just Evangelicals) carry out work related to drug addiction and prevention or reception of refugees the city council’s immigration commissioner: “But they don’t have the power of Caritas because they are very small.” In the case of the Power of God’s Grace Ministry there are regular campaigns to collect money for the poorest in the community In addition to helping with bureaucratic matters the community tries to cover the costs of transport and food for those in need explains that they have managed to get many of their compatriots out of prostitution and prevent more than one suicide many of the congregation have returned to Nigeria or tried their luck in other European countries The pastor Juan Mejías and his partner Damsy Mich founded Hillsong Church Barcelona four years ago The picture shows Mejías leading a Sunday service for followers of their religion.Photo: Arianna Giménez One of the three Sunday services held by the Evangelical Hillsong Church at their centre in the Teatre Principal In total around a thousand people attend.Photo: Arianna Giménez Both the Hillsong and Power of God’s Grace Ministry communities are self-funded and the two dedicate a significant part of Sunday worship to talking about the importance of donations they sing a song and pray before putting envelopes in a box The attendees at the Teatre Principal can make their “tithes and offerings” though a link on the Hillsong website by bank transfer (which can be set up as a direct debit) and even at the theatre itself with their credit card The Grace Ministry faithful leave the service still singing “People will see and a couple of children who were at the church are now playing with the only two white people there The Hillsong faithful leave the Teatre Principal and step out onto the Rambla with the final verses of Soberano (“God of the universe eternal Saviour”) still playing in their heads surrounded by tourists among whom they walk unnoticed The meditations are accompanied by music from a harmonium and a mridangam.Photo: Arianna Giménez the Hare Krishna retinue begins its march at Drassanes They parade behind a standard bearing the mantra that gives them their name which they continuously repeat throughout the procession turn around and set off in the opposite direction Some people move to one side when they see them others join the march and dance and a few others make fun of them it is not difficult for them to have enough public space to exercise their right to demonstrate and disseminate their religion they prefer to describe secularism as a neutral space that is open to all (including those who are non-religious) is not opposed to the fact that religion occupies the public space “provided that it doesn’t monopolise it” and argues that this space should be “an agora not only for freedom of religion but also freedom of conscience” the immigration commissioner Lola López stresses that the council “has found spaces for people to celebrate Corpus Christi or the Sikh Vaisakhi parade” plays an influential role in mediating between the interests of the community and the administration and it is thanks to his work that this community has not experienced too many problems when it comes to organising public events: “What gives me the greatest satisfaction is seeing Catalans among us There are around 2,000 people in Barcelona’s Tres Xemeneies park Large cloths have been laid on the ground and people are eating typical products from their home region of northern India They are celebrating the parade of Vaisakhi The day began hours earlier with a martial arts demonstration on the Rambla del Raval Countless weapons were lying on a canvas on the floor: swords clubs and the chakkar (a wheel with filaments in the shape of spokes with weights at the end of each one) Five young Sikhs are on the other side of the weapons the faithful demonstrated their expertise in handling various weapons with well-thought-out choreography The Sikhs have just one premises in Barcelona the only condition being that they must take off their shoes cover their head and prostrate themselves before the holy book which they consider to be an infallible guide They therefore treat it as if it were a person: bringing it offerings putting it to bed at night and waking it up in the morning Somewhat more difficult to organise are the annual Jehovah’s Witness assemblies in Barcelona for a meeting that was attended by 23,500 people “It was a nice programme; the central theme was loyalty and faithfulness to God and fellow man” a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Catalonia 104 people were also baptised by immersion Morell does not know how much it costs to hire the site says that sometimes communities ask the Districts for municipal spaces but they receive cursory refusals: “Not due to the rejection there is a notion of secularism that is…” she measures the description the City Council regulated the assignment of public spaces and municipal facilities for holding religious activities The city council is working on a proposal to redefine the competences in this area Members of Muslim community Minhaj-ul-Quran in the Raval neighbourhood during Friday prayers in the Sant Oleguer sports centre which they rent for this purpose.Photo: Arianna Giménez who started the Sufi school of the Naqshbandi order breaks the Ramadan fast with companions.Photo: Arianna Giménez Some progress has been achieved for other large festivals The council has reached an agreement with the Barcelona Sports Institute (IBE Institut Barcelona Esports) to use the sports facilities the problem is money: “There are communities that ask us for a space for the 30 nights during which Ramadan takes place and the solution cannot be to offer them the facilities free of charge because if there is a public price and people pay it One of the communities that can afford rent is Minhaj-ul-Quran Every Friday (the holy day in Islam) during Ramadan they hold the Friday midday prayer in a room at the Sant Oleguer Municipal Sports Centre in El Raval says that although they have always had a good relationship with the District councillors negotiations are not easy: “Politicians always look at votes and public opinion does not usually look kindly on these things.” with the last moon of the eighth month of the Islamic calendar at the Minhaj-us-Quran oratory (one of the 25 Muslim oratories in the city) 300 people broke their fast after 15 hours without eating or drinking all the men (there were no woman) had eaten and a crowd of people had gathered up the tablecloths: “The premises aren’t very big so we eat quickly and use the same space for eating and praying” one of the many carrying plates and cloths A short time later he was seen back in his spot in one of those shops that sells everything a girl was also arriving late to the iftar (Ramadan dinner) Other members of the Sufi community of the Naqshbandi oratory had broken their fast frugally – a couple of dates some chocolate there – and were already saying the first prayer The girl took some sips of water and joined the prayer and while the 20-odd members of the small community were preparing the main meal – larger this time spoke with the first-timer: “Always have some dates on you so when the sun sets you’ll be able to break the fast Muslims started to become visible in Barcelona in the 1980s the arrival of Pakistanis and Sub-Saharan Africans some Catalans have embraced Islam as a religion This is the case of the Naqshbandi community after flirting with Freemasonry and dipping his toe into Buddhism and Hinduism he found “the path of realisation” in Sufism known as the mystical branch of Islam due to the importance of contemplation sing and spend the small hours together as a community At around 4:20 am they will begin fasting again in the darkness of the slopes of El Carmel an almost mystical peace absorbs the dense hubbub of the big city Celebration of the Sabbath in the Bet Shalom community’s synagogue. Any of its members can lead the proceedings.Photo: Arianna Giménez The rabbi, Stephen Berkowitz, and the president of the Bet Shalom community, Jai Anguita, at Passover celebrations.Photo: Arianna Giménez The progressive community Bet Shalom brought together 200 people at Hotel Catalonia to celebrate the Passover Seder. During the ceremony, they paid tribute to the refugees and talked about equal rights for homosexuals and gender equality through the figure of Jewish intellectual and feminist Susannah Heschel. The Shabbat (Saturday, the Jewish sabbath) celebrations take place at the Bet Shalom community premises. There, the children also run around and play unimpeded during the ceremony, this time held at the community synagogue. The service is conducted in Hebrew, Catalan and Spanish. While not overly solemn worship, it is very devout. In his sermon, Jai Anguita, Chair of the community, mentions Adam Smith and Karl Marx and finishes by recalling that “the Earth is God’s”. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The multi-religiousness is thriving in Barcelona. There are 243 Catholic places of worship in the city, compared to 270 that are not Catholic. Immigration in the 1990s and onwards is the key to understanding the emergence in Barcelona of religions such as Sikhism; however, it is important not to fall into the trap of thinking that everyone who is not Catholic must be foreign. Among the followers of Islam, the Eastern religions and all the Christian denominations are plenty of Catalan surnames. The legal treatment given to religious diversity in Spain and, therefore, in the city of Barcelona, is unequal. The secularism of the State, although it is laid down in the Constitution, is entelechy for many communities that endure precarious conditions and can barely conduct their worship in a dignified manner. The Grup de Treball Estable de Religions [Religions Stable Work Group] is an initiative that arose from the Universal Forum of Cultures in 2004, and brings together leaders from the five religious traditions with the greatest followings in Catalonia. Guillaume Guevara There may be more excellent tacos per square block in Mexico City than anywhere else in the known universe And the variety is virtually unlimited—you’ll find an enormous selection beyond the city’s signature al pastor tacos There’s a bit of everything in this guide: sit-down restaurants the famous touristy spots that are actually worth it and a few places you won’t find in a guidebook order as you go—there’s no need to overcommit from the start—and always add at least some salsa (and lime) Distrito Federa">.css-56eu0z{width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;line-height:1em;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray100);vertical-align:middle;fill:currentColor;}Emilio Castelar 212 Miguel Hidalgo The tacos at El Turix aren’t just some of the best tacos in CDMX—they’re some of the best in the world meaning all the tacos will be filled with sweet Your first order of business should be the cochinita pibil tacos which come with slow-roasted pulled pork cooked with achiote paste and citrus juices an open-face tortilla with thicker corn dough topped with cochinita pibil that’ll be the reason you come back again before you head to the airport so expect to eat your tacos like everybody else— sitting on the curb with your face buried in plastic wrap Castacán Tacos La Condesa Castacán, run by the same crew behind Contramar which is refreshingly simple: just Yucatán-style pork tacos and tortas plus vegetable versions thrown in for good measure The highlight is the $2.50 taco de cochinita pibil—slow-roasted piglet drenched in juices that’ll leave your hands (and probably your shirt) a mess Castacan keeps the drink menu straightforward and super sweet but totally great Boing guava soft drinks Maizajo Selene Calle Leibnitz 51 Miguel Hidalgo Anzures Polanco has every option imaginable when it comes to restaurants It’s located right underneath a strip club and near a couple bigger and fancier taquerías but this is where you’ll find the best al pastor in town The key difference between Selene and their competitors is the ratio of meat to cheese—theirs features lots of pastor with cheese as a garnish—and the crispiness of their meat This spot is the definition of “if you know Taqueria Orinoco Roma Even if you’ve been to Orinoco two or three times before you should still prioritize at least one late-night visit when you’re in town Definitely get a round of the tacos de chicharrón—instead of crispy potato chip-like slices of fried pork rinds Orinoco’s are soft on the inside and seared on the outside In other words: Orinoco is exactly what you’re looking for after a few rounds of mezcal especially since they’re open until 3:30am during the week and even later on the weekend El Vilsito Mexican Narvarte Oriente If you come to El Vilsito for lunch and it’ll be like an outdoor nightclub with a taco shack Originally—and still to this day—a car repair shop they eventually added a taquería to the storefront and stay open until 3am on weekdays and 5am on Saturdays and Sundays but their specialty is the gringa de pastor which tastes great with their homemade avocado salsa And the people-watching is fun: you’ll see locals drive up and park right in front La Onda Barrilaco 420 Miguel Hidalgo Lomas de Chapultepec Before taquerías were even a thing in posh Lomas de Chapultepec It’s a down-to-earth institution where you’re just as likely to run into the upper-class residents of this neighborhood as you are the local office workers A round of tacos de costilla con tocino y queso is definitely the way to go here Walking in feels as though you’re traveling back in time—the most recent autograph on their wall is from a Mexican soccer player Los Parados El Pescadito Atlixco 38 Cuauhtemoc The best $3 you can spend in Condesa is Pescadito’s quesotote taco: a corn tortilla filled with an entire chile relleno and fried shrimp cafeteria-style spot with a tight selection of fried shrimp tacos the variety of unlimited free toppings you can add to your order is anything but Tacos Hola El Güero Avenida Amsterdam 135 Cuauhtémoc You’ll find the best example of tacos de guisado a variety of pre-prepared stews ranging from chicken and beef to vegetarian options but especially noteworthy are the chicharrón en salsa and tinga de pollo and picadillo so try to come during the off hours (early lunch or dinner) to get one of the few seats And don’t be shy when you show up—shout out your order instead of waiting for them to take it always add a hard-boiled egg to your tacos Siembra Taquería Isaac Newton 256 Ciudad de México Polanco You know a taquería will be good when they originally opened as a tortilla shop They take the highest level of care to make the perfect vehicle—yes we’re talking about the tortilla—and it all creates a next-level taco and while they already have a second location that’s a full sit-down restaurant the original taquería is still our favorite Grab a seat at the small bar that overlooks the tiny kitchen and get anything with fish from their daily-changing menu Por Siempre Vegana Taquería Los Panchos Tolstoi 9 Miguel Hidalgo This iconic taquería in Anzures (with three other locations in town) has been a crowd favorite since 1945 and with good reason: the tacos are next-level and the place is so huge that you’re guaranteed a table within minutes While the menu is packed with classic Mexican dishes like quesadillas and enchiladas you’re here for the tacos on handmade tortillas filled with fork-tender carnitas (their specialty) and enjoy them while they’re hot—no one will rush you here El Greco El Huequito Pennsylvania 73 Mexico City Napoles We’ve mentioned a lot of al pastor tacos in this guide but they are the most emblematic taco in Mexico City—plus we’ll never stop talking about al pastor no matter what and they’re the self-proclaimed first place to serve tacos al pastor in CDMX Each comes with a mountain of pastor meat that you can split into the accompanying seven or so tortillas but the homemade quality is still very much there The best outpost is the one in Napoles—the decor feels a bit like an airport lounge El Hidalguense Campeche 155 Ciudad de México El Hidalguense should be your tacos de barbacoa stop on a Friday or Sunday—and that’s because those are the only days they’re open These are hands-down the best slow-cooked lamb tacos in Mexico City Their only location is intended to look and feel like a country ranch in the state of Hidalgo and is most busy in the mornings (barbacoa is one of Mexico’s most beloved hangover cures) so come closer to lunch to avoid the crowds El Rincón Tarasco Escandón If you’re staying at an Airbnb in the colonia Escandon It’s the perfect place in the neighborhood to enjoy an exceptional lunch of simply perfect tacos de maciza (slow-roasted pork butt and shoulder) and their famous Pedro Chavez taco made of buche (pork stomach) and pork belly An order of tacos de costilla is also a must—the rib meat is served on the bone Los Achiotes Camino a San Mateo Nopala 49 Naucalpan Naucalpan Los Achiotes is in colonia Naucalpan, which is pretty far from central CDMX. However, they make extremely good tacos de cochinita pibil, which are a specialty of the Yucatán region of Mexico. The owner, who is often there, is incredibly friendly, and because this place is away from the Condesa/Roma hub Go with their staple: tacos de cochinita pibil which are slightly spicy and juicy without reaching the point where the sauce breaks the tortilla Their tamarind agua is the perfect complement Tacos Don Juan of the pandemic This is due in part to the broad-based criminal activities of the Eastern European mafias and the marijuana mega-boom The narco has ditched his iconic underworld status and the monikers that go with it and embraced anonymity in a bid to keep trade on track receiving and distributing the drugs is like a well-oiled machine According to narcotics prosecutor José Ramón Noreña who has spent 14 years dealing with drug crime “this is an area that has no boundaries and is only going to grow Drug crime is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed. “The system is as follows: due to its geographical position, Spain is a receiver – hashish from Morocco and cocaine from Latin America – and it’s also a big marijuana producer,” says a Civil Guard police chief involved in the fight against organized crime with trucks carrying all kinds of fruit and vegetables across Europe.” “We can dismantle stronger or weaker groups, but others will come behind and they will also try to impose themselves and fill the vacuum, as can be seen with the violent clashes between rival organizations on the Costa del Sol,” says a senior police chief of UDYCO the National Police’s Drugs and Organized Crime Unit “The only thing we can do is prevent this system from replacing and competing with the state itself The predominant trend noted by the latest Drug Trafficking Report from the Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) is a spectacular increase in marijuana crops The report also talks about the clear South-to-North cocaine route with Galicia once again becoming the main gateway for the narcotic coming principally from Brazil and Colombia the first narco-submarine was intercepted off the Galician coast with 3,000 kilos of cocaine on board confirming a suspicion that narcotics officers had been harboring for years: that the drugs were coming in via submersible vessels with recreational yachts loading on the Moroccan coast and smuggling the cargo into any port in the south or east of the peninsula the boom in the cultivation and trafficking of marijuana is going from strength to strength Already grown in 13 of the 17 Spanish regions low-risk business that is mainly in the hands of Eastern European gangs With the first of at least three harvests a year they pay off the costs of the electricity installation required for indoor crops “They don’t even pay electricity bills because they hook up illegally to the grid,” says a police spokesman With swathes of the country depopulated and largely free of police surveillance the Spanish countryside is perfect for concealing these plantations Also providing cover are the many industrial parks attached to most mid-sized towns “They range from one to three years in prison,” says Noreña “If it is proven that you are a member of a criminal organization He goes on to stress that there is a general lack of awareness in society of the serious nature of the problem regarding marijuana which has been modified to contain an increasingly high concentration of its active ingredient – the marijuana produced in Spain and exported can no longer be classified a soft drug or to serious and irreversible psychiatric disorders,” he says the police and the Civil Guard point out that exploitation is a feature of these grow operations which are often looked after by undocumented foreigners working in conditions of slavery Although hashish continues to be the most-trafficked drug, followed by cocaine, marijuana is experiencing the fastest growth because of the number of organizations involved, according to National Police and Civil Guard sources. Attracting everyone from Spanish and British, to Chinese and Eastern European nationals the business has increasingly become a source of violence in the form of robberies between gangs – what the Spanish police call a vuelco – and score-settling Operation Verde (Green) was launched in early 2019 by the National Police after it emerged that many of the police raids against marijuana in European countries such as Britain Portugal or Serbia had Spain as the point of origin of the drug More than 2,000 specialized officers participated in this raid which led to the seizure of almost half a million cannabis plants in 800 grow operations amounting to 25.6 tons of the drug and more than €7.6 million between August 2019 and October 2020 It also included an electricity scam estimated at costing €7 million the explosion in Spain’s marijuana production and export industry is the next big challenge for the drug squads A second internal CITCO report on the type of organizations engaged in drug trafficking highlights the increase in groups dedicated mainly to marijuana trafficking in 2019 – a total of 71 But the data on most drug hauls and arrests is only half the story The other half is the nature of the organizations involved in a sector whose activity amounts to more than €6 billion a year the equivalent of 0.5% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP) according to data from the Interior Ministry the number of gangs dedicated to drug trafficking in Spain continues to multiply 109 are dedicated principally to cocaine trafficking The CITCO report also points out that Málaga is the distribution and transportation hub for Spain’s drug traffickers: “In terms of the groups’ territory it is worth highlighting Málaga as one of the provinces where organized crime is most active.” with its river port – all of which are important logistics and communication hubs – are strategic points of entry for narcotic substances into our country The Costa del Sol is the departure point for distribution as this is where most of the drugs enter “In the same way that tomatoes can be sent to Europe anything else can,” says one investigator with the Civil Guard as he explains the organizations’ most-popular methods of moving merchandise Then there is the case of La Línea de la Concepción in Cádiz province; while this city merely receives and distributes hashish the seriousness of the problem lies in the fact that the money derived from the drug trade has become woven into the very fabric of its society “In a population with 30% unemployment rate – perhaps even more among young people – a guy can earn €1,000 just for being a lookout €3,000 for unloading packages from a boat on the beach and €30,000 for transporting drugs,” says one chief inspector of the National Police’s GRECO unit (Special Response Groups for Organized Crime) Try convincing them that they should look for alternative employment,” he says “The special plan came very late; what is needed here is an integral plan.” “The money that reaches the banks and the large and small businesses comes in large part from drug trafficking,” says another investigator with the Civil Guard “It is the economic engine of society here and in that sense CITCO’s internal report on drug-trafficking organizations categorizes them by nationality: the Spanish are the main players when it comes to cocaine and hashish Chinese nationals are involved in marijuana trafficking although this year their participation has dropped considerably and the slack has been taken up by other groups such as the British the violence of these other groups has driven the Chinese out arrests have risen by 12% from the previous year – these include arrests of Moroccans primarily engaged in hashish trafficking as a result of police strikes in the Campo de Gibraltar and nearby areas whose main criminal activity is cocaine trafficking arrests of Albanians have quadrupled; among other illicit activities they were involved in marijuana trafficking “But there is no point in making arrests if the judicial system is incapable of processing them,” says one Civil Guard chief The justice system is overloaded and there is an immense sense of impunity; many drug traffickers have their businesses running so smoothly that “they continue to operate behind bars and get out on bail using their drug money,” he adds There are also some Asians in Catalonia dealing in heroin and adding to the number of cannabis grow operations.” In short it’s a melting pot of criminal organizations all carving up Spanish territory into pieces of a pie Spain is choice territory for drug traffickers due to its geographical position its proximity to Morocco and its many large ports offering a gateway to Europe – namely Algeciras Add to that a smuggling tradition in the Campo de Gibraltar and Galicia the anonymity offered by tourist areas such as the Costa del Sol or the eastern coast including significant connectivity and shipping capacity in Andalusia If you factor in the enormous expanses of depopulated land in rural Spain and the many warehouses in the industrial districts of practically every town the result is an unprecedented boom in marijuana grow operations the numbers of which are breaking their own records The drug traffickers also mark out their territory although this is done with increasing anonymity “If you ask me what characterizes the narco in Galicia it’s the cosmopolitan nature of the network; the eastern coast is the narco’s Plan B; the Costa del Sol is the logistics platform; and the Campo de Gibraltar is ground zero,” says one Civil Guard chief “Compared to the notoriety of the traditional drug lords – Sito Miñanco Laureano Oubiña and El Pastelero in Galicia; or the Castaña brothers Messi and El Tomate in the south – the new ones keep a low profile although they use the same infrastructure,” says an official with the central UDYCO as seen in the raids in Campo de Gibraltar Efforts by police and politicians have targeted that area but the drug trade works like communicating vessels; when you squeeze one side Members of the Civil Guard with the narco-submarine seized in Galician waters The traditional Galician drug trafficker has been brought down Gone are the clans and the charismatic bosses who controlled the drugs that were smuggled into Spain along with tobacco 40 years ago The pyramid scheme of past mafia groups that opened the Colombian cocaine market to Europe has slowly crumbled and all but disappeared giving way to small and resilient groups that act as service companies offering their maritime infrastructure and their knowledge of the environment for transporting the goods according to the latest data from the Interior Ministry the main entry point* for cocaine into Spain When it comes to globalized cocaine trafficking powerful mafias from Eastern Europe are now in charge they use networks in North Africa for storage and shipment and networks in Belgium and the Netherlands for distribution They are the heirs of the historic Galician drug traffickers who once operated as authentic cartels emulating their suppliers – the powerful Colombian drug lords in Cali and Medellín These Balkan gangs have been able to take advantage of the vacuum left by the more ostentatious local drug lords some of whom are still in jail while others are either too old or too weary of media attention And although Galicia continues to be a magnet for cocaine shipments the profile of the new Galician cocaine trafficker – an almost anonymous secondary figure in the current hierarchy – is an indication of the ground they have lost in the international drug-trafficking scene where economic potential and minimal risk are prized above all else although they lack specialization in transporting drugs they rely on Galician seamen to get their merchandise into Galicia and have their own representatives in South America to negotiate the direct purchase of cocaine just as the former Galician drug lords did Their strategic advantage lies in the logistic chains they use to smuggle the drugs as well as clothing and weapons – but there are other aspects to their business such as gambling “We are looking at a new dimension of crime; in Galicia nothing works as it used to,” says Judge Juan Carlos Carballal Familiar with the fine detail of a number of police operations against notorious traffickers he explains that these mafias from Eastern Europe are not only operating in Galicia but also in Andalusia and throughout Europe “Their structure is impressive and difficult to control in the immensity of the ocean and within the intense traffic of the ports,” he says “They don’t aim to compete with the South American cartels but to cooperate with them Theirs is a trading empire within which the Galicians can unload shipments on commission While the actual number of drug hauls in Galicia has fallen compared with the past decade the shipments currently being intercepted are bigger and the purity of the cocaine much higher due to a surplus of cocaine stocks in Colombia The constant movement of merchandise was evident during the Covid-19 lockdown a period during which two consecutive operations led to the seizure of more than seven tons along the Galician coast “That came as a surprise,” says the head of the Organizational Unit of the Judicial Police of Pontevedra “And we have found that the traffickers had gone back to the old methods of transporting and bringing the drug in.” “The profile of the new drug trafficker is his experience and specialty as a transporter and cargo receptionist and even the building of boats in their own shipyards,” adds García who also highlights that new technologies are on the rise such as encrypted telephone networks that make it impossible to identify the lines and servers “Pontevedra and Algeciras are the two hot spots for drug trafficking in Spain,” he says “has not been the first and will not be the last.” He believes this method is being used a couple of times a year and is being perfected So there are more boatmen than ever,” he says and although they have run into trouble a fair bit they always fix things with another job.” He points out that there are still two groups with the capacity to operate at any time and that although fishing-boat transportation has declined container and merchant vessel traffic is on the rise the latter being almost impossible to tackle Galicia reflects the constant evolution of increasingly influential organized-crime gangs that are taking advantage of globalization to better manage local markets at strategic points Experts estimate that only 10% of shipments are seized in transit while the size of the drug hauls increased by 827% in 2019 over the previous year while the price of cocaine remains steady at around €30,000 per kilo on the black market explains the changes in drug trafficking in the context of an evolving international narcotics market and he points to Galicia as an essential component of this global system that has further strengthened the industry “Organized crime evolves just like society and the Galician organizations are no longer the same,” he says in which better-connected mafias share distribution channels and new computer-based tools.” A marijuana grow operation discovered by the police The drug has become the Catalan police force’s main headache, prompting an extensive report on the risks of the marijuana trade and the danger of ending up with a criminal economy similar to the one that holds sway in Campo de Gibraltar “Seventy percent of organized crime is also active in the marijuana trade,” says Rodríguez who insists that this crop has overtaken other drugs on the market “Burglary networks invest at least some of their ill-gotten gains in the drug to maximize their profits.” There is no police operation of any kind in which the Mossos do not come across marijuana it has been the most seized drug in the region; 10 years ago its presence in a market dominated by hashish was almost anecdotal Catalonia was the region to seize most of this drug – 12,398 kilos followed by 9,565 in Andalusia and 4,694 in the Valencia region Its popularity has also meant an increase in violence the Catalan police have attributed 11 murders to inter-gang theft and tussles over market control A recent incident took place on December 12 when two clans ended up shooting at each other in the border area between Barcelona and the district of La Mina in Sant Adrià de Besòs In the building where the shots were allegedly fired from – no injuries were reported – the Catalan police stumbled across a crop of 400 plants the Mossos have dismantled 150 criminal networks made up of different nationalities and even collaborating with each other and creating hybrid organizations all the mafias can coexist thanks to the balance between demand and supply They were remanded in custody for a month and a half Traffickers of other drugs are also doing good business in the region Cocaine continues to enter mainly through the port of Barcelona but also overland It is a more complicated drug to get involved with than marijuana “You need external contacts that you can trust and rely on and you need to pay a commission for transportation,” says Rodríguez who adds that there is not much specialization in the region you might find finishing laboratories here The drug is still in the hands of local clans and some organizations involved in petty dealing have been dismantled The last trafficker with direct communication with Colombia and a real capacity to negotiate with the cartels at source was arrested in 2016 and charged with smuggling in more than 300 kilos It is not the biggest cocaine haul to be intercepted by the Catalan police – they found 1,400 kilos during a raid on a warehouse in November 2018 – but Juan Carlos D was the player with the greatest capacity to move it The Port of Barcelona now has strict access control after developing better technical systems and video surveillance to record entries and exits there is no longer a guard at the door who asks for your documentation,” explains a Customs Surveillance source and the barrier is either raised or not.” Previously a person could enter or leave more easily carrying several backpacks that would be filled with drugs taken from a container This has now become more complicated as it is necessary to access the containers without being picked up by the new system the National Police and Customs Surveillance arrested two computer experts accused of manipulating the technology to allow two transporters to remove containers full of drugs and return them empty without leaving a trace in the port’s computer system more than 5,000 kilos of cocaine were seized But despite these technological developments the quantity of drugs coming into the port has actually increased “It’s no longer removed in backpacks; now you have to risk taking out the whole container which means they really fill the container up,” explains a police source “There is hardly anything under 1,000 kilos in ‘rip-off’,” he adds alluding to a method where drugs are packed in containers alongside legal merchandise without the owners’ knowledge – a trend that kicked in at least three years ago They have also detected cases in which attempts are made to remove the drugs from the ship before its containers are unloaded although there have been cases of marijuana being exported cannabis plants imported from the United States and Mexico with a consumer base associated with marginal groups It is sold mainly in the center of Barcelona where three macro-operations have been carried out against street sales since 2018 The drug can also be scored in traditional markets such as La Mina in Sant Adrià de Besós Bon Pastor in Barcelona and Marca de l’Ham in Figueres but we found no data to support that perception,” says Mossos superintendent Toni Rodríguez But something quite different is happening in La Jonquera in Girona “We are studying the crime model in border areas and how it is changing,” says Rodríguez who adds that that criminal activity has a social and economic impact on its surroundings but of continuous movement and trafficking.” The Mossos are still puzzling out the structure of the various criminal organizations along the border Officers with merchandise seized in the port of Valencia Drug trafficking works like communicating vessels it moves to another,” says a member of UDYCO The pressure in the Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar from the special security plan launched by the Interior Ministry in July 2018 to combat drug trafficking has prompted the gangs to look for new routes into the eastern coast of Spain – mainly Almería Murcia and Valencia – causing this area to be described by one Civil Guard chief as “the narcos’ Plan B.” “We are seeing the gangs that traditionally operated in the south now using local organizations that have infrastructure in this area to bring in hashish,” says an agent from GRECO Levante (Special Response Groups for Organized Crime) 13 high-speed boats were intercepted in this area Officers have confirmed that the drug traffickers are using cranes at the marinas to put the boats in the water something that used to be done in the Campo de Gibraltar and Málaga “Now there’s a truck covered with tarpaulin that carries a zodiac [inflatable boat] with three or four engines wetsuits and the 5,000 liters of gasoline they need to reach Morocco,” the GRECO Levante officer explains “They arrive at a port with the help of a local operator and head to the Moroccan coast to load the hashish; they refuel again there return and roll up on any beach in the area.” In 2020 11 such organizations made up of Moroccans and Spaniards were dismantled the drug’s main routes of entry are Valencia whose large port is perfect for big cocaine shipments hidden in containers of fruit and other products coming from Latin America along with the 275 kilometers of Murcia’s coastline 3,000 kilos of cocaine were seized in 2019 police seized 4,000 kilos of the white powder hidden among sacks of sugar and pineapple pulp from Panama and Colombia which resulted in 11 arrests ranging from Dutch nationals to an individual from the Ivory Coast involved several Spanish truck drivers with authorized access to the port compared to 20 kilos seized the previous year – a rise of 646% – and more than 17 tons of hashish with a 155% rise* in marijuana plantations The eastern coast has become a kind of haven for drug-trafficking organizations hounded by the security forces on the Costa del Sol and the Campo de Gibraltar The mafia bosses are able to operate below the radar due to the large number of tourists and foreigners living in the area It is a good place for the traffickers to settle as it has cities and ports that are well connected to the rest of Spain and Europe for transportation and distribution Members of the Eastern European gangs – mostly Albanians and Kosovars – settling in the Marina Alta area of Alicante province are dedicated predominantly to cocaine and marijuana trafficking as well as arms according to one National Police investigator “The situation is getting tough around here.” “Organized crime is moving forward and expanding its workforce while ours has been the same for 20 years or getting worse,” says a Civil Guard source According to another UDYCO-Alicante investigator “we have a notable rise in Lithuanian and Polish citizens dedicated to marijuana trafficking And the French mafia – not all of whom are of Moroccan origin – are dedicated mainly to the ‘go-fast’ business of hashish: they land the stuff on beaches in Murcia and Almeria then send the goods to France directly and quickly in SUVs.” The eastern coast is also ideal for laundering drug money. One of the largest operations against the Russian mafia was carried out several weeks ago in Alicante and Benidorm including two security councilors from the right-leaning Popular Party (PP) – the current councilor of Benidorm Jaime Sellés – as well as a police inspector and two civil guards “There is less pressure on them here and the living conditions are very similar to those on the Costa del Sol; it’s a good standard of living there is ease of doing business and international schools for their children,” says the GRECO-Levante investigator who adds that they have recently noticed the presence of British organizations “settling mainly in Alicante and dedicated to the acquisition of marijuana which they transport to the United Kingdom where the price is six times as high.” He also mentions violent colonies of Swedish criminals that have settled in Altea and the surrounding area who are involved in the theft of goods between gangs and extortion they killed an Albanian citizen in a restaurant with five bullets,” says the GRECO-Levante investigator “He had been arrested for drug and arms trafficking only a year ago and was working a lot with the British.” according to a member of the Civil Guard’s Judicial Police Technical Unit the biggest risk posed by the mafias is that they could manage to infiltrate the country’s institutions “Fortunately corruption in Spain is sporadic,” he says “A decent democratic conscience prevails and the system has tools to root out the bad apples but we have to be aware that a single case can wreak havoc and wipe out years of investigation.” In the operation against the Russian mafia in Alicante leaks forced the investigation to stall three times and delayed arrests for years say that large-scale drug trafficking is driven by big investors who finance shipments and take a significant percentage of the profits without ever getting close to the drugs The last operation against the Russian mafia was certainly a case of bringing down big businessmen hiding behind real estate A billboard in Marbella displays the faces of some of the most wanted criminals on the Costa del Sol More than 100 gangs of drug traffickers from many different countries are concentrated along just 20 kilometers of Málaga’s coastline enjoying the climate and luxury the area has to offer as well as the facilities and infrastructure it provides for acquiring storing and distributing drugs throughout Europe “In no other part of the world do you find so many people dedicated to the same thing and with such intensity in such a small area,” says one police officer working on the Costa del Sol which takes place largely in the triangle formed by the towns of Estepona The players can operate all but anonymously within this area of coast and hills that forms one large drug market supplying the whole of Europe Most of the mobsters are dealing in hashish but the triangle is also home to those who smuggle cocaine through the port of Algeciras and to those who distribute marijuana to northern Europe – an extremely lucrative business that attracts gangs from all over the world It is a cocktail that inevitably results in periodic street shootings “This is an explosive situation,” insists the officer who has led operations against known drug lords such as the Castaña brothers Sito Miñanco and a group of Dutchmen who were arrested over six tons of cocaine seized in Málaga in 2018 International organized crime loves the Costa del Sol good communications and a luxury lifestyle that means they can show off and enjoy their money “Why live in a slum in La Línea when you can have a large luxury villa in Marbella and go unnoticed?” says another agent key strategic points of entry and money laundering as well as providing an ample offer of gangs specializing in car theft and hit men Sometimes dubbed the Costa del Crime by the UK media the area attracts a constant stream of criminals while there were 73 organized crime gangs known to be based in Málaga in 2012 that figure rose to 113 in 2018 – the latest data available which is usually smuggled in narco-boats from the Moroccan coast and then sent in luxury vehicles to northern Europe cocaine is moving an increasing amount of money and the marijuana business is clocking record growth: between 2018 and 2019 “Given the range of crime and the amount of money involved there is violence between organizations,” notes a report from the Andalusian Prosecutor’s Office in 2020 Málaga is not only a large drug marketplace it also acts as a warehouse from which the drugs can be distributed to the rest of Europe the gangs diversify their activity to increase revenue and minimize risk The Málaga area also accounts for a large proportion of Spain’s marijuana production with crops being grown in houses industrial warehouses and rural properties not to mention apartments: 21 apartment-based operations were dismantled last November by 300 officers in Rincón de la Victoria in the so-called Operation Gentleman Other growers travel to Málaga to buy buds and transport them in trucks as did a German gang that recently acquired 110 kilos of marijuana along with 20 tons of garlic to hide it under “It is a very profitable business,” says a source from the Civil Guard’s Organized Crime Team (EDOA) A kilo of weed in Andalusia costs about €1,700 compared to €6,500 in Germany and more than €9,000 in Sweden Photographs used internally by the National Police show parties in luxury villas extensive surveillance systems and security personnel armed with hand grenades The scenes are worthy of a Hollywood drama The main characters hang out at the luxury clubs of Puerto Banús get their exercise in state-of-the-art gyms and are on constant spending sprees Their henchmen also enjoy a high standard of living and Social Security payments are not on the agenda In the hashish-smuggling ventures that take place almost daily along the Málaga coast €3,000 for unloading bales and €30,000 for driving an SUV loaded with drugs to a storehouse where it is stashed until the owners arrive Anyone performing these tasks will be the first to be nailed by the police three tons of hashish were seized on the coast of Málaga and 36 individuals arrested Bringing down the people at the top is more challenging “It is difficult to prove their crimes and we also have ‘hyper-protectionist’ laws that make our work very difficult,” says an officer who believes that the support of judges and prosecutors is “basic” to the success of the war on organized crime Málaga boasts the highest number of hashish hauls “But the main drug is cocaine; it is what generates the most money,” says a police officer who discovered 1,500 kilos of the narcotic in an apartment on the Costa del Sol during lockdown It is cocaine that usually triggers the headline-grabbing settling of scores Deceit or theft between organizations is usually behind the murders which do not appear to cause undue social alarm as the rest of the community is rarely affected The last bullets to hit a stray target were fired in 2004 several innocent parties have been knocked down and injured during car chases with the police The recent escalation of violence has set off alarm bells among the security forces “You see more weapons than ever now,” says a Civil Guard officer based in Fuengirola One of the gangs causing alarm is Los Suecos (The Swedes) a group of young assassins who ramped up the violence in 2018 Gang member Amir Mekky murdered David Ávila as he was leaving his son’s communion ceremony at a church in Marbella full of bullets in front of his luxury villa in Estepona “We had never seen such a violent gang,” says a source from UDYCO which set up a unit last January to deal specifically with gangland shootings Sometimes Málaga is simply the battlefield for wars between mafias operating in other countries such as the one waged by the Kinahans – Irishmen who were linked to a dozen murders three of which were carried out in the area The nationalities of the drug traffickers include Spanish “We have the best of each,” says a member of GRECO drily Two Customs Surveillance agents move packages smuggled by a yacht docked in Algeciras Only two years have passed since the powerful drug lord Isco Tejón, aka Castaña, starred in a reggaeton video clip while being on Spain’s most-wanted list only to find himself in prison awaiting trial But it seems like an eternity in the hashish underworld of the Strait of Gibraltar where all the players are used to fast living Isco and his brother Antonio cultivated a kind of iconic status for themselves but are now just two names on a growing list of around 2,000 detainees involved in drug trafficking that have been rounded up since the Campo de Gibraltar’s special security plan was implemented in July 2018 The Castaña brothers’ rise and fall is an accurate reflection of drug trafficking’s recent history in the province of Cádiz which stood at 30% even before the coronavirus pandemic This was the context in which these two young men from the town of La Línea de la Concepción began bringing packages of hashish from Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar the drug has been flowing into Cádiz for decades The special security plan has secured startling arrest statistics since 2018 it has been responsible for more than 9,300 detentions in different Andalusian provinces – 2,000 of them in the area of Campo de Gibraltar alone 47 raids carried out in the province of Cádiz produced 1,523 arrests according to estimates by the Anti-drug Prosecutor’s Office Mena wonders if their estimates fall short In their bid to keep one step ahead of the police the drug traffickers have explored new points of entry La Línea had already been ‘taken’ by the police and [the traffickers] moved to Barbate,” says one investigator they went to Sanlúcar de Barrameda and then came back again to Campo de Gibraltar.” Now they are once again trying out areas used in the past as well as other parts of Andalusia such as the coasts of Granada and Almería In each of their traditional areas of influence the set-up is the same with small idiosyncratic differences – small clans usually consisting of families that hook up with each other to transport the goods “They work as cooperatives to get ahead,” says one officer What is increasingly alarming police is the escalation of violence – for example the score-settling episode in September 2019 between the 11 members of two mafias from Cádiz and Madrid who had joined forces to smuggle hashish from Morocco to Italy The Madrid mob hired five French hit men who tortured three of the Cádiz gang members and threw them onto a highway in September 2019 The gangs were dismantled by the police last November The Cádiz narco is no longer in the mood to strut around in music videos, or to enjoy opulent parties, big cars and expensive designer threads. Instead, he is busy plotting the kinds of attacks on police that became notorious at the beginning of 2018 In the space of a few weeks last September civil guards and police officers were the target of dozens of these attacks including dodging gunfire from marijuana traffickers in the small town of Bornos and a violent attack on a lone agent in Campo de Gibraltar A civil guard from this region attributes the spike in violence to Antonio Tejón’s release from prison for a few days due to a judicial error “The order to ram the vehicle in front while the car behind speeds away loaded with drugs bears his hallmark,” he says “He made it clear in a meeting with his people that lost revenue had to be recovered.” Lost revenue is increasingly fraying the nerves of the organizations working out of Cádiz police are targeting money-laundering schemes associated with hashish such as the one involving a civil guard known as Trini from Algeciras and her girlfriend Trini went from eavesdropping on the Castaña brothers to working with them in an operation that laundered at least €2.2 million of the drug lords’ profits In each police operation targeting money laundering an average of 20 to 30 people are arrested brothers and sisters who are not linked to drugs but have let themselves be sucked in by allowing properties to be put in their name,” says one civil guard reinforcements and the creation of new units specialized in money laundering have been key This is how the National Police in La Línea managed to break the case of a 50,000 square meter narco-development in which 40 of those arrested had laundered €2.5 million through illegally built luxury villas But so much investigative success can result in bottlenecks in the justice system “The increase in police resources has not been in step with our own,” says Ana Villagómez The macro-cases are overwhelming the courts in Campo de Gibraltar to the point that Algeciras’ five courts are already dealing with an average of 50 pre-trial detainees each Although the judicial headquarters have expanded the lack of personnel is still evident and the cases at the epicenter of the hashish trade in Spain could be delayed for years fuelling the drug traffickers’ sense of impunity it’s business as usual from behind bars for the drug lords whose cases will eventually be tried As Villagómez says: “Even if it takes a long time Edward Wilson: The United States of America. The rest of you are just visiting. Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb All of the orders are placed and paid for at the counter, and then brought to the table by servers. The menu, which of course features al pastor tacos, also offers vegetable, steak, and chicken tacos, plus guac, is very beverage heavy with 10 Micheladas and a long list of tequilas and mezcals As for what those critics are saying: So far while the house-made tortillas aren't quite all that — at least not yet Sietsema dubbed them "not all that different from those made from white corn in factories surrounding Flushing Avenue in Bushwick though perhaps a bit more crumbly and rustic." All the new restaurant openings in New York this month It can be difficult to keep up with the what’s what and who’s who of Austin food But we have you covered with our bi-weekly roundup of the freshest Austin restaurant news Another salvo has been fired in the battle to determine who has the best breakfast taco in Austin. Bon Appétit web editor Alex Delaney’s contribution to the perennial debate, released on March 27, saw him visiting 13 Austin restaurants in 10 hours His stops included both institutions like Tamale House East and Joe’s Bakery and brand-new spots like Dai Due Taqueria Delaney divided the taco winners into two categories: specialty and classic Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ’s monster Real Deal Holyfield was deemed the best specialty breakfast taco Barman’s Fund founder Brian Floyd has been announced as the beverage director for the upcoming Line ATX who has had stints at Half Step and Weather Up and oversees the bar program for Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion will oversee the bar programs for all of Line’s culinary projects Bee Cave is getting a new restaurant in early summer in the former home of Hill Country Golf & Guitar at 15506 W Wild Kitchen + Bar will have a New American menu with a focus on game the new occupants plan to keep the miniature golf course and amphitheater on the property and will be adding a natural playscape for kids Mississippi-based fast-casual chain Newk’s Eatery has opened a second location in Austin offers the same menu of scratch sandwiches but the historical surrounds and rooftop terrace are unique to the downtown location VII has launched a lunch service Tuesday-Friday under new executive chef Alan Delgado (formerly of Patika) The menu will consist of a la carte items like housemade cheese and gnudi and will only be available in the lounge The main dining room of the restaurant will continue to offer a seven-course prix fixe A mixed beverage permit has been filed for a new eatery to be located in the former home of El Arroyo’s Far West location at 7032 Wood Hollow It’s unclear whether the restaurant has anything to do with the similarly named Cielo Mexican Bistro Personal taste accounts for a lot, but a city's top chefs need to be plugged into the greater community. The Chef of the Year nominees for CultureMap's 2025 Tastemaker Awards all have a strong point of view that both expands on traditional cuisine and points the Austin scene to a well-rounded future Our judges — a panel of past winners and editorial staff — have chosen 10 busy nominees who have carved out special niches for their work and show no signs of slowing down Find out which will be crowned Austin's Chef of the Year this Thursday, May 8, at the 2025 Tastemaker Awards party at Fair Market We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated chefs and restaurants and sip specialty cocktails before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony You can meet all of the 2025 Tastemaker nominees in our special editorial series, then be sure to buy your tickets now to see who triumphs let's send our compliments to our nominees for Chef of the Year: Distant RelativesPitmaster Damien Brockway first came to Austin to work for Uchiko in 2012 but his culinary journey led him to open his food truck Brockway draws inspiration from his African heritage for his signature barbecue while focusing on the Austin community by partnering with local farms and organizations Nixta TaqueriaAustin knows how important tacos can be and that's in large part thanks to Edgar Rico Not only does he make excellent tacos using local ingredients he is always representing Mexican cuisine to the masses Sometimes it's as the 2024 Michelin Guide Texas Young Chef Award Winner and sometimes it's as an ambassador for others doing similar work — often both at once LeRoy and Lewis BarbecueChampioning the concept of “new school barbecue” is only one facet of what makes pitmaster Evan LeRoy unlike any other chef in Austin His commitment to sourcing LeRoy and Lewis’ meat from ethically responsible Texas farms and his lifelong passion for barbecue are admirable traits in a high quality chef Suerte/EsteJames Beard Award-winning chef Fermín Núñez has gotten big recognition in recent years but he still maintains a down-to-earth attitude about his rise to fame He keeps his culinary skills fresh through hosting events and (of course) creating new dishes with exciting flavors Dai DueChef and hunter Jesse Griffiths is taking Texas cooking into the future while bringing sourcing back to its roots Griffiths won a James Beard Award for his cookbook on wild Texas hogs and followed up in 2024 with a book on wild turkey Wild game certainly isn't new for Texans but Griffiths has elevated it in gourmet dishes and invited urban Austinites back into the conversation Kareem El-Ghayesh got right into the spirit of Texas barbecue when visiting in 2012 His unexpected background contributed to a unique personal style highlighting ingredients like pomegranate seeds and lamb It looks like El-Gahyesh's career change unlocked some strong charisma El RavalPhilippines-born chef Laila Bazahm at once saved a pocket of Spanish culture in South Austin and updated it with her own worldly experience Having cooked in Barcelona with ingredients from nearby ethnic grocery stores she was well-prepared to continue seeking the unexpected here Bazam's collaborative attitude constantly brings fresh life to El Raval HolidayL'Oca D'Oro alum and “Pasta King” Peter Klein is an East Coast native who has been capturing the hearts of Italian-food-loving Austinites for a decade Opening Holiday alongside Erin Ashford and John DiCicco in 2023 served as a milestone for the trio who have found a coveted balance between impeccable dining and a welcoming neighborhood hang Store House Market & EateryWhen Sonya Coté moved east to Bastrop she could have become disconnected from Austin Now that she has the space to make true farm-to-table dining happen advocating for sustainability with the James Beard Foundation's policy team hosting chefs and musicians on her home turf CanjeTavel Bristol-Joseph is a busy man with an important new venture in San Antonio but we would be remiss to not recognize his work with Austin’s popular Caribbean restaurant Canje Whether he’s working behind the scenes in the kitchen or hopping in front of the camera to share his culinary inspirations this esteemed chef is making waves in the dining scene in Austin — and statewide The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored by The Yuengling Company, Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hornitos, Texas Beef Council, PicMe Events, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds benefitsCentral Texas Food Bank Peter Klein is a nominee for Chef of the Year buildings and gardens open their doors to anyone who wants to visit them One of the most outstanding cultural activities is the Open Doors Day which is held every year in different museums For one day you can visit for free all those places that are normally paid Maybe, with a bit of luck, you’ll find Rosalía, who has chosen the songs of the pyromusical, or Dua Lipa So whether you’re a hardcore culturist or you just like to go to museums occasionally grab a pen and paper because you can’t miss this one We recommend you make a planning and arrive as early as possible to the sites if you want to avoid being left out Once inside you can enjoy with all the tranquility of the world These are museums that open their doors for free during La Mercè 2024: Urban Planning and Mobility Area is responsible for providing municipal services linked to the public areas and city services which make life easier for people who live and work in the city. The City Council seeks to ensure a quality public space a green and biodiverse city that is productive and resilient a city committed to active and sustainable mobility with public involvement and commitment Urban Planning and Mobility Area has different instruments as well as advisory and participatory bodies for effective involvement and collaboration in municipal projects with the general public The Council sees to the smooth running of the city services to ensure the daily wellbeing of the public and contribute towards the city's development to exchange experiences on the fight against energy poverty the participation of vulnerable groups in a fair energy transition and the building of community resilience to extreme temperatures Barcelona played host to the ICA Academy with this group of cities on 16 to delve deeper into these challenges and share Barcelona’s best practices A welcoming from the Councillor for Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition during which a speech was also given by the Director of the Climate Change and Sustainability Office at Barcelona City Council Presentations from representatives of various cities focused on projects and initiatives for tackling energy poverty and moving on from global action to local action for renovating a High-Complexity Property in El Bon Pastor The rest of the day saw cities sharing several experiences on how to provide support in energy transitions to communities at risk The central issue on the Academy’s third and final day was fair energy transitions and the building of community resilience to the crisis Participants visited a climate-shelter school (Els Llorers) and the Sant Antoni Superblock Taking part were Barcelona City Council representatives not just from the Climate Change and Sustainability Office but also from the Barcelona Energy Agency the Barcelona Public Health Agency and Social Rights Representatives of the various cities involved in this meeting took the opportunity to see at first hand the projects and programmes that Barcelona had implemented such as the network of climate-shelter spaces the work being carried out with professionals from the home-care service and with the Energy Advice Points the improvements made to thermal comfort in old people’s residences for promoting renewable energies in the city and so on Representatives from the various cities took part in knowledge exchanges and strengthened their technical skills through a work group and by listening to other technical experts from the various cities Participants left this Academy inspired with new ideas on their abilities and roles when it came to developing fair local-level energy transitions and helping to build the resilience of their communities to crises Mayor Ada Colau was appointed the European Vice Chair of the C40 Steering Committee in July 2021 C40 is a network made up of close to 100 cities focusing on the fight against climate change and on running urban initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks and improve the health well-being and economic opportunities of city residents C40’s member cities represent 700 million people and a quarter of the world’s economy Barcelona’s leadership in the face of the climate crisis was confirmed with this appointed which strengthened the Catalan capital’s international role The mayors of C40 Cities have been showing their determination to comply with the Paris Agreement signed up to by States in 2015: to limit the planet’s global working and build healthy The aim behind this collaboration with the C40 network under the Global Green New Deal pilot project in Barcelona is to help with improving resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change understood as the condition that makes certain groups of people less capable of adapting themselves to the effects of climate change whether because of their social-economic status (family income strenuous physical activities in the street) loneliness) or state of health (limited independence chronic illness etc.,) taking on the challenges of energy poverty and unsuitable thermal comfort in homes Buenos Aires and Salvador) to exchange experiences on the fight against energy poverty Barcelona played host to the ICA Academy with this group of cities in May 2022 The Academy for an Inclusive Climate Action Collaborative work was started between Barcelona which resulted in a face-to-face meeting in Barcelona on 16 This collaboration involved active participation in knowledge-exchange sessions The issues dealt with during these knowledge-exchange sessions included topics such as giving support to the most vulnerable and front-line communities making the transition to cleaner sources and building resilience to extreme winter and summer temperatures Barcelona is tackling the climate emergency Given the challenges posed by the climate emergency Barcelona is taking measures to reduce emissions but also to adapt to the effects the city is already experiencing and will increasingly experience a proactive city that has been comprehensively tackling climate change and assuming its responsibility over its contribution to the problem able to find opportunities in difficulties and smartly adapting to new climate conditions and all that while generating co-benefits for the people and socio-economic activity It is here that we in Barcelona have an ambitious Plan. The Barcelona Emergency Climate Action Plan sets a target for cutting emissions down to 50% by 2030 The intermediate 2030 target ought to allow us to make a break with the current consumption and emission dynamics and reach 2050 with neutral values Other targets that have been incorporated are the total elimination of energy poverty increasing our solar-energy facilities five-fold and renovating more than 20% of buildings that are over 40 years old The plan aims to provide a comprehensive view of the measures for tackling climate change so we can meet the goals of the new Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy signed by Barcelona City Council Poverty and inequality reduce the human capacity for tackling climate change as most options for adaptation depend on resources heatwaves and other consequences of climate change having more impact on those less capable of anticipating risks and later recovering from harm Barcelona’s population is especially vulnerable to climate change given its geographical location in the Mediterranean its considerably ageing population and its very high percentage of people in an energy-poverty situation Hence the need for implementing climate adaptation and justice measures The challenges for tackling climate change are not just dependent on the protection and restoration of ecosystems change of energy sources and adaptation of economic activities for reducing their impact on the environment They also depend on the strengthening of social justice the reduction of inequalities and poverty and the guarantee of decent livelihoods for the entire population The unequal impact of climate change in Barcelona Climate change affects our health and quality of life but not everyone in the same way age and gender as well as the socio-economic situation and environmental conditions we live and work in determine the extent that climate change can affect individuals The impact of climate change also varies according to city district as it depends on such factors as state of buildings dispersal of heat sources and socio-economic conditions The highest daytime temperatures recorded in Barcelona are in Les Corts whereas the areas with the lowest temperatures are close to the coast mitigated by the regulatory effect of the sea with the highest recorded temperatures being along the coast Heatwaves and extreme temperatures have negative effects on people’s health and on groups most vulnerable to suffering the consequences of high temperatures such as: people with chronic illnesses; people with health problems typically respiratory diseases such as asthma; people taking medication that acts on their central nervous system; pregnant women; people with physical and/or learning disabilities who have limited mobility and little capacity for self-care; the elderly; newborns and young children; people living in precarious social conditions; and members of workforces continually exposed to the sun is therefore becoming an important public-health and climate-justice challenge 24% of households in Barcelona are estimated to be at risk of energy poverty especially in the city’s underprivileged districts where there is a high percentage of people at risk of residential exclusion as well as a larger proportion of unemployment and low-quality and inefficient housing According to the Barcelona Public Health Agency energy poverty affects a higher proportion of women and people born in countries with medium-low income levels there is a greater level of energy poverty in the districts of Ciutat Vella Inclusive climate initiatives implemented in the city Aiming to improve the resilience of the city and the most vulnerable communities to climate change Barcelona City Council is working to ensure the continuity of services and universal access to basic supplies guarantee thermal comfort not just inside buildings but also in public spaces and improve and adapt services for the most vulnerable The climate-shelter spaces network puts several municipal facilities and green spaces at the disposal of city residents as shelter from high temperatures A facilitation guide has likewise been prepared aimed at care-provider organisations so they can apply the training to their teams of professionals and volunteers aimed at both providers and receivers of care are resuming their key ideas of the content of the training Barcelona has Energy Advice Points (PAEs) at its disposal offering information to the entire population on how to reduce bills improve energy efficiency at home and on the financial aid available for this purpose or for incorporating solar-energy facilities in buildings In some cases it has been acting to prevent supplies of basic services from being cut The Climate Change and Sustainability Office has developed training for strengthening PAEs so they can offer information and advice to users on these issues relating to climate change: Barcelona is a city with a considerably ageing population (21.3% of its residents are over the age of 65) and old populations are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change as they are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses and a limited capacity for adapting quickly to their environments and/or environments to keep themselves cool Old people living in residences can also be affected by heatwaves Bearing in mind that old people spend a large part of their time inside buildings their exposure to heat is regulated largely by their interior environments ineffective thermal management and divergent needs and preferences among staff and residents may contribute towards greater exposure to heat with harmful consequences for the health of the more vulnerable residents Barcelona City Council has launched a line of work in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia which is aimed at finding out about the current reality of these spaces regarding thermal comfort.