Leo’s Tacos Truck - Los Angeles - Taco Tour #10

There's a truck in a parking lot off La Cienega flanked by folding tables and stools to sit on. The awning is festive and the picture-menu has plenty of picks with a long list of meats. 

My first taste of Suadero is here, and there's nothing not to like about the tender white cuts framed with a crispy sear. The flavor is more delicate and very simply seasoned.

Cabeza is all those soft, gooey cheek-bits. Impossibly tender, melts in your mouth. 

If you didn't get the Pastor, did you even come to Leo's? They're gorgeous and they're generous, a cross-section of layers stacked in every slice. The meat is smoky and spicy with a hint of sweet to finish, and the pineapple juices make the spice rub come alive. 

The red salsa is smoky, the green has a kick and a sweet but manageable burn. The avocado salsa has a creamier tang, and the combination of three is best. Be liberal with the lime and sprinkle some chopped onions and cilantro for sass. 

Forget the fine dining, LA's real food scene comes straight from the spit. Taco tycoons like Leo's are what gives us our claim to the best ethnic food in the country. After a taste of these tacos, your new hobby will be chasing trucks. 

Taco Tour #8 - Tacos 1986 - Los Angeles

The less fine dining I eat, the less fine dining I want. LA is a city of street food, though most of it is brick-and-mortar. Still, Tacos 1986 is best consumed standing, best eaten fresh from the fire at one of their tiled bar counters. If you need a celebrity endorsement, they have a framed photo of Biden on the wall. 

A mere $5 will get you the secret-menu Perron, where a hand-rolled tortilla is covered with a crackling layer of queso to cradle the carne asada. Impossibly soft pinto beans cling to a dab of guac, and each item is exquisitely made. 

Delicious but I prefer my simpler street tacos by the bunch. Theirs are small enough to try one of every kind. 

The Chicken is meh. Well-seasoned, yes, and also very savory and tender, but what else? This is LA; you can’t just slap some breasts on a grill. 

Carne Asada is king; this meat chews as a tender steak should, beefy bits of juicy bliss. 

Wash it all down with a super-sweet Hibiscus Agua Fresca and take a bite of the placid Pastor. The spice mix is mild but savory and you can see that the sliced-off-the-spit pieces are glistening with dripping juice. 

Mushroom tacos are my new curiosity, and these did not disappoint. The texture is meaty, though the soup tends to spill. 

The carne asada is what you order here. Take every opportunity to wrap it up with the thin and chewy and not-so-corny handmade tortillas, and for your tacos, order no less than five. 

Tacos Lionydas - Redondo Beach

They lit out of Long Beach and regrouped on the side of Hawthorne Blvd, near the cross-street of Artesia. Pulling over is a no-go, but there's plenty of parking in the lot behind the stand. 

Order in your best Spanish, and if you don't speak it, now's the time to learn because (repeat after me), Burritos de Pastor is where it's at. Pork slice straight off the spit stays so juicy, saturated with seared spice. Their burritos are to-the-point; more than half is meat with a small scoop of rice, beans, and "con todo". 

The Carne Asada Burrito makes a strong showing if you're not into eating pork. The steak tastes flame-seared, and the melty cheese holds it all together. 

Catch them if you can...before the health department can. They've been shut down before but now they're back and I'll be back for more. 

Guisados - Los Angeles

Tacos. No explanation required.

Try all the tacos. Every single filling is distinctly delicious, and each bit is so drastically different you'll never decide which ones you want more. The Taco Sampler makes this possible, brilliant little three-bite delights served in handmade tortilla.

Tinga is sweet n' sour, Mole Poblano is sweet and earthy. Steak Picado is my favorite, meaty and juicy in a salsa that has some sass. Cochinita Pibil has a sweeter lift, and the shreds of juicy pork taste like they've been braising for days. Don't save this one for last - it burns so good. Chicharron has an interesting texture. There's still some crunch, otherwise it gets slimy and chew in green chile, and I mean that in the funnest way possible. Bistek en Salsa Roja tastes like an old soul, a flavor that cuts nice and deep. 

You will get thirsty, and the Agua Fresca is a must. The cantaloupe tastes like you're drinking straight nectar, and it's hard to stop when you start. 

There's nothing at Guisados that won't impress you, and there's nothing you can't afford. They do all the hard stuff and they do it right. Parking is a pain in this part of town, but walk it off because it's worth it.