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PODCAST

Taqueando with Bill Esparza

Acquired Taste Media

Taqueando with Bill Esparza is your front-row seat to the vibrant world of Mexican and Latino food culture. Hosted by James Beard Award-winning writer Bill Esparza, we go way beyond tacos, diving deep into street food, regional cuisines, travel adventures, chef interviews, and the real stories behind the food. From the mercados of Mexico to the kitchens of Los Angeles, Bill brings decades of expertise, insider access, and serious passion to each episode. Expect no-BS conversations, big

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All Episodes

00:53:04

Heritage BBQ's Danny Castillo Wants All The Smoke

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/10/07

This week's Taqueando is available on the Acquired Taste podcast feed! Bill Esparza sits down with Heritage Barbecue's Danny Castillo to uncover California BBQ's Mexican roots, celebrate forgotten barbecue pioneers, and discuss the future of Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano. Plus, Bill shares his latest LA restaurant adventures and revisits the controversy surrounding Asadero Los Ángeles.To hear the full episode, head to the Acquired Taste podcast feed and subscribe! That's

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01:03:27

Q&A: Mariscos Backlash & Taco Truck Mythbusting

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/09/30

Bill Esparza is back answering your questions, your DMs and, yes, your hate. Bill and Rob tackle the backlash over their LA mariscos guide, what makes great ceviche and aguachile, oyster red flags, King Taco’s place in taco truck history, the best pozole and chile en nogada in Los Angeles, Coyoacán recommendations and Bill’s perfect day of eating in LA.Plus, the Antojitos Rundown covers Loreto, Broken Spanish Comedor, Holbox, Disciples of the Corn and Mariscos El Tambo.Important: Taqueando is moving

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01:13:13

Is Hype Making Taquerias Worse? Matt Kang on Asadero,...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/09/23

Bill Esparza is joined by longtime food writer and Eater LA contributor Matt Kang to unpack the hype around Asadero, one of Los Angeles’ buzziest new taco stands. They debate whether it’s really Sonora-style, how LA diners and influencers can reshape a taqueria, why salsa and tortilla matter as much as the meat, and what separates a viral taco from a truly great one.Plus, Bill and Matt get into LA’s carne asada evolution, the pressure to please customers, and whether Asadero can turn its early

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00:51:41

32 States of Mexico, One Dinner: Inside Evil Cooks’...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/09/16

This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down with Chef Alex Garcia of Evil Cooks to talk about the restaurant’s evolution from a backyard pop-up into one of Los Angeles’ most distinctive Mexican restaurants, and the return of Disciples of the Corn, an ambitious dinner celebrating the food of all 32 states of Mexico. Alex shares the story behind the event, the chaos of pulling it off, and this year’s lineup of chefs including Ray Garcia and Tomás Ortega, while opening up about his partnership with

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00:59:48

Is Goldfish Copying Holbox? Inside a Wild Restaurant...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/09/09

What happens when a former employee leaves one of LA’s most acclaimed restaurants and opens a place that looks… remarkably familiar? Bill Esparza and Robert Haleblian dig into Goldfish Seafood in Orange County, the restaurant they argue borrows heavily from Michelin-starred Holbox, from the menu and plating to the logo and overall aesthetic, and debate where inspiration ends and straight-up copying begins. Plus, Bill recaps Taqueando After Dark, one of the best fine-dining fish tacos he’s ever had,

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01:17:13

Inside The New York Times’ 41 Greatest Mexican...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/09/02

Bill Esparza spent more than a year helping The New York Times build its list of the 41 greatest Mexican restaurants in America. This week, Rob flips the script and interviews Bill about how the list came together, why so many “best Mexican restaurant” lists get the country wrong, and what he found crisscrossing America in search of regional Mexican cooking, from al pastor in Charlotte and gorditas in Chicago to an unexpected Aguascalientes community in Oklahoma City. Plus, Bill breaks down why

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01:07:44

What Tourists Get Wrong About Spanish Food, with...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/08/26

On Episode 69 of Taqueando, Bill Esparza returns from Barcelona with a challenge to the way Americans talk about Spanish food: Michelin-starred temples may dazzle, but they’re only part of the story, and the country’s simplest dishes lose something essential when removed from their context. He moves from a spectacular tasting menu at Esperit Roca in Girona to bocadillos, tortillas, croquetas, conservas, rice dishes, vermouth and the no-nonsense neighborhood bars most food tourists overlook, asking

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01:02:51

The Rules of Salsa with Chef Jonathan Zaragoza AKA...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/08/19

Chef Jonathan Zaragoza joins Bill Esparza to trace his journey from his family’s acclaimed Birrieria Zaragoza and Michelin-starred Chicago kitchens to Goatboy International, Salsa 101 and America’s Test Kitchen. They dig into the unwritten rules of Mexican salsa, salsa falsa, regional birria, fully loaded Ensenada fish tacos and Jonathan’s controversial belief that brioche buns don’t belong on burgers. Jonathan also shares why he spoke out against ICE, reflects on his family’s immigration story and

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01:05:02

Nithya Raman Wants to Make LA a Restaurant City Again

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/08/12

Los Angeles mayoral candidate and City Councilmember Nithya Raman joins Bill Esparza at Las Margaritas in Boyle Heights to explain how she would confront the crisis facing LA restaurants, street vendors and small businesses. Raman lays out plans to accelerate restaurant permitting, simplify outdoor dining and liquor approvals, protect immigrant communities during ICE raids, reduce homelessness and illegal dumping, preserve legacy restaurants, revive Hollywood production, and ensure the 2028 Los

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01:04:23

Gabriela Cámara Bets Big on Vegas With Cantina Contramar

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/08/05

Gabriela Cámara has brought the spirit of Mexico City’s legendary Contramar to the Las Vegas Strip. In this episode, Bill Esparza explores Cantina Contramar at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the acclaimed chef and restaurateur’s first U.S. expansion of Contramar.Bill examines how the new restaurant translates Contramar’s seafood-driven cooking and lively cantina energy for Las Vegas, from its iconic tuna tostada and pescado a la talla to fresh tortillas and dishes created specifically for the Strip. Does

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01:14:04

“Creativity Is Over”: Daniel Ovadia on What Happened...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/07/29

Before Mexico City became one of the world’s most celebrated dining destinations, Daniel Ovadia was helping create its modern culinary identity. He opened the groundbreaking restaurant Paxia at just 21 years old, serving ambitious Mexican tasting menus, artisanal mezcal and even an all-taco menu years before those ideas became fashionable.Daniel joins Bill Esparza to revisit the early days of Paxia and Pujol, the resistance he faced serving tacos and pozole in a fine-dining restaurant, and why an

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00:49:49

What Most People Get Wrong About Mariscos: Bill...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/07/22

Where can you find the best ceviche, aguachile and Mexican seafood in Los Angeles? Bill Esparza drops his definitive LA mariscos guide, explaining why great seafood requires more than an overflowing aluminum tray, a backyard location or a pile of lime and salsa.Bill breaks down the three pillars of Mexican mariscos: the barra fría, barra caliente and parrilla. He explains why Mexican ceviche is driven by pristine seafood and regional product, how it differs from Peru’s technique-focused tradition,

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00:54:40

Phil Rosenthal on Leaving Netflix, Bad Food...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/07/15

Somebody Feed Phil host Phil Rosenthal joins Bill Esparza at Max & Helen’s, his Los Angeles diner created with Nancy Silverton, for a wide-ranging conversation about food, travel and the value of remaining curious. Phil reveals why Somebody Feed Phil is leaving Netflix for YouTube, calls out the negativity and rage bait driving food-influencer culture, and finally learns why filming pirated DVDs during their legendary Tepito taco crawl nearly got the entire crew kicked out.Bill also asks the

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01:05:21

Is Valle de Guadalupe in Trouble? Roberto Alcocer...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/07/08

In this episode of Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down at Michelin-starred Valle in Oceanside with Chef Roberto Alcocer, the Ensenada-born chef behind Valle and the beloved Baja restaurant Malva. Roberto reflects on his early days cooking in France, Puebla, and Pujol, the once-intimate rise of Valle de Guadalupe, and how Baja’s seafood, wine, and farm-to-table culture helped shape modern Mexican fine dining.The conversation dives deep into the past, present, and future of Valle de Guadalupe, from the

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01:05:13

Don’t Mess With the Empanada: Alto’s Chefs Bring Río...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/07/01

At Alto in Studio City, chefs Juana Castellanos Lagemann and Esteban Klenzi are bringing the food and fire traditions of Argentina, Uruguay and the Río de la Plata to Los Angeles in a way the city has never experienced before. Bill Esparza joins the duo to discuss their journey from some of the world’s most demanding fine-dining kitchens to Ventura Boulevard, why asado should be cooked over glowing coals instead of open flames, and how they are elevating their culture without stripping away its

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01:04:07

Marcela Valladolid Is Reclaiming the Mexican Pantry...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/06/24

In Part 2 of Bill Esparza’s intimate conversation with chef, author and television personality Marcela Valladolid, the two dig deeper into Matriarca, her growing Mexican pantry brand built around clean ingredients, traditional cooking and the belief that Mexican families deserve beautiful, high-quality products rooted in their own culture.Marcela breaks down Matriarca’s expanding lineup, from organic fideo, masa harina and salsa macha to heirloom beans, dried chiles and ingredients sourced directly

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01:05:50

Marcela Valladolid Is Done Asking for Permission...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/06/17

In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, chef, author and television personality Marcela Valladolid welcomes Bill Esparza into her Chula Vista home for an intimate look back at her journey from Tijuana’s culinary world to becoming one of the Food Network’s most recognizable Mexican chefs.Over a pot of fideo seco, Marcela opens up about fighting for authentic Mexican representation on television, the pressure of being reduced to Cinco de Mayo segments and the lack of support she experienced as a working

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01:06:17

Don’t Bring That BS to Casa Vega: Christy Vega and...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/06/10

This week on Taqueando with Bill Esparza, Bill sits down at one of Los Angeles’ most iconic Mexican American restaurants, Casa Vega, with owner Christy Vega and Nayomie Mendoza, owner of Cuernavaca’s Grill, for a conversation about legacy, survival, margaritas, wet burritos, taquitos, salsa, and what it really takes to preserve an LA institution.From Casa Vega’s 70-year history in Sherman Oaks to Cuernavaca’s rise as a community-driven Mexican American restaurant in the Fashion District, this

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01:02:09

Are Bagels Just Bread? Canter’s Deli and LA’s Bagel...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/06/03

This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza heads to Canter’s Deli to talk with Marc Canter about the deep history between Jewish delis, Boyle Heights, East LA, Fairfax, and Los Angeles’ Mexican American love affair with pastrami. From pastrami burritos and pastrami fries to the survival of old-school LA delis, the conversation traces how Canter’s helped shape one of the city’s most unexpected food connections: Jewish deli culture through a Chicano lens.Then Bill is joined by Lisa Wahl of Lisa Eats LA to

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00:59:52

Inside Xokol, Guadalajara’s Michelin-Starred Temple...

Taqueando with Bill Esparza ·

2026/05/27

On this episode of Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down with Chef Xrysw Ruelas of Xokol, the Michelin-starred Guadalajara restaurant she runs with Chef Oscar Segundo. They discuss Xokol’s evolution from a humble molino and antojería into one of Mexico’s most important modern Mexican restaurants, rooted in heirloom corn, indigenous knowledge, the milpa, and the culinary traditions of Jalisco and Estado de México. Xrysw also shares her guide to eating in Guadalajara, including tacos, tortas ahogadas,

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