Andrew Zimmern (Part 2): Restaurants, Politics, and the Future of Food

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

In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, chef, author and television personality Marcela Valladolid [https://www.instagram.com/chefmarcela/?hl=en] 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 mother. She also reflects on leaving food television, rebuilding her career through wildly successful online cooking classes and creating Matriarca, her new Mexican pantry brand centered on clean, thoughtfully sourced versions of the foods she grew up eating. This is only the beginning. Part 2 of Bill and Marcela’s conversation continues next week. Taqueando is hosted by Bill Esparza [https://www.instagram.com/streetgourmetla/?hl=en] and produced by Robert Haleblian [https://www.instagram.com/robert_haleblian/].

Don’t Bring That BS to Casa Vega: Christy Vega and Nayomie Mendoza on LA Mexican-American Food

This week on Taqueando with Bill Esparza, Bill sits down at one of Los Angeles’ most iconic Mexican American restaurants, Casa Vega [https://www.casavega.com/], with owner Christy Vega [https://www.instagram.com/christyvegaofficial/?hl=en] and Nayomie Mendoza [https://www.instagram.com/nayomiem/], owner of Cuernavaca’s Grill [https://cuernavacasgrill.com/], 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 episode digs into the food culture that shaped Los Angeles: chips and salsa, oven-style burritos, chile rellenos, crispy taquitos, big margaritas, celebrity regulars, family ownership, and the generational weight of keeping a restaurant alive. Bill, Christy, and Nayomie also talk about why Mexican American food deserves respect on its own terms, how LA’s classic restaurants survived COVID, fires, strikes, ICE raids, influencer backlash, and impossible operating conditions, and why places like Casa Vega and Cuernavaca’s Grill are not just restaurants. They are memory banks for the city. Plus: Casa Vega’s World Cup specials, Cuernavaca’s Grill joining the FIFA Fan Fest at the LA Coliseum, Casa Vega’s upcoming Baja patio takeover, and why the best way to experience these restaurants is simple: order the margarita, get the taquitos, add the salsa, and have a good time. Produced by Robert Haleblian [https://www.instagram.com/robert_haleblian/]

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

This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza heads to Canter’s Deli [https://cantersdeli.com/] 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 [https://www.instagram.com/lisaeatsla/] to unpack “Bagel Gate,” the viral Threads debate sparked by Bill’s claim that bagels are just bread. Together, they get into LA’s current bagel boom, New York food superiority complexes, Vietnamese and Mexican bread cultures, Courage Bagels, Canter’s old-school bagels, and why Los Angeles doesn’t need to become New York to have great food. Produced by Robert Haleblian [https://www.instagram.com/robert_haleblian/?hl=en]

Inside Xokol, Guadalajara’s Michelin-Starred Temple to Corn, with Xrysw Ruelas

On this episode of Taqueando, Bill Esparza sits down with Chef Xrysw Ruelas [https://www.instagram.com/xryswruelas/] of Xokol [https://guide.michelin.com/it/it/jalisco/guadalajara_2011748/ristorante/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, mariscos, bars, Santa Tere, Nejayote, and why Guadalajara remains one of Mexico’s most exciting food cities. Produced by Robert Haleblian.

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

This week on Taqueando, Bill Esparza takes on the messy new era of LA food influencers, anti-influencers, restaurant grifters, and the viral claim that “LA dining is a scam.” He breaks down the Christian Garcia [https://www.the-sun.com/news/14238521/hollywood-influencer-christian-garcia-scam-fraud-claims/]/Hollywood Thai controversy, the rise of outrage-based restaurant content, and why struggling small restaurants are especially vulnerable when influencers promise exposure but may not deliver. Bill is joined by Katie Molinaro of Eat It Katie [https://www.instagram.com/eatitkatie/] for a sharp conversation about influencer backlash, Comfy with Kerry [https://www.instagram.com/comfywithkerry/?hl=en], performative restaurant criticism, and what happens when creators turn dining into a joyless hunt for bad bites. They also dig into Kerry’s viral Casa Vega review, why Bill sees Casa Vega as more than just an old-school celebrity hangout, and how Mexican American institutions carry history, nostalgia, and community meaning that can get flattened by click-driven content. It’s a fiery, funny, deeply personal episode about LA restaurants, food media, cultural ignorance, affordability, and the difference between real criticism and content built for engagement. From Hollywood Thai to Casa Vega, from grifters to “LA dining is a scam,” Bill asks the bigger question: who actually benefits when restaurants become punching bags for the algorithm? Produced by Robert Haleblian [https://www.instagram.com/robert_haleblian/?hl=en]