This taco festival will feature some of the hottest chefs in LA and Mexico

Just before the sun starts getting ready to set, an international menu of tacos representing some of the best chefs in Northern Mexico will rise in Downtown Los Angeles as part of the Taqueando After Dark festival.

“These are the best vendors that do it just like back home, full of flavorful salsas and fresh ingredients. They’re top-notch taqueros “, said James Beard Award-winning food writer, author and Mexican cuisine expert Bill Esparza, organizer and one of the curators of the Aug. 27-28 event.

Set at Level 8, an entertainment and multi-restaurant venue located on the eighth floor of the Moxy Downtown Los Angeles, Taqueando is meant to bring together the best tacos in the local scene as well as chefs from Mexican hot spots in places like Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe, including Michelin-recognized chefs.

“You’re not going to find a tighter curated event like this in town of stars from both sides of the border in one place,” said Esparza, who is also behind local festivals Taqueando and Tacolandia.

The event will take over the restaurants that make up Level 8, which include Golden Hour, Qué Bárbaro, Lucky Mizu, Mr. Wanderlust, Maison Kasai, The Brown Sheep, Mother of Pearl and Sinners y Santos,  where participating chefs will serve dishes that represent the distinct regional specialty and signature dishes of their home kitchens.

The Taqueando chefs include Chef Ray Garcia of Level 8’s Qué Bárbaro and The Brown Sheep; Chef Eloy Aluri of Tacos Royale, and Chef Francisco Leal of Vernon’s Mariscos Chiltepín.

Chefs coming from south of the border include Chef Ruffo Ibarra of Michelin Guide-recognized Oryx in Tijuana, who will be cooking exclusively on Aug. 27, and chefs Tomás Gastélum and José Luis Hinostroza of Michelin Guide-recognized Mira Fireside in the Valle de Guadalupe, who will be cooking on Aug. 28.

“It’s a celebration of the closeness we have with the border states,” Esparza said.

The tacos will cover a gamut of styles and flavors including carne asada, adobada, fish tacos and more. The night will also include cocktails and DJ music.

Taqueando After Dark

When: Doors open at 6 p.m. Aug. 27-28

Cost: General admission tickets start at $55

Information: level8dtla.getbento.com