Taco Death Match, the inaugural taco competition heading to Mosaic in Downtown Long Beach on Nov. 3, has a curated slate of 10 chefs and taqueros who will battle it out. They are asked to create special “ofrenda tacos” that honor dead loved ones. Those tacos will then be paired with a festival-specific beer from a local brewery. Each will be judged by both professionals in the field and the festival patrons.
In addition to the tacos, there will also be plenty of tequila tastings. Some shopping. Some ultra-special VIP perks. And entertainment. And the chance for a taquero to proclaim victory in the ultimate Taco Death Match.
Who is behind Taco Death Match?
Taco Death Match is special to me because, well, I am directly involved, marking it my first foray into the world of food festivals. So I brought on some pretty solid people thanks to an approach from the team at Broken Spirits Distillery.
“For us, though many in our team live in Long Beach, Broken Spirits as a brand extension of Smoke & Fire is relatively new. And we’re in for the long haul,” said Isaias Hernandez, founding partner of Broken Spirits and Smoke and Fire. “We knew we wanted to activate the space beyond our distillery and we knew no one is more connected to the food culture of Long Beach than Brian Addison.”
When this idea of a taco competition was floated out, I knew we had to create something special. Because of that, it had to be something more than just a taco festival. Which is precisely why I brought on Sal Flores and the LB Living team. This is the crew behind everything from the Taco & Tequila Festival and Long Beach International Tamales Festival to the Big Gay Takeover and Be Proud Fest. And to watch their evolution has been nothing short of great. Small ideas have now blossomed into some of the most respected events not just in the city but the region.
On a personal level, I wanted to honor the taco in a way that treated it like the culinary wonder it is. In that sense, I wanted chefs to challenge themselves with a food-as-storytelling approach—and that’s what Taco Death Match really represents.
Who is participating in Taco Death Match?
We have truly tried to create something that hasn’t quite been in Long Beach. And that means Long Beach legends paired up with L.A. and O.C. legends. Confirmed taco participants:
- Asadero Chikali: This truck is constantly featured on Best Tacos lists across the region—including the coveted LA TACO list. As a result, they just opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant on Sept. 4 inside Inglewood’s Century Plaza with an expanded menu of tacos, vampiros, quesadillas, and quesatacos.
- Bar Becky: From Hell’s Kitchen to Long Beach, Chef Johnathan Benvenuti’s space has helped transform East Long Beach’s food. Dedicated to his lost mother, Chef Johnathan is primed to step outside his Italian comfort zone and create the ultimate ofrenda taco.
- Battambong BBQ: A local legend. Now a nationally recognized figure in BBQ. This is because Chef Chad Phuong has seamlessly melded Texan barbecue with Cambodian flavors and Long Beach style.
- Chinitos Tacos: This Long Beach staple has broken barriers by melding Cambodian and Mexican flavors into one of the most distinct taquerias in the area. Chef Beeline Krouch might have his shop in Lakewood—but as a result of his roots, he is 100% pure Long Beach culinary love.
- Ellie’s: Fresh off his Best Chef win at the San Diego Food & Wine Festival and Best Dish win at the Del Mar Food Festival, Chef Jason Witzl of Ellie’s is no stranger to Mexican food as his mother’s side heralds from our neighbor to the south. Because of this, as well as harkening to his much-missed Lupe’s concept, I can’t wait to see what he offers.
- Los Dorados: Featured on the L.A. Times’s best tacos list, Los Dorados takes golden tacos to a new level. They’re simple. Black bean and queso. Lamb barbacoa. Potato chorizo. Or just potato. They have a rightfully earned cult-like following. As a result, they are L.A. legends.
- Los Reyes del Taco Sabroso: This Long Beach gem is an ode to the food of Mexico City, with the Montesino family redefining Long Beach’s perspective of Mexican cuisine.
- Smoke & Fire: This O.C. staple has been defined by its love of barbecue and its witty plays on food, including their famed smoked brisket tacos on blue corn tortillas—and they are the reason we have a new distillery.
- Tacos La Carreta: Featured on Los Angeles Times critic Bill Addison’s 101 Best Restaurants, Tacos La Carreta is a Long Beach legend and master. Taquero José Morales Jr. learned much of what he knows from his father, who was born in Mazatlán, the Sinaloa city whose love for carne asada is so pervasive that every single urban sector has the sweet smoke and savor of carne asada on the grill, permeating nearly every corner of every plaza.
- Taqueria “Camerones” [The Attic/Nonna Mercato]: Chef Cameron Slaugh might be known for his seamless blend of Italian cuisine with Californian sensibility but few know that his love of pasta matches his love of masa—and from a three-star Michelin kitchen in NYC (Eleven Madison Park) to a comal, Chef Cameron is ready to bring out Taqueria “Camerones.”
Are there non-taco choices available?
And yes, there are non-taco vendors, including:
- Shlap Muan: Largely considered the best wings in the city, Chef Hawk Tea has melded Cambodian flavors with traditional ones, ranging from classic buffalo to “Cambodian Dirt,” a lemongrass-pepper dry seasoning.
- Golden Skewers: Chef Johnny Chhom has built his Long Beach-based Cambodian beef skewer popup into a full-on regional phenomenon, scoring one of the coveted spaces at Smorgasburg in Downtown Los Angeles.
- Foodologie: Filipina-American baker and sweet master Maria Layesa took her popup to the brick-and-mortar dream when she opened her space in Belmont Shore. Since then, she has become locally famous for her ube and pandan brownies.
- Modica’s: This popular DTLB sandwich eatery will be offering up their famed pastrami’n’marinara sandwiches.
And what about the breweries involved for Taco Death Match?
I wanted the best of Long Beach beer to pair with the tacos. Confirmed breweries:
- Altar Society
- Ambitious Ales
- Beachwood
- Everywhere
- ISM Brewing
- Long Beach Beer Lab
- Syncopated
- Ten Mile Brewing
- Trademark
- Villains
And there will be music and entertainment at Taco Death Match, right?
Of course. We have some legends and staples, from cumbia to mariachi:
- Spaghetti Cumbia
- Mariachi Cielito Lindo
- Cristhian y su Orquesta
- Cello Azul / María Chingona
The VIP experience at Taco Death Match will be like no other.
The festival will offer a VIP experience unlike any other. Not only will Don Julio be on hand with their tequila truck to offer unlimited tequila tastings, VIPs will have multiple spaces that are solely for them. This includes the entirety of the Broken Spirits space should they want some air conditioning and catered food outside of the tacos and a special viewing area of the stage. Additionally, it will be the only ticket allowing you to taste every taco and every beer with your ticket alone.
GA access will provide a handful of tastings and, should patrons want more, are free to purchase additional tacos.
“Considering our past experience with both major taco and tamal festivals, we were all in agreeance that this had to cherish and respect the Mexican culture surrounding Dia de los Muertos as well as create something distinct for Long Beach,” Flores said. “I’ve never felt more confident in a partnership than this one.”
Taco Death Match goes down at Mosaic in Downtown Long Beach on Nov. 3. Click here for tickets.
