Macheen at Milpa Grille

Made with heirloom blue corn tortillas, the creative tacos at this lunch residency inside Milpa Grille in Boyle Heights are complex, saucy creations with plenty of tangy, flavorful salsas for contrast. Run by self-taught chef Jonathan Perez and his sister, Ana, Macheen’s greatest hit might be the fried chicken taco, served with guajillo ranch and hibiscus slaw, but regulars also swear by the six-hour-braised pork belly with nopales, avocado salsa, refried black beans and cotija cheese and El Chilango—a brisket confit with chorizo beans and pickled onions. The mushroom al pastor makes for a decent vegetarian taco, and we think Perez’s birria is one of the best in the city. Enjoy your lunch within Milpa Grille’s built-out patio parklet to enjoy the tacos in their prime. You can also find Macheen at Smorgasburg on Sundays, as well as nearby Distrito Catorce.