Explore Highland Park with Villa’s Tacos, Alaina Castillo and more | L.A. Times F.A.M., Ep. 1

In the first episode of L.A. Times F.A.M., travel back in time to Villa’s Tacos’ original backyard pop-up in Highland Park, before the award-winning restaurant found its permanent home on North Figueroa Street. While you enjoy the guac that’s never extra, dive into the history of the taco shop named one of The 101 Best Restaurants in L.A., bliss out to Alaina Castillo’s song “Indica” and vibe with Paolina Acuña-Gonzalez’s poem “Ingenue.”
DIRECTED BY:
CARLOS LÓPEZ ESTRADA
CREATED AND WRITTEN BY:
POETIC
MARCUS JAMES
HANNA HARRIS
MARQUESHA BABERS
GORDON IP
ANNA OSUNA
CARLOS LÓPEZ ESTRADA
PRODUCTION COMPANY - OBSIDIAN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - DOUG KLINGER
HEAD OF PRODUCTION - ANNA HEINRICH
SUPERVISING PRODUCER - SAMMI FARBER
PRODUCER - CALLIE SCHUTTERA
PRODUCTION MANAGER - GABRIELA LEDESMA
FOR LA TIMES STUDIOS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - JAMIE NOVOGROD
EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION - DENISE CALLAHAN
PRODUCER - KEVIN HAULIHAN
POST-PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR & ONLINE - PATRICK STEWARD
EDITOR - ANDY VINER
ASSISTANT EDITOR - ANDRÉS ORELLANA
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - BRANDON SIDES
PRODUCT MARKETING - KAYLA BELL
GRAPHIC DESIGN - DAVID JACOBSEN & DALLAS STEINBERGER
BEHIND-THE-SCENES SHOOTER - JOEY LARSON
LOS ANGELES TIMES EXECUTIVE EDITOR - KEVIN MERIDA
LOS ANGELES TIMES MANAGING EDITOR AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT LA TIMES STUDIOS - SHANI HILTON
LOS ANGELES TIMES DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR AND VICE PRESIDENT LA TIMES STUDIOS - SHARON MATTHEWS
LOS ANGELES TIMES ASSOCIATE EDITOR - JOHN MCCUTCHEN
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - PATRICK JONES
EDITOR - SEBASTIAN ZOTOFF
PRODUCTION DESIGNER - EMMY EVES
ART DIRECTOR - LAURA BARR-JON
SOUND MIXER/DESIGNER - CARY DANIELS
HOST - VICTOR VILLA
POET - ALAINA CASTILLO
POET - PAOLINA ACUÑA-GONZALEZ
BASSIST - NICOLE ROW
PERCUSSIONIST - LILLIANA DE LOS REYES
GUITARIST - DESTINY PETREL
VIOLINIST - MEGAN SHUNG
CELLIST - JACOB SZEKELY
VOICEOVER - PAOLINA ACUÑA-GONZALEZ
CAMERA OPERATOR - JUSTIN DANZANSKY
CAMERA UTILITY - JOSE MENDOZA
POEM MUSIC COMPOSER - JOHN SNYDER
MUSICAL DIRECTOR - SIMON TELLIER
COLORIST - JACOB MCKEE
PRODUCTION MANAGER - VERO KOMPALIC
OBSIDIAN COORDINATOR - PHOEBE LOEW
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT - SLAVA MAKAROV
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT - GRACE RICHARDSON
DIRECTOR’S ASSISTANT - PATTY MARTINEZ
DESIGN AND ANIMATION BY - BASA
DESIGN - LUIS SAFAH
DIEGO HUACUJA T
ANIMATION - ALBERTO BALA
EDUORDO MOYA
LINE PRODUCER - MELISSA LÓPEZ LEY
CREATIVE DIRECTION - DIEGO HUACUJA T
SPECIAL THANKS TO -
JUGOS AZTECA
JD ARTISAN
THE FLOWER THING
FILM LA
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[@christiekeaton155]

God bless each and everyone of y’all! ❤😊

[@anakLA]

Definitely gonna visit soon! Thanks for the highlights

[@gabrielortega1267]

Hell yeah. This is what HLP is about. Not the damn hipster gentrifiers

[@felipmed]

Alaina is on 🔝

[@joaquinvaleri7022]

I like the year 2026 because that year will be interesed obviously

[@Stefanbites85]

I grew up in Highland park in the 90s. Very scary time.

[@joaquinvaleri7022]

So oops!

[@mgtowski395]

Villa's Tacos, are you guys next to the Chinese place?

[@joaquinvaleri7022]

And sorry for ruin the year 2026

[@theguysal7191]

Only ideological lecturing and some ethnic grievances, almost nothing on the Neighborhood and the People. Thanks for Nothing.