Who doesn’t love tacos?! Satisfied taco seekers at ¡Taco Madness! 2013. Photo by Javier Guillen.

Just look at what Los Angeles has done to the venerable taco. Our city has taken this Mexican staple and turned it into a vibrant expression of our diversity and creativity. This is not an insignificant civic achievement. In Los Angeles, you can find any taco you want: high-end, mom-and-pop, wild and zany. There is no end to the variations of palm-sized tortillas, proteins, toppings and sauces.

This little handheld vessel of happiness is being celebrated this year at ¡Taco Madness!, presented by Grand Park and L. A. Taco. We will celebrate all the tacos: traditional, fancy, messy, exotic. I’m particularly excited about the reveal of L.A.’s favorite taco, being decided by method of bracketology.

Via Kogi Truck.

At this year’s ¡Taco Madness!, Grand Park’s blog will announce winners in the following categories:

• The “Alright, Alright, Alright…” Award. This taco should cause involuntary head bobbing and a concentrated feeling of ‘life is good.’ Nothing could possibly get better than this taco moment, right now.  This is the taco whose name you’ll be tenderly whispering at night in your sleep.

• The “Taco to Take Home to Meet Mom” Award. This taco will be pretty, elegant, and is well mannered enough to keep its elbows off the table.

• The “Make Your Abuelita Jealous” Award. This recognizes a traditionally inspired taco that is so warm and cozy it could have only come from the hands of a wonderful home cook.

Look out for the winners on the blog next week. In the meantime, I hope to see you all at the park on Saturday, April 5. If I’m passed out on a pink bench from all the tacos, a gentle nudge should do.

Ebner Sobalvarro, Grand Park’s resident foodie.