At Taste of Mexico, short rib tacos, sea snail ceviche and free-flowing tequila

The fourth-annual Taste of Mexico festival took place Saturday at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown Los Angeles. This year, the grand Mexican food event featured a family-friendly farmers market brunch session – complete with face painting and a grass picnic area – plus a 21-and-over sold-out “Dinner and Agave” night. Both with live music and both attracting thousands to sample some of the best Mexican food that Los Angeles has to offer at one place.

For brunch, there were tasty delicacies such as flaky tostadas topped with fried quail eggs from Amor y Tacos, sea snail ceviche on marlin pâté from Coni’Seafood and fresh, local unpasteurized pulque, the milky fermented drink made from the sap of the maguey cactus. While the dinner session offered heartier dishes such as Negra Modelo short rib tacos from Colonia Taco Lounge (along with longer lines) and free-flowing tequila, mezcal and frosty micheladas from the Michemobil.

The festival culminated with a heartfelt speech by Bricia Lopez, the current Taste of Mexico president, outing the L.A. Food and Wine festival for not featuring a single Mexican restaurant in its event this year, and how this festival was created to combat how Mexican cuisine is underrepresented in the mainstream.

Check out our slideshow above to see more of the event’s highlights.