Oxtail tacos, left, with kale and red onion drizzled with a whiskey reduction; catfish with braised greens, below.

When I think of the dishes integral to this city’s taco identity, Alisa Reynolds’ oxtail tacos at her California soul restaurant are some of the first that come to mind. The velvety strands of oxtail are braised for six hours until the meat is slack, succulent and nearly spreadable. She places a heap in a warm corn tortilla with roasted tomatoes and showers the taco with wisps of curly kale and slivers of raw red onion. The meat juices run wild and mix with a drizzle of whiskey reduction, the two creating a heady dressing for the taco, and anything else on your table. Regardless of how you feel about meat pressed into a loaf (lifelong stan here), her turkey meatloaf burger is ingenious. She coats the slab in panko, then fries it until a crisp crust forms. Nestled between two slices of Texas toast with fresh shaved apple, it’s one of Los Angeles’ great sandwiches. Reynolds’ sister Theresa Fountain, with whom she opened the restaurant in 2013, is responsible for all the desserts. I typically find myself with little room for something sweet after lunch, but I never leave without a slice of her vegan sweet potato pound cake. Reynolds has called My 2 Cents a gift to the city. I couldn’t agree more. — J.H.

5583 W. PICO BLVD., LOS ANGELES, (323) 879-9881 l MY2CENTSLA.COM