Despite the burst of publicity that resulted after a recent murder in Los Angeles’s Eastwood Villager Night Market, it still wasn’t enough for food booth owner Yale Yee to earn an invitation to the Thanksgiving dinner held by the Asian American Restaurant Owners Association. Instead she will be a plus-one with her father, owner of the family’s Wing Fat dim sum restaurant.
Earlier this summer KRL made several trips to the Reedley Farmers Market taking place at Reedley College and made several delicious discoveries—from food trucks covered in our Great Food Search column, to great local coffee and bakeries! My personal favorite finds were Graceful Bakes, Zolú Café, and Butter Me Up Bakery! This week we are interviewing the owner of Butter Me Up, Leslie Valadez from Dinuba, California.
The Great Food Search will go just about anywhere in search of food providers to share with a salivating public. Once more, we scoured the Valley for food trucks with good eats, looking for food trucks parked at Gazebo Gardens, the Tower District Farmers Market, Simonian Farms, Reedley College Farmers Market, and Sanger High School.
In the heart of Fresno, California, Lazaro and Niermin Santana have embarked on a flavorful journey with their local food truck, Havana Cafe. This husband-and-wife duo are bringing the vibrant and delicious cuisine of Lazaro’s Cuban heritage to the Central Valley, and have quickly captured the hearts and taste buds of the community. Through hard work, family support, and a dedication to authentic flavors, Havana Cafe has become a beloved hotspot for those seeking a taste of Cuba.
Earlier this year KRL wrote about a young woman named Natalie Cruz from Reedley who started her own coffee company, Zolú Café. When I attended the Reedley Farmers Market at Reedley College a few weeks ago to meet Natalie in person and finally try her coffee for myself (which is awesome by the way), I also met another young Reedley woman who had started her own business—Grace Fedor.
One of my favorite things in a cozy mystery is a coffee-related setting. I also have certain favorite cities that I especially enjoy “visiting” in books. The Ground Rules Mystery series by Emmeline Duncan has both! The main character Sage Caplin, together with her best friend Harley Yamazaki, own a coffee cart and a roastery, with plans to one day have their own brick-and-mortar coffee shop. Their company is called Ground Rules. The books are set in one of my favorite towns Portland, Oregon.
Lindsay Murray is living her dream now that her family and she have opened Spice Isle Bakery. She enjoys sharing all the exotic flavors of her family’s Grenadian heritage along with a West Indian decor, old-school reggae tunes, and fascinating stories often shared by Granny, and it’s not uncommon to see customers rockin’ out to the music’s rhythm while waiting in line.
Usually, The Great Food Search seeks out unique dishes and eating establishments in the San Joaquin Valley, but this installment is a little different. I focused on chain restaurants. I dragged my wife (All right, sometimes she dragged me) to places in Clovis, Fresno, and Kingsburg. We discovered Spring menus and new offerings at well-known restaurants ... and they were good! Follow us on another Great Food Search to see what’s new in some of the Old Reliables.
This week we have reviews of 4 food mysteries for you to enjoy for your Mother's Day celebrations-Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust: A Deep Dish Mystery by Mindy Quigley, Cinnamon Twisted: A Deputy Donut Mystery by Ginger Bolton, Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie: A Death by Chocolate Mystery by Sarah Graves, and Death by Iced Coffee: A Bookstore Café Mystery by Alex Erickson.
The Pie Mamas is the true definition of what it means to “keep it in the family.” Anna Covarrubias, alongside her two sisters, their mom and dad, her own children, and her nieces and nephews, are the driving force behind the Fresno-based bakery, The Pie Mamas.
