When metro Phoenix residents hear of Filipino food, most think of lumpia, pancit, adobo and lechon — traditional Filipino fare. But chef Dennis Villafranca refers to his creations as atypical, not because he serves obscure dishes from his family’s homeland of the Philippines, but due to his unique style of cooking. “Traditionalists comment and say I’m […]
One of the largest and oldest traditional holidays in China is the Lunar New Year, which this year starts on January 22. The first day of the celebration varies from year to year, depending on when the moon lines up with the sun and the Earth. After that, the festivities go on for 15 days. […]
“Hoomaka hou” means new beginnings in the Hawaiian language and represents chef Turbo Zha’s quest at Hawaiian BBQ Nishikawa Ramen in Chandler. Zha moved to the metro Phoenix area last year from Hawaii and is bringing a taste of the islands and his heritage to the Valley. “I stayed on the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu for 13 […]
By Mike Madriaga I’ve seen thousands of catfish,” George Scalo said, “but I have never seen a catfish look like that before.” Scalo, a ranger specialist for the city of Escondido, spoke about the piebald catfish caught at Lake Wohlford on Sept. 14. The fish is also referred to as a “cowfish” because of its […]
By Mike Madriaga This month, those who live in Lemon Grove were soured by the grand opening of a Popeyes restaurant. “Just two days open has already made it impossible to navigate the parking lot by Bank of America, as the [Popeyes] drive-thru line extends into the narrow exit onto Central!” exclaimed Charlie on our […]
Caroline Serrano is a 43-year-old housewife from the Vista Pacifica community of south San Diego, near the Otay Mesa border crossing and nearer to the Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. On Wednesday (October 25) she was concerned that the traffic buildup to the Luke Bryan concert prevented quick access to her neighborhood. “All these years Vista Pacifica […]
By Mike Madriaga On November 29, the Mexicali side of the Zona Centro border crossing was blocked by protesters demanding the jail release of Sunshine Antonio Rodríguez Peña, the organizer of the fishing communes in San Felipe. Rodríguez was stopped by Mexican federal agents on November 25 when he was driving with his family from […]
Fredcel is located in the oddest place for a Filipino restaurant — in Cherokee Point, at 3876 38th St., behind the Family Dollar store. “Pare (dude in tagalog), we made [and sold] about 6,000 lumpias today (April 15),” said Erick Rodriguez, as he helped his patrons load their aluminum trays overflowing with lumpias, into their minivans. Erick, […]
Pizzeria Luigi is only an eight-minute walk from City College. It is an affordable Italian restaurant located in the heart of Golden Hill at 1137 25th Ave. The place serves pizzas, ricotta pies, pasta, wings, sandwiches, beer and much more. For students, they have a great deal: two large slices of pizza and a soda […]