After a year and a half of waiting, brothers Tony and Kelvin Doan officially opened their second location of Saigon Brothers in Northridge on the corner of Nordhoff St. and Reseda Blvd, mere minutes away from their alma mater, Cal State Northridge. “We have the original location in Simi Valley, Bamboo Café. This Saigon Brothers is me and my brother,
Read more
When Trixie Calapatia started Bear and Belle’s Bakery, the desire for a healthier lifestyle for her and her family was the goal and the motivation. Her family includes two furry friends, Mozart and Lucille. “I started to realize the ingredients found in the processed foods I had at home truly lacked real nutrition, even more so in the treats and
Read more
The Panorama City Rock Garden started in May 31, 2020 by Javier Mejia as a response to the piled up garbage in the area, a common issue in the Northeast Valley where some small spaces in neighborhoods are consistently used as dumping grounds. One day, Mr. Mejia decided to pick up the trash being dumped at this space and decided
Read more
What do (818) locals Alexander Orozco (the Hood Foodie), Marie Salazar (owner of the 818 Pop Up Shop), Joel Gonzalez (Head Chef of Mariscos Corona), Nestor Aguilar (The 818 Insider) have in common? Apart from being from the San Fernando Valley, of course! Give up? Each of them own shoes specifically tailored to their brand. And the team behind the
Read more
Back in 2006 when the “Real Housewives of Orange County” was gaining popularity, one of my co-workers and I would joke around and say that they should include one for the San Fernando Valley. We envisioned ourselves traipsing around Ventura Blvd, going on shopping sprees, spas, and maybe having a mimosa or two at 10 a.m.—because you know it’s 5
Read more
Italian multi-media artist Milena Mortati is the heart and the founder of CRE8, a start up multimedia platform designed by artist for artist. In an interview with Voyage LA in November 2020, Milena shares her love for art and her journey as an artist for the past two decades: “Instead of pointing out what sets me apart, I’d love to
Read more
Phil Leonard’s passion of murals started in 1992 while attending California State University, Northridge (CSUN), as a Psychology student. “They were adding the wings to the Oviatt Library. There were some graffiti artists that did graf art on the construction walls. Fast forward to after the 1994 Northridge earthquake in 1994 and they were doing construction to the new Media
Read more
Sherwin Antonio and Kirk Nishikawa met in high school during the 90s: the age of baggy pants, Cool Water, and Tommy Hilfiger Jackets. It was a shared love of cars that brought these two together. Fast forward to December 5, 2015, these lifelong friends decided to open Brewyard Beer Company, the very first micro-brewery in their hometown of Glendale, CA.
Read more
Ube, where? Ube-r there…(lip pointing optional). Maybe that was funnier in my head than in actual print. But, if you are a HUGE fan of UBE (sweet yam), then maybe it wasn’t too over the top? In mid-June, Café 86, a popular Filipino owned café known for its Ube treats and drinks, opene its new Northridge location just months after
Read more
Jason Lustina, owner of the popular baking enterprise Brown Baked Desserts, just happened to fall into baking. “It wasn’t something that I thought would turn into a hobby or even business. I did the typical chocolate chip cookies, waffles, Rice Krispies treats. One day, a thought came into my head, ‘Could I incorporate traditional Filipino flavors into these desserts that
Read more
If you walk into Plaza Del Valle, right next to the playground, you will find the newest collectible store in Panarama City, the Flipz Collectibles. Owned by 818 local, Jonathan Mendez, the shop opened about four months ago and boasts of an extensive collection of Funko! Pops, anime posters, as well as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards. A man of
Read moreCoach Cat, owner and CEO of Cat’s Club Fitness in Sherman Oaks, is no stranger to adversity. Being honorably discharged from the US Army in the late 90s was a devastating blow to what she thought was her destiny. Despite this tragedy, she found a way to survive and carve a new path for herself. “I was homeless, abusing drugs
Read more
MEET THE (818) 