Arts

Oct. 13 - 19, 2021

8 The Daily Aztec

Arts

EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Latinx chef showcases authentic

Mexican dishes on Instagram Live

By Lucelis Martinez STAFF WRITER

San Diego State’s Latinx Student Union (LSU) hosted a cultura en la cocina event on Instagram Live on Friday, Oct. 8.

According to their official page, the LSU addresses the scarcity of Latinxassimilated organizations, community, and representation on SDSU’s campus and established in the fall of 2020.

“Cultura en la cocina” is a virtual event hosted by LSU, which consisted of chef Claudette Zepeda and LSU members cooking a traditional Mexican dish called Carne en su jugo.

According to her personal website, Zepeda is a San-Diego based chef known for her bold approaches to regional Mexican cuisine. She also has a son attending SDSU. During the event, she explained the origins of Carne en su jugo.

The direct translation is “meat in its juice” but Zepeda said the translation is not as appealing in English.

“Omg my mom used to make this all the time,” an anonymous viewer wrote in the Instagram chat box.

The dish comes from Jalisco, from the

Garibaldi family, according to Zepeda.

In 2015, Vice released an article about how the Garibaldis’ chain of restaurants, Karne Garibaldi, holds the Guiness World Record for the fastest ever food service. According to the article, the waiters lay out a full menu in 13.5 seconds.

The article says that carne en su jo is also a regional specialty native to Guadalajara and that it’s the only main course on the menu.

According to Zepeda, the dish cures both heartbreaks and hangovers.

Throughout the Instagram livestream, Zepeda shared personal stories and answered questions from LSU members on the other end of the conversation.

Zepeda said she got her start in the culinary world at an early age since her aunt had a restaurant.

At first, Zepeda said she wanted to be a lawyer. However she grew to love cooking more. Growing up, she would steal her mother’s pot because she was convinced that it somehow made all her mother’s recipes come out better. This laid the foundation for her future career.

While answering a question about working within a male-dominated industry, Zepeda mentioned that she takes power in

her femininity as she’s recognized by her Oaxacan earrings and red lips.

Zepeda also said she learned how to stand on her own in the industry.

“I made very specific strategic moves for who I wanted to work with,” Zepeda said.

She said she only likes working with people she respects and that she can feel the difference between the right tribe and the wrong tribe.

Zepeda has a tattoo alluding to her nickname in Mexico, which is “Mama Bear.” She was asked about how being a young mother affected her and her life.

Zepeda talked about having multiple jobs including one cashing checks, her role as a line cook for a restaurant. Although she would’ve been living on the street, she knew she had to make sure her children were okay. Having people, like her grandma and mom, in her corner helped.

Zepeda has participated in Top Chef season 5 and Top Chef Mexico. Whenever she has upcoming projects she consults it with her family and they tell her that the months she’ll be away are only three months out of their lives.

Challenging herself to confront those challenges made her stronger.

“I came out a better person,” said Zepeda.

Screenshot courtesy of Claudette Zepeda’s Instagram The host of the Instagram live enjoys a local cuisine.

As they talked, Zepeda told the LSU to babysit their food as it cooked.

Zepeda focuses on flavors and lets her heritage shine through all she does.

“If it’s a brown dish, let it be a brown dish.”

Students can keep up to date with LCU events by following their official instagram.

Student musician plays first live show on campus

By Lucelis Martinez STAFF WRITER

Joaquin Paez performed 11 original songs at the second Nooner event of the fall 2021 semester.

The Aztec Student Union hosted the event on Oct.8.

According to the official website, Nooner is an opportunity for people on campus to hear a local artist for an hour, in the Aztec Student Union.

Paez is a junior at San Diego State, majoring in psychology. He had gone to the nooner performances during his freshman year and said he was always jealous of the performers but unsure on how to perform.

“I was at a party the other day and I met Lindsay,” said Paez.

Lindsay Scholbrock, the Music and Entertainment Chair for the Aztec Student Union. A conversation emerged where Paez showed Scholbrock his music and she showed support for it before they got onto the topic of the Nooner series. Paez then found out Scholbrock ran the music events at SDSU.

Paez said he comes from Ecuadorian heritage and lived in New Jersey before coming to SDSU. He has two songs up on his verified Spotify account. He performed both of these songs at the Nooner. One of the songs,“Prescription Medicine,” generated a lot of audience feedback.

“And are we enough to save each other? Enough to save ourselves,” Paez sings in “Prescription Medicine.” “I know we’re broken, but sleep now I’ll call you in the morning. The phone ring reminds me we’re still breathing and your voice is like prescription medicine.”

Paez said the song was inspired by a relationship he had with a girl named Bella, which is the name of his other song on Spotify.

“It’s about us both being in a very dark place, and finding hope with each other and like only with each other,” said Paez.

Both “Prescription Medicine” and “Bella” make lyrical references to pills.

Paez said this is both a metaphor for their love, but also an allusion to the love-hate relationship he has with his depression and

Photo by Cristina Lombardo Nooner check-in poster promoting Joaquin Paez.

anxiety medication.

“I knew I had chemical imbalances in my brain that I needed to take care of,” said Paez, “A lot of my songwriting reflected this desire for medicine or like an external form of help and then, once I did get on medication it was a big war for me in my head kind of like hating medication and also being grateful that it’s kind of helping me.”

Paez said he likes to reflect his internal struggles in his songs.

“Emotional pain is 100% my biggest inspiration,” said Paez.

The independent artist started learning how to play the guitar in the eighth grade, but he said he didn’t start taking it seriously until his sophomore year of high school.

“When I discovered songwriting, I became addicted to it,” said Paez. “I wanted to write about everything that I was going through.”

For Paez, that trend has continued. He was a part of Aztec Music Group during his first year at SDSU and was inspired by artists like Jeremy Zucker. Music is a therapeutic process for Paez, and he said

he feels like his Spotify is outdated since he has changed in many ways recently. He’s also been inspired by his time in quarantine.

“They’re all very ruminative, like I’m having a conversation with myself in my head,” said Paez, “And that’s one thing I like about songwriting is I can talk to myself or about myself.”

Paez had friends in the front row, listening in on his performance.

Andrew Valencia, a junior majoring in biology, was amongst them.

“I was walking by the Union and I saw the billboard of him come up,” Valencia said, “It was so dope because it looked so professional and gave him a lot of attention.”

Valencia said he had chills and that it was nice to see Paez show so much passion.

Bryce Mendoza is a third year financing major, who was in charge of mixing the sound for Paez during the event.

He said he felt the event went well.

“It was the first event I had been able to run for a while so that was exciting,” Mendoza said.

Paez said he felt relieved after his performance, because he was really nervous beforehand.

“I’m glad I didn’t mess up too bad,” Paez said.

Paez was happy about the crowd support. Out of the 11 songs he performed, he felt “Bella” was the best received. He was also excited to perform an unreleased song at the end of his performance.

“I have that bridge where I haven’t really done something as intense before so I enjoyed that one,” Paez said.

Paez ended his performance with a resounding message.

“Thank you so f****** much to everyone that came,and I’m glad people are willing to listen to my s***,” Paez said.

Photo by Cristina Lombardo Paez performed 11 songs during his Nooner set and he felt his song “Bella” was recieved best.

Oct. 13 - 19, 2021 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Arts The Daily Aztec 9

Gossip Grill is more than just a woman-forward bar

By Brittany Cruz-Fejeran STAFF WRITER

Dumpling Dash: Din Tai Fung

A drag queen performing at Gossip Grill got on stage and told everyone jokingly whoever did not have a female body part to leave. Minutes later, she got up and apologized about what she said. Catalina, a drag queen who also performed at the bar, said she was relieved when her fellow queen apologized.

Gossip Grill is not a lesbian bar, said Moe Girtin, owner of the bar and nightclub. It is a woman-forward bar that plays with everyone.

“I thought using the word ‘lesbian’ pigeon-holed us,” she said. “Everyone who identifies at all with the woman inside them, even if it’s 10%, this is your bar.”

Women bars are closing down because it is more acceptable to be queer, according to Girtin.

“It used to be unsafe to go to nongay bars. You might be harassed,” she said. “[But] you can go anywhere now.”

There is not as big of a demand for women or queer bars, but a safe place to retreat and be around like-minded people still needed.

“You just hear so many stories about how safe spaces change your life, it gives you a sense of community,” Girtin said.

Joey Adams, an employee at Gossip Grill for eight years said he felt at home the moment he stepped through the door. This is the longest job he has ever stayed at in San Diego, according to Adams.

Jen Griebel, another employee, said before she started working there she felt like this was the only place she could be herself.

“I lived a lot of my life thinking I was straight and when there were days in my life where I was trying to figure out who I was, Gossip was a place where I would come and hang out,” Griebel said. “It is the one place where I felt like I could fully be myself when I came out as a lesbian. So I am living my best life honestly.”

It was once the only women-forward space in San Diego and is one of 21 women bars in the nation, according to The Lesbian Bar Project.

But Gossip Grill has a secret lover who lives across the street and her name is Barrel & Board.

The new upscale LGBTQ+ bar restaurant and event space is Gossip Grill’s classy

Photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran Gossip Grill is one of 21 women bars in the U.S., providing a safe haven for San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community.

girlfriend specializing in woman-forward spirits and wine.

“[Gossip Grill] is the type that just wants to have fun and dance the night away... throwing money at Drag Queens. Barrel is the more sophisticated one that likes ‘boujee’ stuff like nice bottles of wine and whiskey. They are a power couple,” Girtin said.

Girtin manages both places, but like all success stories, the birth of this power couple started with a leap of faith.

Girtin was a bartender at Baja Betty’s before opening up Gossip Grill in 2009. She said she turned down the opportunity to establish it twice before giving in on the third time. Baja Betty’s paid well with very little responsibility, she was getting stagnant and realized it was time for her to make a change, Girtin said.

“It was a very large pay cut to [leave Baja Betty’s], but it was an investment,” she said. “Sometimes you gotta take a step back to go forward in the future.”

The only thing she demanded was that it be a “woman’s bar” and not use the word “lesbian.” She said she wanted to use the word “woman” as an umbrella term for whoever identifies at all with the female inside them.

With only a few women bars left in the nation, Gossip Grill’s safe environment is sacred to some frequent visitors.

The place was exploding at the seams within the first six months of opening up. The community was starving for a womenforward safe space and their first small

location could not quench that hunger. Their current location has been home for them for seven years.

Girtin said Gossip Grill plays with everyone, but keeps things around the club like woman portraits on the wall, vagina piñatas and “Welcome home, Beautiful” neon signs greeting you at the dance floor, to emphasize that woman’s touch.

When on the dance floor, look up above the mirrored wall to find Anastasia Beaverhausen poised in a glass box watching over the party. She is the Keeper of the Dance Floor.

Girtin emphasizes that Gossip Grill is also a community center and a home for many. She said it is a natural instinct for some to call the bar and ask for help. People also come whenever something happens: whether it be the shooting in Orlando, President Joe Biden’s inauguration or Southern California’s 2010 blackout. The Gossip Grill team will pull out the candles and serve business as usual.

Gossip Grill also has a place to remember those lost in the LGBTQ+ community. The disco ball Bette Midler, singer and songwriter used to come down from during her Las Vegas performances is now a shrine where anyone who has lost a loved one can put a memory of them in the disco ball to watch over others on the dance floor.

“You don’t think you need the spaces until you do,” she said. “Or if you come in for the first time and you’re like ‘wow, why isn’t this in every city?’ It’s definitely needed and there is gonna be a comeback.”

By Jessica Octavio SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Nestled in the corner of La Jolla’s UTC Westfield Mall is the San Diego branch of Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese franchise that’s bringing its cuisine —and most notably its soup dumplings — across the globe.

Xiao long bao, or Shanghai-style soup dumplings, are traditionally stuffed with pork and broth, wrapped in thin dough and filled with the broth that gives them their name. Since 2018, Din Tai Fung has been teaching San Diegans how to love this Asian comfort food.

Before you even sit down, it becomes clear that dining at Din Tai Fung is going to be a noteworthy experience. You walk up to the hostess, and on most days, they’ll probably tell you the wait is an hour to an hour and a half and they’ll text you when your table is ready after you’ve had a chance to walk around the mall.

The attention to detail in the service was impressive. Our server was sure to show us how to prepare our sauce: three parts vinegar to one part soy sauce with a dash of ginger. Each dish came out one by one, so we never had to take a bite of cold food. I was with one of my friends and we ordered six dishes between the two of us, and the server was sure to be mindful of my friend’s pescatarian diet, making sure there was something she could eat at the table at all times.

The pork soup dumpling was definitely worth the hype. Whether you pop them in your mouth whole or poke the skin of the dumpling to slurp out the broth first, the Din Tai Fung soup dumplings make a perfect treat for cloudy, fall days in San Diego.

The soup dumplings, along with the crescent-shaped vegan dumplings and the sticky rice and kurobuta pork shu mai, were easily inducted into the “clean plate club” (as Binging with Babish host Andrew Rea would say). The chewy, savory shrimp rice cakes were great too, but the proteincarb-veggie ratio left me wanting more shrimp and rice cakes to go with my surplus onions and bok choy.

For dessert, we had the sweet taro xiao long bao and the popular and highly recommended chocolate and mochi xiao long bao. For those who are unfamiliar, taro is a sweet, purple root vegetable that’s common in Southeast Asian and the Pacific Islands.

As a sweet tooth and chocolate lover, I definitely preferred the chocolate and mochi dumplings. Dark, rich, melting chocolate wrapped up in a dumpling was like edible hot cocoa. The taro dumplings were a good option for people looking for a more subtle dessert, but to me, it was one of the least interesting dumplings to eat in terms of taste and texture.

Next time you have a few hours to kill and a craving for dumplings, consider stopping by Westfield UTC and checking out Din Tai Fung for yourself.

Photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran Gossip Grill’s drink selection includes Shark Bait, Bullet Proof and high and tight but the great drink selection isn’t the only reason why people come to the famous restaurant.

Photo by Jessica Octavio

Taro xiao long bao is one of Din Tai Fung’s well-known desserts.