The February/March issue of The Riversider Magazine

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Inland Exposures

The Riversider | February/March 2023

Last light of the day at Cucumonga Peak and Mt. Rubidoux.

by Julian Jolliffe

The Riversider Magazine
Photo
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The Riversider Magazine February/March 2023 Volume 3 issue 1 6

DEPARTMENTS

4 Inland Exposures

Highlighting our best images of Riverside

Photography by Julian Jolliffe

8 Love Letter To Riverside

We're excited about T.R.O.G.!

12 Riverside's Finest Ofelia Valdez Yeager

14 Local Retailer Mi Cultura

16 Hidden Gems

18 Eastside Arthouse Meet Maryam Crogman

20 Arts

Voodoo Glow Skulls

22 Local Hustle Vegancitas Restaurant Review

42 Arlington Sam's Pita & Kabab

44 Bar & Restaurant Guide The Riversider ’s guide to all the best bars and eateries

54 Postcards From Yesterday First National Bank

FEATURES

24 The Brockton Arcade

How this mid-century icon is becoming an arts epicenter

28 The Race of Gentlemen Riverside is the new destination for vintage hot rod events

34 Historical Riverside

The Neighbors of Woodcraft Home and the rise of California Baptist University

Donut Tyme
CORDNER
ZACH
Some of T.R.O.G.'s dream machines at Flabob Airport.
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Love Letter to Riverside

Late winter is one of our favorite times of the year to enjoy Riverside. The crisp-clear air and snow-capped mountains offer beautiful vistas from every part of town. You can take long walks along Victoria Avenue without overheating or hike Sycamore Canyon while it’s lush and green. We encourage you to get out and take advantage of the cool, dry weather with your friends and family.

Our cover feature is the Race of Gentlemen held this year at our very own Flabob Airport in Rubidoux. It was a unique and exhilarating experience watching vintage hot rods and motorcycles dueling it out on the air strip. It’s quite a site and sound! They will be coming back to Flabob April 14-16, and we recommend getting your tickets soon as

thousands of hot rod enthusiasts will be flocking to Flabob!

We are happy to support the arts and culture of Riverside by featuring the up and coming Gramercy Art Gallery in the Brockton Arcade. Our feature focuses on the creation and evolution of the mid-century Brockton Arcade from the sixties to now. It’s our hope that, by Gramercy planting the seed, more artistic talent will bloom. This could revitalize an important and historic city center and help The Arcade step into a new artsfriendly era.

This issue, we are thrilled to present an article written by a senior student from Martin Luther King Jr. High School. It is the Hidden Gem column

and the spotlight is on family-owned Donut Tyme found in the Canyon Crest Towne Centre. They were hand selected by none other than our quite picky nephew, Kimo Figueroa. We’ve known for years that if he likes it, then pretty much everyone will like it. We couldn’t be prouder to have his work in the pages of our magazine.

The Riversider Magazine
ZACH CORDNER
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Always epic views from the March Field Air Museum.

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Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit properties already listed.
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February/March

Co-Publisher

Alondra Figueroa alondra@theriversider.com

Co-Publisher

Zach Cordner zach@theriversider.com

Design Director/Co-Founder

Dwayne Carter dwayne@theriversider.com

Editor at Large

Ken Crawford ken@theriversider.com

Associate Editor Mano Mirandé mano@theriversider.com

Copy Editor

Shelby Rowe

Marketing Director/Hypeman

Jarod DeAnda jarod@theriversider.com

Advertising

Please contact: advertising@theriversider.com

Contributors

Julian Jolliffe, Cate Moses, H. Vincent Moses PhD, Kimo Figueroa, Chris Napolitano, Philip Falcone

Special Thanks:

Kaitlin Bilhartz, Patricia Lock Dawson, Philip Falcone, Jeremy Leyva, Shane Clark, Evelyn Cordner, Jack Amarillas, The Standerfer Family, Amber Lussier, Leslee Gaul, Lucia Winsor, Riverside Museum, and all of our advertisers.

Distribution

Kimo Figueroa, Abijah Hensley

Dedicated to the memory of Aaron Schmidt 1972-2022

Facebook.com/TheRiversiderMagazine

The Riversider Magazine
@riversidermag All inquiries, please contact info@theriversider.com Published by: Riversider Media, Inc. ©2023 The Riversider Magazine 17130 Van Buren Blvd. #595 Riverside, CA 92504 On the Cover: Vintage Hot Rods and Harleys line up at Riverside's Flabob Airport. Photo by Zach Cordner
2023 THERIVERSIDER.COM To advertise in Please e-mail: advertising@theriversider.com Facebook.com/TheRiversiderMagazine @riversidermag Volume 3 issue 1

February 25-May 28, 2023

Land of Milk & Honey is organized by Ed Gomez, Luis G. Hernandez, Rosalía Romero, and April Lillard-Gomez. Focused on concepts of agriculture in the regions of California and Mexico and drawing inspiration from John Steinbeck’s portrayal of the region as a corrupted Eden, the exhibition questions ethical, cultural, and regional practices related to foodways and the venture from seed to table.

This project was made possible with support from the Mellon Foundation, and the California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support provided by a 2022 American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Sustaining Public Engagement Grant, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative.Land of Milk & Honey is organized by the MexiCali Biennial.

thecheechcenter.org • 3581 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501 • @thecheechcenter

Riverside's Finest Ofelia Valdez Yeager

Ofelia Valdez Yeager has been a Riversider since 1965 when she graduated from UCR and chose to make Riverside her home. She became an educator with a variety of roles like resource and substitute teacher. Ofelia’s husband taught at Longfellow Elementary where she often worked and their children also attended. She was focused on bilingual education, as well as supporting all students’ success by galvanizing parent involvement in the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) as president for many years.

Ofelia’s long time dedication to education only expanded as she became the first Latina RUSD School Board Member in 1992. While serving, she honed her efforts on outreach to the Latino community and spearheaded hiring the first translator, which helped families access information where there had previously been a language barrier. This is huge and, as a fellow educator that came to the field years later, I am truly grateful for the hard work of Ofelia Valdez Yeager who highlighted the critical needs of our Spanish speaking families and handled things. Now, translation services are part of the norm and easy to access at all school sites!

Ofelia has always been active in Riverside’s community and is a founding member of the Latino Network, an organization that gives a forum to address issues affecting Riverside’s

large Latino population. She has also served on the RUSD Bond Measure committee. She is truly a powerhouse with nothing but love for her city and it shows in everything she does.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Ofelia about some of her recent accomplishments, what she’s been working on, and some of what’s next.

We know Valdez Yeager as one of Riverside’s finest for so many reasons, but most recently Ofelia was instrumental in raising millions of dollars to ensure The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture came to fruition. What a tremendous feat considering it was at the height of COVID! Ofelia humbly reminds me that she didn’t do it all alone and credits a team of people who all did their own special part to bring The Cheech to life.

Valdez Yeager continues to support education through her work at UCR as a longtime executive board member of the Alumni association. When asked, she shared that she was one of five Educational Opportunity Scholarship recipients and feels that she is paying back by supporting scholarships for students and making it easier for all students to access higher education. She often focuses her support to help undocumented students get the education they deserve. Ofelia also chairs the Alumni Awards committee, which recognizes distinguished alumni to highlight their service.

Ofelia shared that while she isn’t currently working on any big projects, she thinks “one is never done with serving the city you live in,” and hopes there is more she can contribute to. We absolutely know there is, as this lovely lady continues to be a champion of the growing Latino community and Riverside as a whole. It’s important to mention that recently, Ofelia was one of the wonderful recipients of the 2023 Beautification Award for historical and cultural preservation for her contribution to The Cheech.

When asked what’s next for her, Ofelia is quick to mention her husband, Ley, and her amazing grandchildren: Henry, Felix, and Amelia Bea who live down the street from her. She proudly mentions they have all been part of the dual language immersion program at Washington Elementary. Ofelia is looking forward to traveling the world with them and recently took them all to Mexico City to flex their Spanish speaking muscles and to enjoy the brilliant art the wonderful city has to offer. She felt it was very powerful to help connect the things they have seen at the museums to real life and their Mexican culture.

We look forward to seeing Ofelia Valdez Yeager continue helping others with her consistent dedication to higher education and highlighting the beauty of Riverside. She is the true embodiment of being one of Riverside’s Finest.

The Riversider Magazine
WORDS: ALONDRA FIGUEROA PHOTO: ZACH CORDNER
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When I see all the young people going through The Cheech...it is just fantastic!”

Mi Cultura

Despite rapid commercial growth in recent years, Riverside has maintained its long support of family-owned businesses and recognized their contribution to the city’s identity. This attracted Elizabeth Becerra to the area, as she searched for a location to open her first retail business.

While driving through downtown Riverside with her husband, a “For Lease” sign in the window of a charming brick building unexpectedly caught her attention. After a closer look, Elizabeth felt an immediate connection to the space and the surrounding area, as she describes, “I just feel that Riverside called to me, like it was meant to be.” With the help of her youngest daughter, Kassandra, Mi Cultura opened its doors in October of 2022 in the heart of downtown Riverside on 6th St. and the Main Street promenade.

Raised in the border town of San Ysidro just south of San Diego, this mother of three moved to the Inland Empire in 2003 where she and her husband, Raul, owned a commercial plumbing company. After the couple purchased a home in 2020, Elizabeth decided to decorate the interior

with Mexican folk art and handmade crafts to celebrate her Mexican heritage and love for its culture. When she began looking for items to decorate their home, she found it difficult to find local shops that offered a selection of authentic Mexican goods. Soon after, while visiting Raul’s family in Guadalajara, Elizabeth found local tienditas and mercados filled with beautiful handmade crafts, textiles, and clothing. Impressed with their variety and quality, she purchased the items straight from the source and shipped them back home.

This gave Elizabeth the idea of bringing the authentic feel and experience of shopping in a Mexican mercado home to the Inland Empire. While she continues to travel throughout Mexico hand-picking quality items to stock Mi Cultura, Elizabeth’s 20-year-old daughter, Kassandra, and her longtime friend, Jessica McIntyre, manage the store and its inventory.

Upon entering Mi Cultura, customers are met with a wall-to-wall collection of sarapes, pillows, and clothing, as well as pottery, jewelry,

and Mexican treats. Its centerpiece features a vibrant mural depicting a catrina surrounded by dozens of butterflies, hand-painted by local muralist Juan Navarro and fellow artists from the Eastside Arthouse. Along with this support for local art, Mi Cultura has become much more than just a retail space. It welcomes customers of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to enjoy a unique shopping experience and provide an opportunity to learn more about and appreciate Mexican culture.

Since its opening, Mi Cultura has received an abundance of positive feedback and support. It has earned its place among Riverside’s legacy of family-owned businesses and has become a welcome addition to the local community.

The Riversider Magazine Mi Cultura 3737 6th Street (951) 233-1960 @miculturariverside Local Retailer The Riversider | February/March 2023
WORDS: MANO MIRANDÉ PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
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(L to R): Jessica McIntyre, Owner Elizabeth Becerra and Kassandra Becerra.

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Hidden Gems

Donut Tyme

Growing up in Riverside , I was no stranger to the Canyon Crest Towne Centre. This small, but lively shopping district is home to plenty of establishments, eateries, and shops that I always enjoyed going to with my grandparents who live nearby. The humble, but memorable Donut Tyme has always been a favorite of mine to this day. Their fresh, flavorful donuts and friendly staff make for a great experience that will surely satisfy your hunger whenever you’re craving a delicious treat.

Seventy-nine year old Chi Chau and his family have operated this donut shop since the early 1980s. A little-known fact is that the original Donut Tyme was opened in the Tyler area. The Chau family eventually sold their Tyler location and set up shop in Canyon Crest in the same building that was once home to a Yum Yum Donuts. Since then, the Chau family has made a name for their business as a beloved core part of the Towne Center and the community with their warm atmosphere and

wonderful donuts. Mr. Chau’s daughter, Evelyn, is the current owner; she took over as the head of the business after her father retired.

Their specialties include the best-selling apple fritter, maple bar, ham and cheese croissant, bran muffin, and the glazed donut. Their apple fritter donuts are covered in a sweet, crisp coating of golden brown cinnamon. Their glazed donuts are a simple, but delectable classic; to this day they are one of my personal favorites. Another delicacy that never fails is their chocolate donuts. The rich, flavorful chocolate coating never falls short of being awesome. In addition to their wide variety of high quality donuts, pastries, and other food items, you can even buy some lottery tickets if you’re feeling lucky. You may even remember in 2016 when one fortunate man bought a winning $22 million lottery ticket from this very donut shop!

The Chau family plans on continuing to do what they do best; serving amazing, high-quality

donuts that are made with care for their customers. Their warm and friendly staff operates the shop from 4:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 4:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. With their comfy indoor and outdoor seating, Donut Tyme, a true hidden gem, is the perfect spot to kick back and relax with a donut and a cup of coffee in the evening. It’s just as good if you’d like to swing by and grab a quick breakfast croissant or donut before heading to work any day of the week.

The Riversider Magazine
WORDS: KIMO FIGUEROA PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
February/March 2023
Donut Tyme 5225 Canyon Crest Dr. (951) 788-3885 The
Riversider
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Owner Evelyn Chau

THANK YOU RIVERSIDE

Many memories of this city before we see it today They all hinge backwards as we move forward, to what we were, and what we are now We admire our lineage here, from our parents, grandparents, and beyond that. Who once walked where we walk today and once lived where we live today We understand the necessity of our generations to know exactly where they lived and what will tie them to the land they live in if they understand it, then they will respect it, and maybe even break generational afflictions and hopefully embrace generational happiness. We all come from somewhere and we are Riverside natives through and through

As we frequent our town, we love what remains untouched and we must appreciate what had to be touched and moved to make wa y for progress From historical sites, to Mt .Rubidoux, to gazing over the Riverbottom looking towards Corona on a fall evening watching the sunset can be one of the most exciting sunsets we will ever see We will forever have faith in our City and hold love in our hearts for its history and future May our eyes always stay focused and affixed and pray our children and our children’s children will cheri sh this town the way we have it today.

-(M+C) Riversiders

Our Real Estate Legacy - "selling riverside for generations"

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PHOTO:MOSES GONZALEZ @MG3 MEDIA BEAUTIFY RIVERSIDE INTIATIVE MURAL BY: EKATERINA @ORLOVIE

Meet YOUR LOCAL ARTIST!

Age: 42

Occupation: Artist

Instagram: @almatreb

Website: www.almatreb.com

Her grandmother, a basket artist, father, a guitar composer and mother, a portrait artist-- every fiber of Maryam Crogman’s being is infused with art.

Maryam is a multicultural and multilingual artist who draws from personal experiences to create awe-inspiring art. Raised on several different continents,

she developed an appreciation for the differences in creativity across cultures.

“My art is infused with my roots and travels. I translate all the vibrations I have received from these cultures into my work.”

Maryam is mainly inspired by her Western and Afro-Caribbean roots, African and Afro-American art, street art, pop art, European impressionism, pointillism, pattern and decoration.

She merges simple-minimal lines,

bold colors and silver/golds, patterns, symbols and textures to masterfully create art that invites the viewer to take a look into the stories and dreams of marginalized communities and confront prejudice and discrimination.

“Up to adulthood, I struggled with my racial identity. Skin color and racial divide always tore me apart. So through art, I speak.”

She lives by the motto, “create as you are,” a statement of acceptance and respect for diversity of thoughts, skin

The Riversider Magazine 18

color, backgrounds and beliefs.

Maryam surrounds herself with other artists and believes that has greatly contributed to her growth. One of those artists is Juan Navarro, Founder/CEO of Eastside Arthouse.

Maryam met Juan Navarro and Rosy Cortez (artist at Eastside Arthouse), at the Riverside Arts Walk. A few months later, she visited the Eastside Arthouse, and shared “I walked

through the doors and never left.” Juan and the Arthouse allowed her to truly see herself as an artist and advance in her professional career as one.

Maryam is the founder of L’Expression Creative Studios, a paint party company and art center with classes open to all ages and skills located in Riverside.

Maryam is versed in many things--

author, professor, and researcher but art remains her first love.

“My priority is to build tribes who love to create, be together, and explore their own limits through art, discussion, and seeking the beauty in everyone.”

Inspired by the world around her and supported deeply by her husband Horace, family, friends, and other artists, Maryam creates thoughtful and liberating art.

Maryam’s work will be featured at the Ontario Museum of History and Arts exhibiting for We The People: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, a statement on issues of oppression beginning February 2 - April 16. In addition, Rebirths You And Drowns You, a piece part of her Chain series will be displayed.

EASTSIDE ARTHOUSE 4177 Park Avenue www.eastsidearthouse.studio @eastsidearthouse
“I walked through the doors and never left.”
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Who Do Voodoo We Do?

WORDS: MANO MIRANDÉ

From the sweaty mosh pits of DIY punk clubs to the Hollywood heyday of “Hair Metal” bands on the Sunset Strip, the Los Angeles music scene thrived during the late 1980’s and its influence spread from suburban America to audiences around the globe. It was during this time that Eddie Casillas and his brother’s, Frank and Jorge, love for punk, rock, and metal was at its peak, after being transplanted as adolescents from their Los Angeles birthplace to the newly developed tract homes of suburban Riverside.

Long before the age of modern distractions like iPhones and social media, America’s youth fought boredom through creative outlets like skateboarding, BMX, and musical instruments–and the Casillas brothers were no exception. Eddie and his younger brother, Jorge, diligently practiced learning guitar and bass respectively with their childhood friend, Jerry O’Neill, joining them on drums soon after. With the eventual addition of their older brother, Frank, on lead vocals, they formed a band in 1988 that introduced a unique blend of metal, punk, and ska the world had never heard – The Voodoo Glow Skulls.

Sons of working-class immigrants, the Casillas brothers came from humble beginnings and embraced their Mexican heritage and its language as they adapted to American culture. Music was always at the heart of the Casillas household growing up, sparked by their father’s love of American Soul and Oldies. Eddie recalls childhood

memories of their mother buying each of them one 45-record on regular trips to local department stores like Gemco and Zody’s where they discovered a variety of popular groups from The Bee Gees and Eric Clapton, to Kiss and Motley Crüe.

1990's promo

The Riversider | February/March 2023 The Riversider Magazine
In high school, Frank identified as a “mod” and embraced its 1960’s culture and fashion by wearing parkas covered in band patches and pins, pork pie hats, and owning a Vespa scooter. He introduced his siblings to more obscure musical 20

genres like British two-tone ska with bands like The Specials, Madness, and The Selecter, as well as Jamaican ska and reggae pioneers, Toots and the Maytals and The Skatalites. This early introduction to ska became the final ingredient in The Voodoo Glow Skulls’ unique blend of genres as they began performing live at local backyard parties and shows.

The Casillas brothers immersed themselves in the thriving Riverside music scene when it erupted in the early 1990’s and frequented allages shows at local venues like Spanky’s, Monopoly’s, and The Barn. Influenced by the raw talent of local bands, including Spiderworks, The Smokestacks, and The Skeletones, while witnessing longtime influences like LA punk-funk legends Fishbone and The Red Hot Chili Peppers live for the first time, they quickly transitioned from backyard parties to sharing the stage with the very bands they grew up admiring. With the addition of a

horn section, the lineup was complete and The Voodoo Glow Skulls released their debut album, “Who Is, This Is,” on local independent label Dr. Strange Records in 1993. Voodoo’s unique mix of punk, rock, and ska appealed to a wider audience and the album quickly sold 25,000 copies, earning them international recognition and immortalizing the album as a ska-punk classic.

After opening for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at Spanky’s in 1994, the hugely popular East Coast ska outfit invited Voodoo to join them as main support on their upcoming national tour. This would be the first of many tours in the following years as their fanbase continued to grow. This rising popularity coupled with the success of their debut album caught the attention of Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz, who signed the band to his independent label Epitaph Records in 1995.

The Voodoo Glow Skulls released their sophomore album Firme the same year under

the direction of acclaimed Rage Against the Machine producer, Garth Richardson, which included a rendition of The Coasters’ hit song “Charlie Brown” as an ode to their father’s early musical influence. They released an entire version of Firme in Spanish in 1996, acknowledging their MexicanAmerican roots and gained a crossover fanbase of Spanish-speaking fans throughout the United States and Latin America.

Nearly four decades later, The Voodoo Glow Skulls continue to tour internationally while their roots remain firmly based in their native Riverside soil. From opening their own record store, “Cheap Guy Records,” in the 1990’s, which served as a DIY venue and hosted hundreds of all-ages shows, to currently operating “Dog Run Studios” where local bands record, The Voodoo Glow Skulls continue to give back to the Riverside music scene.

The future remains unwritten for these hometown heroes, but one thing remains certain–they will proudly continue to call Riverside their home, as Eddie jokingly concludes, “I remember when it wasn’t cool to be from Riverside.”

For more info on the Voodoo Glow Skulls go to: voodooglowskullsofficial.com or check them out on Instagram @voodooglowskulls

Voodoo's Eddie Casillas in his Riverside studio.
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ZACH CORDNER

Vegancitas

Offering a delicious variety of home-baked goods from Mexican conchas and cookies to custom cakes and ice cream sandwiches, Vegancitas has become a staple in the local vegan community and general public alike. Food has always been a love language in founder Melissa Martinez’s family where she learned to bake at an early age. After years of dedication, this longtime passion turned into a profession, and the love for her craft can be tasted in every bite.

Born in Moreno Valley, Melissa moved to her father’s native state of Ohio when she was ten years old. Despite attempts to adapt to her new environment while maintaining her identity by baking and dancing Ballet Folklorico, Melissa failed to establish a connection with her foreign surroundings. She returned to visit her grandparents and family every summer, and finally moved back to her Inland Empire home at twenty-one.

By the time she was 28 and working as a social worker, Melissa started a family with her husband, Antonio, and gave birth to their sons, Paolo in 2006 and Joaquin in 2009. Their eldest son, Paolo, struggled with serious food allergies since birth and Melissa was diagnosed with a chronic illness that forced her to leave the workforce soon after.

Faced with the challenge of making necessary adjustments to their diet, the Martinez family looked to vegan options as a healthy alternative. Melissa began baking vegan goods for her friends

and family on a regular basis, which provided a much-needed therapeutic outlet. The more she baked, the more positive feedback she received, and this support encouraged her to expand to a commercial level and brand her product on social media as @vegancita.

It wasn’t long before she caught the attention of and began collaborating with popular “body positivity” influencer @nalgonapositivitypride. Vegancitas’ following quickly grew from 300 followers to 12,000 and in 2017, her husband Antonio left his job and joined Melissa to make Vegancitas a full time profession.

With their sons now in high school, Melissa and Antonio continue to fulfill an impressive number of orders on a weekly basis. Given the limitations of baking from their home oven, they are sometimes able to produce up to fifteen-to-twenty dozen conchas in a single sixteen-hour day.

Despite these challenges, along with balancing the responsibilities of parenthood while battling a chronic illness, Vegancitas created a positive outlet for the Martinez family and has taken their passion for baking to heights they never imagined. They have given so much to their local community and asked for little in return. Their hope for the future is to raise enough funds to open a commercial space that would allow them to produce a higher volume of goods to meet their growing demand. They recently set up a GoFundMe account humbly accepting donations to achieve this goal. If they

receive even a fraction of the love they’ve given, their dream will soon become a reality.

You can support Vegancitas by donating to their GoFundMe and ordering their vegan baked goods online.

Vegancitas

GoFundMe: gofund.me/801f9a70

myvegancitas.com

@vegancita

The Riversider Magazine
Local Hustle
WORDS:MANO MIRANDÉ PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
The Riversider | February/March 2023
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Owner Melissa Martinez
VisitOside.org Scan to explore love,
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O’side. dear rooftop rolling, sandy-toed, rangers of the break, it’s go time.

How This Mid-Century Icon is Becoming an Arts Epicenter

On January 14, 1956, the “high sign” of the Brockton Arcade was hoisted 40-feet into the air as the Arcade’s developer Charles Lord and a slew of contractors—perched atop the roof—shouted out to the crane operator, “to the right—little more, little more!” It would be two months later that this modern glass and chrome shopping center would open—but nearly a decade before the entire vision of the Brockton Arcade would materialize.

For the first half of the 20th century, Downtown Riverside was the location of choice by retailers and customers. By the post-World War II era, the lives and desires of American consumers changed. Urban development and planning of the 1950s and 60s evolved with a greater desire for suburban life, locally causing Riversiders to flee downtown for the middle and western parts of the city.

In this post-war era, orange groves were cleared to make way for highly demanded single family housing. Neighborhoods such as Magnolia Center, the Cowboy Streets, Victoria Woods, and others sprung up in the mid-century and California ranch architectural styles. New residents in this area needed shopping amenities close to home— not requiring them to travel downtown where parking was limited, and the architectural aesthetic was quickly becoming more and more “outdated” compared to the fashionable space age style.

From this desire came the Riverside Plaza, Brockton Arcade, and later, the Tyler Mall. These suburban shopping developments were surrounded by seas of asphalt as the car culture of the 1950s— fueled by the capitalistic boom of the day—made large parking lots an attractive amenity to consumers. The Arcade often boasted “plenty of free parking” as their tagline in Riverside Daily Press advertisements and the 100 parking stalls, which opened with the first dozen shops, proved the tagline not to be hyperbole.

The Brockton Arcade succeeded despite its proximity to the Riverside Plaza. The Arcade offered smaller, more intimate storefronts and shops, while the Plaza specialized in large-scale shopping such as Harris’ and W. Woolworth department stores.

Despite the four phases of the Arcade constructed within several years of each other and largely utilizing the same architect—Jack Burg, the various phases’ architectural styles are slightly different. Phase I of the Arcade constructed on the eastern side of Brockton Avenue is designed in a simplistic mid-century style with low rooflines, use of exposed fieldstone, and a breezeway corridor with two large rectangular roof cutouts where both Queen Palms and the towering neon sign all stretched through the crushed rock roof to the smoggy Southern California sky.

Today, Kraemer’s Koffee, Angel Thai, and Elliotts for Pets occupy this part of the Arcade with one shop still operating from the original construction—Stephenson Cree clothing for women.

Phase II continued the Arcade to the south, stretching to Nelson Drive and constructed with the commonly used mid-century Orco block, covered overhangs along storefronts, plate glass façade, and the first venture into more Googie mid-century features with the addition of a boomerang, or wedge, shaped roofline. Today, Pietro’s Italian Food and several fitness rooms are a couple of the occupants of this addition.

Phase III is arguably the truest to mid-century form. This phase consists of 1957 and 1958 additions built on the eastern side of Brockton Avenue. Iconic for its most recognizable mid-century features—angular and boomerang rooflines, heavy use of rough stone and lava rock, and mixture of narrow Norman brick and Orco block. At the southeastern corner of this addition, Danny’s Coffee Shop opened—separate from its distantly related counterpart Denny’s on Madison Street. Today this diner unit is occupied by Little Green Onions and the adjacent storefront—Tom’s Shoe Repair—is the second business still in operation from the time of the Arcade’s opening. At the southwestern corner, across Magnolia Avenue from Palm School, Dunn’s Pharmacy offered a

The Riversider Magazine
WORDS: PHILIP FALCONE PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
24

flashy porte-cochère entry through the angular roof overhang supported by rough stone walls.

Across the parking lot is where Charles Lord purchased the triangular parcel, near the convergence of Brockton and Magnolia Avenues, to construct the fourth and final phase of the Arcade. This row of storefronts is where various

types of mid-century brick and block are liberally utilized—Orco block parapets project above the roofline and wall mounted lighting embedded inside hollow blocks cast a linear glow from exterior floor to ceiling overhang. This final phase opened in April 1963. Gillette Records occupied a storefront in this addition for decades and was a popular

record store with an individual listening booth where new records could be sampled by customers. Today, this portion of the Arcade is experiencing a rejuvenation.

As American consumers lost interest in downtowns in the 1950s and 60s, the suburban shopping centers began experiencing blight in the early 2000s and 2010s. Articles on the Brockton Arcade from 2012 reported on the potential of the Arcade as mid-century style began to come into fashion once more. Much of this potential remained as such for the next decade until new, young entrepreneurs saw what was possible with this piece of Riverside history. Most notable in recent years is the opening of Gramercy Art Gallery + Studio—in the former Gillette Records storefront—and Composure Art Studios. Both were the vision of native Riversider and artist Raymond Argumedo who is creating a new arts scene in Magnolia Center.

Raymond grew up on Gramercy Place in the Arlanza neighborhood. He started drawing at the age of seven—bonding with his older brother, Jorge, over their shared love for art. Tragically, at the age of twenty-one, Jorge was killed in a shooting on Gramercy Place. This tragedy impacted Raymond profoundly and he turned to art to express the emotions that can often be difficult to express in words. Similar to the stories of many great artists, events in Raymond’s life shape his art and the style in which his art is produced.

The Magnolia Avenue entrance to the Brockton Arcade with the porte-cochère entrance in the distance.
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COURTESY OF STEVE LECH

BROCKTON

Gramercy Place became a street with many happy, poignant, and painful memories. This mixture of emotions and memories made “Gramercy” a powerful word for Raymond. When the time came to create an art brand—and even explore the idea of an art studio for Raymond to create–Gramercy was the perfect fit.

The search for a studio led to the Brockton Arcade, which had a “For Lease” sign in the

window of the former Gillette Records store. Raymond contacted the owner and by late February 2021, Gramercy Art Gallery + Studio found a home in the Arcade. For the next four months, Raymond labored on renovations— removing years of botched construction work to uncover the simplistic mid-century details of the space. Original wooden ceiling beams, block walls, concrete flooring, and a mezzanine

loft were all uncovered during his work.

On July 10, 2021, Gramercy Art Gallery + Studio opened to the public with the green City of Riverside street sign marking “Gramercy Pl” resting on the door overhang as a remembrance of the street that shaped Raymond’s life and art. Now, Gramercy’s monthly art shows are so popular, art lovers and viewers must spill out into the Arcade’s venerable “plenty of free parking” lot.

The Riversider Magazine
Former Gillette Records storefront is now Gramercy Art Gallery + Studio, hosting monthly art exhibitions.
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Artist and owner of Gramercy Art Gallery and Composure Art Studios Raymond Argumedo.

With the desire to expand and do more, Raymond seized an opportunity in June 2022 to open private studios in the Arcade, just two doors down from Gramercy—at the highly visible northeastern corner of the Arcade’s Magnolia/Brockton triangle in the former Stephenson’s dress shop. A month later, Composure Art Studios opened with a futuristic mural painted on the tack board cork walls inside the window display area—painted in Raymond’s signature astronomical beings-style.

Today, Composure is a hub of vibrant artistic talent ranging from graphic designers to photographers, to musicians. Photographers Alex

Casillas, David Fouts, and Raymond Alva, along with mixed media artist Jake Aldaco, and graphic designers Andrew Hochradel and Emily Poulin, all create art in their private studios at Composure. These local artists—sparked by the vision of Raymond Argumedo—are launching the longawaited transformation of the Brockton Arcade into a modern-day destination.

Raymond is in the Brockton Arcade for the long haul. His vision—much like that of Charles Lord in 1956—is to establish an arts destination for Riversiders and tourists, one independent of the Downtown Riverside scene and one steeped

in the mid-century appeal of the Arcade both in the 1950s and today.

What’s next for the Arcade? Several parcels are currently for sale and looking for new owners who are ready to join in on this rejuvenation effort. The 1980s version of the “high sign” reached the end of its life recently and has since been replaced with a new sign that reintroduces the original 1956 Arcade font. Keep your eyes out for the new signage and mid-century aesthetic improvements that are in the works at The Brockton Arcade.

Follow along on Instagram @gramercyartgallery

The artists of Composure Art Studios from left to right: Raymond Alva, Alex Casillas, Jake Aldaco, Emily Poulin, David Fouts, Andrew Hochradel, and owner Raymond Argumedo.
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Composure Art Studios today (below) alongside a Stephenson's dress shop advisement (left) from the same location in 1963.
The Riversider Magazine
KEN CRAWFORD PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
RODS & HARLEYS FIND A NEW HOME AT FLABOB 28
WORDS:
HOT
29

The Race of Gentlemen (T.R.O.G.) is an organization that promotes vintage hot rod and motorcycle drag racing events across the country. Mel Stultz, founder, has taken over beachfronts, main streets, and airstrips from the Jersey Shore to Santa Barbara. He has created a uniquely American event that now has sprouted copies as far away as Italy and Japan. So, why do we find ourselves in the morning shadow of Mt. Rubidoux watching vintage cars roar down the tarmac at the humble Flabob Airport?

Mel is a businessman. A true creator. Mel found a way to hang out with his friends, drive fast, see the country, and not go broke on the journey. It seems like a pretty good gig but things

got rough for Mel, a punk rock veteran that never lost the notion that, even if it makes you money, if it doesn’t make you happy, then quit. “If I’m bored I can’t entertain you because I can’t bullshit you. I’ve got to be thoroughly entertained by it otherwise I’m not interested. Like, I’ll just sink the ship right now… And it has come close, you know?” Mel said.

Mel had been touring T.R.O.G. for several years and the events got bigger and more successful. A few bad deals and a global pandemic put the brakes on business and Mel was looking on to the next thing. Some of the hot rodding community in and around Riverside saw potential in holding the event at Flabob and reached out to Mel. He

said, “it was the Riverside hot rod guys that were like, ‘we want this to live here, so we’ll help you’… they turned me around…it literally lifted my spirits and completely changed everything.”

Be proud, Riverside! Flabob is a great venue for T.R.O.G.. Flabob is the real deal. It’s been doing airplane stuff almost as long as airplanes have been around and it looks the part. Whatever paste is made when dust meets oil is finely spread over the place in a way that can’t be replicated. People pay for patina and Flabob has it in abundance. Flabob is not the theme park version of how things were, Flabob IS how things were. For the last one hundred years, Flabob airstrip has occupied the space at the base of Mount Rubidoux where the

The Riversider Magazine
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T.R.O.G. founder Mel Stultz

Santa Ana River bends south, away from the mountains, and west, toward the Pacific Ocean. The neighborhood has grown around Flabob but if you stand on the runway and look back at the hangars, there’s not much there that doesn’t fit with the aesthetic of the era.

Amateur drag racing has had a renaissance over the last couple decades and some municipalities have tried to find ways to move what the kids are doing in the streets to local tracks and runways where the environment can be more controlled, and maybe some revenue can be generated.

T.R.O.G. is not that! It is a spitting and snarling circus of speed obsessed with style and integrity.

T.R.O.G. is dedicated to authenticity. Strict rules are in place to assure that cars and bikes are period correct both aesthetically and mechanically. There are no crate Corvette engines wrapped in

a fiberglass Model A body. There are no 3D printed or CnC machined parts. These cars are cobbled together from parts found and traded (and probably bought on Ebay, if we pressed hard enough). It’s a fact that some of the cars that brought us there are faster than the cars on the track. You could

“IT WAS THE RIVERSIDE HOT ROD GUYS THAT WERE LIKE, ‘WE WANT THIS TO LIVE HERE, SO WE’LL HELP YOU’…THEY TURNED ME AROUND…IT LITERALLY LIFTED MY SPIRITS AND COMPLETELY CHANGED EVERYTHING.”
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Mel hitching a ride at the December 2022 event.
The Riversider Magazine 32

spend less money than what goes into these vintage rods and get something quite a bit quicker. That’s not the point.

Those limitations are the beauty of T.R.O.G. You can find a Friday night “run what you brung” drag race in hundreds of places across the country. You will find faster cars there than you will at T.R.O.G.. It’s the rules that give T.R.O.G. an identity. Nostalgia is a dominant cultural driver and it is at the crux of what is going on at T.R.O.G..

Nostalgia dictates that there’s something better about the way things were. Maybe not on objective measures like top speeds and launch times, but maybe things were subjectively better, simply “cooler,” or more sincere than they are now.

That sincerity is where the “Gentlemen’’ part of The Race of Gentlemen comes from. Mel and the crew are not your mother’s idea of gentlemen. These guys are bearded, tattooed, rock n rollin’ veterans of the East Coast punk scene. The irony isn’t lost on Mel but it’s only part of the story. Mel says, “You know why I created the name?...because whenever I do a deal with anybody, I do it eye-toeye and shake their hand. That’s, to me, being a

gentleman…and the name came to me because really, I was so upset with the world and how we don’t give a shit about each other.”

T.R.O.G., having its roots in punk rock, may seem counterintuitive, but what many see as a nihilistic rejection of societal norms others see as an opportunity to create an alternate reality–alternative to mainstream culture and what they see as deficiencies. T.R.O.G., like punk, is comfortable being a niche market product. It doesn’t require corporate sponsors to succeed. It just requires a passionate core of people dedicated to their product. T.R.O.G. is “on tour” DIY and making it work, selling nostalgia to other people who miss what they feel was a better time.

track , it’s a fashion show as much as a race. In the crowd , there are those who are observers and those who are participants. Many in the crowd are dressed in period clothing. For the observers, that is as much a part of the experience as is the racing. For those dedicated to the aesthetic, T.R.O.G. is a time machine. As much as possible, this is an escape from modernity. For them, it’s an escape, a gathering of the tribe. A couple days surrounded by people who “get it.”

Jamex with one of their glass sculptures at CSU San Bernardino.

Seventy - five years ago is as accessible as it has ever been. The time from WW2 until now is meticulously archived. We have film and records and actual objects of the era that make it pretty easy to recreate things as they were. There is certainly some “greaser” cosplay going on , but this is a long way from Larping in the park with a PVC sword. The cars are relics not facsimiles.

There is theater going on, for sure. On the

Sounds awesome, right? I’ve got some good news for you. The T.R.O.G. gang will be back at Flabob for the weekend of April 14-16. It’s cheaper than Coachella and right here on the other side of the river from Downtown RIverside. You don’t have to dress up (but you can). Bring the family, p ark the Tesla, and walk across the runway into a post war world of cars, motorcycles, fashion and food.

Follow The Race of Gentlemen on social media @t.r.o.g._official for info on tickets and ancillary events happening the weekend of the races. Also go to: theraceofgentlemen.com

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The Neighbors of Woodcraft Home & The Rise of California Baptist University

The Riversider Magazine Historical Riverside
1922-2022 WORDS: H. VINCENT MOSES, PHD AND CATHERINE E. WHITMORE The Riversider | February/March 2023 34

Rated the number two best college campus in California and third best in the nation, California Baptist University surges into 2023 as one of the fastest growing faith-based universities in America. Under the leadership of Dr. Ronald L. Ellis since 1994, CBU has grown from a student body of 809 to more than 11,500 students. Today, CBU constitutes one of Riverside’s flagship institutions of higher learning and a business powerhouse. The sprawling 162-acre campus, featuring the historic James Complex, designed by the nationally recognized architect of the Spanish Colonial Revival, Henry L. A. Jekel, currently offers academic degrees through Ph.D. in select subjects, and sports a dynamic athletic program. This is the story of CBU’s development from Neighbors of Woodcraft Home to one of the country’s premier Baptist universities.

“Find your Program, Live your Purpose”— CBU Motto

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Front entrance and courtyard, the James Complex at California Baptist University, featuring the Fortuna Fountain, originally built as the Neighbors of Woodcraft Home (NoW), c1926 and designed by noted architectengineer Henry L. A. Jekel in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style. Photograph by Douglas McCulloh

Historical Riverside

Hand tinted panorama, NoW, c1926 looking northeast from Magnolia Avenue. Note the handwritten comments identifying uses of the building. Courtesy of Steve Lech

The Neighbors of Woodcraft Home, 1920-38 and Architect Henry L. A. Jekel Riversiders opened the March 12, 1920, Riverside Daily Press to big development news: “Woodcraft Home Will be Built in Riverside at Cost of $250,000.” What the paper didn’t reveal is that the Neighbors, a fraternal order operating in fifteen Western states and specializing in cooperative life insurance, originally planned to build its retirement home on a site in San Jose.

Mrs. Minnie Hiner, a ranking executive board member of the order, however, favored Riverside and sold Grand Guardian and founder of the order, Mrs. C, Van Orsdall, on a picturesque site along Magnolia Avenue. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of navel orange groves and palm-lined Magnolia Avenue, the site reminded Van Orsdall of the landscape around the southern Spanish city of Seville. Mrs. Hiner herself, in fact, believed it the divinely ordained location for the Neighbors retirement home, since the available land could accommodate self-sustaining agricultural operations and provided plenty of room for expansion.

The order immediately sold its San Jose property and entered negotiations for the Magnolia Avenue property, a city block south of Adams Street. The Neighbors initially purchased fifteen acres for $50,000 and planned a hospital as the first building on site. It opened in 1922 and expanded in 1930. Over the next fifteen years, the order invested more than $600,000 on the Magnolia Avenue property.

With her team’s consent, Hiner–without hesitation–chose Henry L. A. Jekel, nationally known Riverside architect-engineer, to design and engineer the hospital facility and kept him on for the duration of the building projects. The twelve-year construction project began with the dormitory and hospital in 1921, continued with the original administration building and home structure in 1926, a four-story addition in 1934, and finished with a separate laundry and heating plant constructed in 1938. Jekel gave the Neighbors of Woodcraft a superbly crafted structural-concrete facility, artfully designed in a distilled

The Riversider Magazine
Building the four-storey addition, NoW, c1935. Top photo: group shot of architect Henry Jekel, Mayor E. B. Criddle and Minnie Hiner with the construction crew led my Mrs. Hiner’s husband. Jekel stands just to the left shoulder of the mayor, while Mrs. Hiner stands to the mayor’s right in long white overcoat. Courtesy of CBU Archive
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The Riversider | February/March 2023

twentieth-century Moorish-Mission iteration of the popular Spanish Colonial Revival California Style then sweeping Southern California. The architect indicated later that he meant to re-create a sense of timelessness, stability, and spirituality through the Spanish Colonial architecture and pastoral setting. Jekel deployed a deep setback from Magnolia Avenue to evoke the pastoral setting of an early California Mission.

The Riverside Daily Press declared the design an architectural tour-de-force for 1920s Riverside.

Woodcraft Home and Administration Building, 1925-1927

Jekel’s slip-form concrete administration building and retirement home featured a Spanish tower, a red clay barrel tile roof, and wrought-iron railings and grill work. A large fountain, sporting a statue of Fortuna, the Greco-Roman goddess of good fortune, adorned the circular drive outside the main entrance.

The Riverside Daily Press described the arrangement as: “One hundred and seven bedrooms each with private bath; special quarters for superintendent and visiting officials and an auditorium capable of seating 500 persons are included in the building outline. A striking feature embraces a patio on either side of the auditorium. As an additional asset a broad plan of landscaping is being carried out. Jekel has conceived two wings two stories high, the upper floors being devoted to living quarters and the lower housing the main dining hall, library, several additional sun parlors, kitchen and other utility branches. There is a fully equipped bakery,

a complete refrigerating system, basement which cares for boiler shop, carpentry, fruit making, storage of mementos of the Neighbors and which readily emphasizes a little of everything that has to do with the vital program under way at the home. The laundry will occupy a separate building.” Today, the original expanded hospital structure serves as the Annie Gabriel Library of California Baptist University (CBU).

“A Castle in Spain:” The Four-Story Addition 1933-1934, 1936-1938

In October 1933, the Riverside Daily Press announced Mrs. Hiner’s plans for a major expansion of the retirement home. “Work Starts Almost At Once On Enlargement of Woodcraft Home: Four-Story Addition Expected to Cost from $150,000 to 180,000,” the paper asserted, and Henry L. A. Jekel, Hiner’s trusted architect, got the nod to proceed. Jekel’s finished structure “. . . will resemble a castle in Spain… in a setting of tropic beauty, with perfectly kept grounds,” and “avenues of stately palm trees and graceful pepper trees” providing an appropriate Spanish landscape feature to round out the project. Jekel’s new wing, upon completion, brought “the total value of Woodcraft home to more than $600,000,” the paper reported.

Jekel’s shop drawings for the addition, reflecting his East Coast skyscraper training, called for a steel-grillage foundation, a steel skeleton, a structural-concrete basement, and a two-story structural-concrete body. Like the original Home

Hand tinted postcard featuring the kitchen, dining room, and private quarters of a NoW resident, c1926. Courtesy of Steve Lech Main entrance to NoW, c1953, about two years prior to the sale of the site to California Baptist College. Courtesy of CBU Archive

Historical Riverside

and Administration Building, the four-story addition embodied Jekel’s amassed knowledge of fireproof buildings, his skill at maximizing usable space, and carefully incorporated essentials and modern conveniences into a romantic Spanish Revival shell. The infrastructure of the facility further

conveyed Jekel’s love of technological advancements in heating, cooling, and ventilation, as well as kitchen and laundry services. They were all there in abundance.

The four-story addition was built directly to the rear of the original Home and Administration

Building and tied to it at each end. Once more, the Neighbors benefited from Jekel’s extensive knowledge of modern skyscraper construction. They were required to have the building meet the enhanced code requirements of the State of California and the demands for a fireproof and earthquake-resistant structure. The Steel Column Schedule for the building program, and Jekel’s specifications for pouring the structural concrete, clearly demonstrated his grasp of large-structure engineering. His specifications called for thirty cars of concrete and 175 tons of steel. All interior partitions were structural concrete; wood only appeared in the doors and window frames. The interior stairs were to be cement with ornamental iron railings.

“We are building this addition for the future,” Minnie Hiner told the Press . “We have the money to pay for it, and it is our intention that our home guests shall have every comfort and convenience.” The basement, positioned three-and-one-half feet above the steel-grillage foundation, housed the furnace room, laundry for guests, trunk room, and club room. Jekel saw to it that it would be well-lit, ventilated, and heated. His plans included a modern $10,000 Otis Elevator running from the basement to the fourth floor.

The very last phase of construction at the Neighbors of Woodcraft Home began in August

The Riversider Magazine
The Riversider | February/March 2023 38
Hand tinted postcard, exterior arcade and rear courtyard of the auditorium and sunroom NoW, c1926. Courtesy of Steve Lech

1938 with Jekel’s design of a new central heating plant. Constructed of structural-concrete and steel, the building provided heat for the entire complex via large tunnels and pipes. An eightyfoot tall Art Deco-style smokestack, lined with firebrick, carried away the smoke and vapor. Over the next two decades, however, enrollment at the Home dropped precipitously, leading the order to sell the property to the recently formed California Baptist College (CBC) in 1955. The CBC campus buildings consisted entirely of the original built out Home. CBC renamed the Woodcraft

structure the W. E. James Building. CBC is now known as California Baptist University, a status achieved under the leadership of current president, Dr. Ronald L. Ellis. Today, the combined buildings that made up the Home are proudly known as the James Complex at CBU.

The James Complex at California Baptist University (CBU), 1955-Present

One of Riverside’s premier historic structures, the James Complex, is a multilevel architectural landmark, destined ultimately for nomination to

the National Register of Historic Places. It is so integral to the future of CBU that the University in recent years spent a great deal of money to restore the entire complex. Moreover, the James Complex constitutes one of Henry L. A. Jekel’s principal legacy projects in Riverside. Ronald L. Ellis, Ph. D, the current president of CBU, who was named the fifth president of the school on November 1, 1994, conceived a very clear plan for the development of the CBU campus and it includes the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style of Jekel’s original Neighbors of Woodcraft Home. When he arrived on campus to interview for the president’s job, Ellis said the architecture of the James Complex “spoke” to him of historical permanence and stability. Based on that vital first impression, Ellis laid down careful parameters for future architecture on campus. His first endeavor involved the restoration and modernization of the James Complex.

In 2003, he put his plan to the test with the design and construction of the Eugene and Billie Yeager Center, a 94,800-square-foot structure that massively expanded the classroom capacity of the school. Ellis’ instructions to the architects were to design a style compatible with and inspired by the Spanish Colonial Revival James Complex. The new CBU Recreation Center at Adams Street and the 91 Freeway carries Ellis’ program forward well into the future. While the main entrance to the campus will shift to this location, the historic Neighbors of Woodcraft Home

sitting on Magnolia Avenue will continue to hold a central place in the heart of CBU and the City of Riverside. Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, President of CBU since 1994. Ellis set the visionary course for the vast expansion of the campus that will take it well into the 21st century. Photo by Zach Cordner
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The Eugene and Billie Yeager Center at CBU opened in 2003, and launched Ellis’ vast expansion of the campus, adding more than 94,000 square feet of classroom and office space to accommodate the growing programs and student body. Photo by Catherine E. Whitmore

Dining: Arlington

Sam’s Pita and Kabab

WORDS: KEN CRAWFORD PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER

Sam’s Pita and Kabab is the latest restaurant to move into the strip mall on Magnolia and Harrison. Sam’s isn’t new but it is one of the many establishments that opened during the last couple years under the fog of COVID . As we emerged from our houses and started to eat out again, we realized many of the places we used to eat weren’t around. In other cases, we realized that, while we were at home waiting for the DoorDash driver, new places were opening against the odds.

Sam’s is family owned and operated in the truest sense. “Sam” is Samah Kamani, who greeted us when we arrived. We talked a bit about what got them to Riverside. Our town is the most recent stop on a path that includes a Mediterranean restaurant in Ridgecrest and an American cafe in Tripoli, Lebanon. The family have honed their craft all over the world and it’s evident when you eat at Sam’s.

The dining room is large and remarkably clean. The front of house staff are friendly and attentive. We were offered a drink before we had a chance to sit down. While we waited for our mint iced tea, the chef, Taha, came and talked with us for a few minutes. He made sure we knew the menu was his, with the exception of the rice pudding. Samah makes that. The menu is big enough and the food is familiar. Mostly grilled meats and vegetables served on rice with the standard hummus and a salad as a plate or wrapped in a pita. Taha does mix it up a bit with special items like chimichurri beef kababs and jalapeno hummus. These aren’t a revolution but a welcome twist of fusion on what is a largely traditional Mediterranean menu.

This time we tried the shrimp and chicken kebabs. Both were well-seasoned and expertly

prepared. The hummus was fresh and flavorful, and the salads were bright and crisp. The food is good, I recommend it.

What I like most about Sam’s, however, is the dining experience. I don’t mind the “stunt food” trends or the loud and bright dining rooms, but it is nice to have a place where you know you can have a calm and peaceful meal in a dimly lit dining room attended by an exceptionally skilled and courteous chef. Sam’s is simply that. A pleasant place to have a great meal.

The Riversider Magazine Sam’s Pita and Kabab 9799 Magnolia Ave (951) 376-1269 Samspita.com @samspitakabab
The
Riversider
| February/March 2023
Shrimp Kabab plate Chicken Kabab plate (L to R): Family owned and operated by Mohamed Kamani, Sam Kamani, Taha Yassine and LuLu Kamani.
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Baklava and Turkish Coffee

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Bar & Restaurant Guide

AMERICAN (NEW)

Lenoir’s Bistro & Bakery

5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 92 (951) 462-1006

Pixels Bar And Eatery 3535 University Ave (951) 683-7957

ProAbition Whiskey Lounge & Kitchen

3597 Main St (951) 222-2110

The Rustik Fork Eatery

1355 E Alessandro Blvd Ste 101 (951) 656-3555

The Salted Pig 3750 Main St Ste 103 (951) 742-5664

Yard House 3775 Tyler St (951) 688-9273

BAKERIES/DONUTS

American Donuts

3355 Iowa Ave (951) 329-3238

Baguette Bakery & Café

767 W Blaine St B (951) 788-5300

Baker’s Dozen Donuts

6100 Magnolia Ave (951) 369-0198

Beignet Spot

4019 Market St (951) 224-9830

Better-Be Donuts Café 1015 E Alessandro Blvd (951) 653-0166

Cakebox

3557 Main St A (951) 660-4179

Casey’s Cupcakes

3649 Mission Inn Ave (951) 328-6908

Chela’s Panadería 4022 Park Ave (951) 680-9983

Christy’s Donuts

8151 Arlington Ave (951) 977-8166

Cookie Co. Riverside 195 E Alessandro Blvd (951) 521-0846

The Cookie Plug

2915 Van Buren Blvd J1 (951) 505-0146

Cupcakes & Curiosities 3569 Main St (951) 452-6271

Delicias del Horno Bakery

3969 Chicago Ave (951) 456-9448

Donut Cravings 7132 Van Buren Blvd (951) 789-8324

Donut Tyme 5225 Canyon Crest Dr (951) 788-5043

Donut Queen 5501 Mission Blvd (951) 369-8797

Dunkin’ Donuts 18641 Van Buren Blvd (951) 384-2882

Dunkin’ Donuts

4922 La Sierra Ave (951) 777-8377

Freshh Donuts 781 W Blaine St (951) 682-5648

Isabella’s Cupcakes & More 5225 Canyon Crest Dr #28 (951) 782-9200

Linda’s Donuts 3950 Pierce St (951) 351-8288

Lindmair Bakery 9230 Magnolia Ave (951) 688-2131

Lola’s Bakery 4026 Chicago Ave (951) 683-1219

Miss Donuts & Bagel 3962 University Ave (951) 787-0193

Mochinut 1242 University Ave (951) 534-0756

Mr. Blue’s Donuts

19009 Van Buren Blvd Ste 123

(951) 780-3188

Nothing Bundt Cakes 3639 Riverside Plaza Dr #502 (951) 787-1885

Ochoa’s Mexican Bakery 10330 Arlington Ave #3 (951) 359-8128

Ortiz Bakery 421 Iowa Ave #A

(951) 787-9138

Pepe’s Panaderia 3511 Madison St

(951) 353-8801

Rainbow Donuts

3758 La Sierra Ave

(951) 688-7889

Randy's Donuts 3519 Van Buren Blvd (951) 588-5678

Riverside Cookie Shoppe

6737 Brockton Ave (951) 686-6374

Simple Simon’s Bakery & Bistro

3639 Main St (951) 369-6030

Star Donut 5145 Jurupa Ave #H (951) 530-8006

Steve’s Donuts 7201 Arlington Ave Ste C (951) 323-7153

Uncle Chuang’s Bakery 3740 Iowa Ave #109 (951) 275-8800

Urban Dripp 3750 University Ave #175 (951) 742-5949

US Donuts 4786 La Sierra Ave (951) 352-1893

Winchell’s Donut House 1705 University Ave (951) 682-8834

Woodcrest Donuts 19510 Van Buren Blvd Ste F7 (951) 653-5054

Yvette’s Bakery 6729 Indiana Ave (951) 742-5541

Yum Yum Donuts 3247 Arlington Ave (951) 683-5489

BAR & GRILLS

Art’s Bar & Grill 3357 University Ave (951) 683-9520

Duke’s Bar & Grill

3221 Iowa Ave

(951) 248-1143

Events Sports Grill

10560 Magnolia Ave #A

(951) 352-2693

Fire Up Grill

3750 University Ave

(951) 289-9071

Flat Top Bar & Grill

17960 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-0114

Hotz Kitchen & Cocktails

3720 Mission Inn Ave

(951) 782-3212

Joe’s Bar & Grill

10909 Magnolia Ave

(951) 637-3931

Law’s Restaurant 9640 Indiana Ave

(951) 354-7021

Raincross Pub & Kitchen

3557 University Ave (951) 780-6000

Shooters Sports & Grill

10226 Indiana Ave (951) 785-9588

Sire Restaurant 6440 Magnolia Ave (951) 683-7473

BARS/LOUNGES

Downtown Experiment 3601 University Ave (951) 355-2606

Lake Alice Trading Co 3616 University Ave (951) 686-7343

Locals Public House 191 Alessandro Blvd (951) 780-1800

Mezcal Ultra Lounge 3737 Main St Ste 100 (951) 333-8558

The Brickwood 3653 Main St (951) 352-2739

The Lobby 3730 Main St (951) 742-5020

The Menagerie 3581 University Ave (951) 788-8000

The Presidential Lounge 3649 Mission Inn Ave (951) 784-0300

VIP Nightclub & Restaurant 3673 Merrill Ave (951) 784-2370

W. Wolfskill 4281 Main St (951) 374-1176

BBQ

Charley Rokk’s Authentic Texas BBQ 5145 Jurupa Ave (951) 774-0039

Cowboy Burgers & BBQ 5573 Arlington Ave (951) 977-9454

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit 3540 Riverside Plaza Dr Ste 314 (951) 683-9700

Gram’s BBQ 3527 Main St (951) 782-8219

Messi Soul Kitchen 4270 Riverwalk Pkwy #104 (951) 588-6252

Mongolian BBQ 1242 University Ave STE 7 (951) 686-0702

Smoke & Fire Social Eatery 5225 Canyon Crest Dr #9 (909) 542-9054

BREAKFAST DINERS & CAFES

Amy’s 10635 Magnolia Ave (951) 689-0296

Brandon’s Diner 10246 Indiana Ave Ste A (951) 359-3617

Brandon’s Diner 9646 Magnolia Ave (951) 637-2782

Brandon’s Diner Jr Of City Hall 3900 Main St (951) 778-2588

Cafe Le Reve 141 E Alessandro Blvd Ste 10A (951) 215-0007

Crest Cafe 5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 40 (951) 784-2233

Daily Brew Coffee House 2955 Van Buren Blvd (951) 352-7477

Flo’s Farmhouse Cafe 5620 Van Buren Blvd (951) 352-2690

Joanna’s Cafe 17950 Van Buren Blvd (951) 789-8843

Kountry Folks 3653 La Sierra Ave (951) 354-0437

Soup Shoppe 6712 Magnolia Ave (951) 781-4710

The Riverside Airport Cafe 6951 Flight Rd (951) 688-3337

Rodeo Cafe 17136 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-0388

BREWERIES

All Points Brewing Co. 2023 Chicago Ave Unit B8 (951) 213-6258

Euryale Brewing Company 2060 Chicago Ave Ste A-17 (951) 530-8865

Packinghouse Brewing Company 6421 Central Ave Ste 101-A (951) 333-9261

Route 30 Brewing Company 9860 Indiana Ave Ste 19 (951) 776-7083

Route 30 Tap Room 3740 Mission Inn Ave

Riversider | February/March 2023 44
The

Stone Church Brewing & Bistro

3737 Main Street (951) 233-0323

Thompson Brewing 9900 Indiana Ave (951) 289-7533

Wicks Brewing 11620 Sterling Ave Ste C (951) 689-2739

BURGERS

Baker’s Drive Thru 2221 Main St (909) 884-5233

Baker’s Drive Thru 6686 Indiana Ave (909) 884-5233

Baker’s Drive Thru 1300 Blaine St (909) 884-5233

Baker’s Drive Thru 10225 Magnolia Ave (909) 884-5233

Baker’s Drive Thru 5396 Mission Blvd (909) 884-5233

Boys Burgers 10737 Magnolia Ave (951) 689-1294

Burger Boss 2585 Canyon Springs Pkwy (951) 656-6500

BurgerIM

10920 Magnolia Ave Unit 105 (951) 441-8868

BurgerIM 1201 University Ave #110 (951) 783-9555

Chris’ Burgers 407 Iowa Ave (951) 781-8542

Cowboy Burgers & BBQ 5573 Arlington Ave (951) 977-9454

Dairy Queen 8610 California Ave, Suite 101 (951) 343-4075

Farmer Boys 3400 University Ave (951) 680-0900

Farmer Boys 2901 Iowa Ave (951) 782-9003

Farmer Boys 3303 Madison St (951) 351-9700

Fatburger & Buffalo’s Express 3457 Arlington Ave Suite 106 (951) 369-4950

George’s Drive-In 9910 Magnolia Ave

(951) 688-2471

Johnny’s Burgers 4825 La Sierra Ave

(951) 688-1000

Johnny’s Burgers

3394 Madison St

(951) 687-3599

Mission Burgers 4606 Pine St (951) 682-7272

MGM Burgers 1691 Main St

(951) 276-1744

Monty’s Good Burger

3605 Market Street

(213) 915-0257

Nikko’s Burgers 9295 Magnolia Ave STE 112

(951) 352-7290

Original Tommy’s 7504 Mission Grove Pkwy S (951) 780-4201

R Burgers 5980 Van Buren Blvd (951) 358-9203

R Burgers 1666 University Ave

(951) 784-4350

Riverwalk Burgers & Grill 3812 Pierce St (951) 353-0919

Slaters 50/50 3750 University Ave Ste 125 (951) 742-5585

Star Burgers 7207 Arlington Ave (951) 689-5050

Zorba’s Restaurant 450 Iowa Ave

(951) 686-5830

Zorba’s Express 770 University Ave

(951) 787-0094

CHINESE Big Sky Bistro 1575 University Ave Ste A

(951) 328-1688

Canton Chinese Food 1756 University Ave

(951) 684-6126

China Wok Inn 5771 Mission Boulevard

(951) 680-9810

Chen Ling Palace 9856 Magnolia Ave (951) 351-8511

Chinatown 10935 Magnolia Ave

(951) 785-6197

Dragon House 10466 Magnolia Ave

(951) 354-2080

Frice Szechuan Restaurant 1299 University Ave #104-E (951) 686-2182

Greedy Cat

1400 University Ave Ste 108 (909) 655-7235

HK BBQ House 3740 Iowa Ave #102

(951) 777-1368

Ho Choy’s 10352 Arlington Ave (951) 785-1188

Ho Ho 3511 Madison St (951) 637-2411

Hong Kong Fastfood 1490 University Ave (951) 686-2223

Jade China 2712 Canyon Springs Pkwy (951) 653-9200

Little Beijing Chinese Fast Food 5800 Van Buren Blvd (951) 509-1188

Lucky Wok 2995 Van Buren Blvd (951) 688-2888

Monark Asian Bistro

5225 Canyon Crest Dr #64 (951) 683-1073

Mr. China Express 8451 Colorado Ave #8301 (951) 687-8967

Mr. You

19530 Van Buren Blvd G7 (951) 653-1740

Peking Restaurant 11170 Magnolia Ave (951) 687-4822

Wok In Kitchen 5050 Arlington Ave #101 (951) 343-7888

ZiZi BBQ House 3740 Iowa Ave (951) 534-0960

COFFEE/TEA/JUICE

7 Leaves Cafe

1201 University Ave Ste 101 (951) 530-8666

Arcade Downtown

3870 Main Street

(951) 266-6839

Arcade Coffee Roasters

3672 Chicago Ave Ste A (951) 266-6839

Arcade Coffee Roasters

5225 Canyon Crest Dr. Ste 17A (951) 266-6839

Back to the Grind 3575 University Ave

(951) 784-0800

Boba Fiend Tea House

3375 Iowa Ave

(951) 823-0700

Bobaloca

19009 Van Buren Blvd (951) 789-8646

Bolcupop 3605 Market Street (951) 595-4513

The California Lounge 3649 Mission Inn Ave (951) 784-0300

Coffee Court Bistro

3607 10th St (951) 328-0866

Condron Coffee 3696 Sunnyside Dr (951) 880-3354

Crave Coffee & Tea

3590 Central Ave (951) 289-9436

Daily Brew Coffee House 2955 Van Buren Blvd (951) 352-7477

Ding Tea

1575 University Ave Ste E (951) 429-9706

Flavor Theory 11090 Magnolia Ave (951) 977-9698

Goodwin’s Organics Cafe 191 W Big Springs Rd (951) 682-2667

JUJUBAR 19040 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-0224

Kung Fu Tea 3678 Central Ave Ste 102 (951) 254-9609

Kraemer’s Coffee Bistro 6734 Brockton Ave (951) 686-4400

Lift Coffee Roasters 2060 Chicago Ave Ste A10 (951) 742-7413

Mi Cafecito Coffee 3605 Market St Ste 2

Molinos Coffee 3660 Mission Inn Ave (951) 276-7147

Nekter Juice Bar 5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 7B (951) 224-9842

R&B Tea 1889 University Ave Unit 105 (951) 462-4142

Sharetea 10920 Magnolia Ave Ste 103 (951) 406-5165

Sharetea 3740 Iowa Ave Ste 103 (951) 530-8536

Tastea 11130 Magnolia Ave Unit C (951) 588-8138

Tim Boba 1450 University Ave Ste N (951) 462-1929

Toasted 6160 Arlington Ave Ste C9 (951) 977-9847

Twee Coffee 9344 Magnolia Ave (951) 335-0599

Krak Boba 3907 Chicago Ave Ste B (951) 742-5341

DELI/SANDWICHES

Backstreet Restaurant 3735 Nelson St (951) 683-6650

Butch’s Grinders 4602 Pine St (951) 781-8511

Cheba Hut 3505 Market Street Ste 101 (951) 777-1117

Diane’s Deli 2900 Adams St #B1 (951) 689-2900

D’Elia’s Grinders 2093 University Ave (951) 683-7380

D’Elia’s Grinders 9009 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-3354

European Intl Market &Deli 7120 Indiana Ave G (951) 274-9100

Firehouse Subs 10080 Magnolia Ave (951) 588-8785

Jimmy John’s 3747 Central Ave Ste 102 (951) 779-0010

Jimmy John’s 4270 Riverwalk Pkwy Ste 122 (951) 977-9672

Jimmy John’s 10277 Magnolia Ave (951) 354-2149

Marisa’s Italian Deli 5225 Canyon Crest Dr #20 (951) 788-3899

M & M Deli 1960 Chicago Ave #D1 (951) 684-6861

My Hero Subs 355 Iowa Ave A (951) 784-7370

RiverCrust Deli 6235 River Crest Dr Ste F (951) 656-8145

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Bar & Restaurant Guide

The Riversider | February/March 2023

Subs & Spuds

5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste #83a

(951) 369-1491

The Sub Station 3663 Canyon Crest Dr (951) 683-4523

Tummy Stuffer

1159 Iowa Ave O (951) 369-1266

The Upper Crust Sandwich Shoppe 3573 Main St (951) 784-3149

FILIPINO

Nanay Gloria 10959 Magnolia Ave (951) 977-8831

FRENCH

Le Chat Noir

3790 9th St

(951) 786-9266

GERMAN

European International Market & Deli

7120 Indiana Ave G (951) 274-9100

HAWAIIAN

Ono Hawaiian BBQ 3531 Madison St (951) 351-0888

Ono Hawaiian BBQ 3540 Riverside Plaza Dr #324 (951) 328-1988

Ono Hawaiian BBQ 2721 Canyon Springs Pkwy #101 (951) 656-6188

Park Ave Polynesian Restaurant 4038 Park Ave

(951) 344-1090

ICE CREAM/FROZEN

YOGURT

Afters Ice Cream 1201 University Ave

Baskin-Robbins

7024 Magnolia Ave

(951) 682-3131

Canyon Crest Ice Cream & Water

5225 Canyon Crest Dr #27

(951) 675-7385

Cherry On Top 3560 Riverside Plaza Dr

(951) 213-6018

Cherry On Top 19009 Van Buren Blvd Ste 125

(951) 780-0800

Cold Stone Creamery 9867 Magnolia Ave Ste C

(951) 637-0920

Dairy Queen 8610 California Ave, Ste 101

(951) 343-4075

Dairy Queen 6665 Magnolia Ave

(951) 684-6280

Frostbites Crepes & Frozen Delights

10347 Magnolia Ave

(951) 352-4903

Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt 19348 Van Buren Blvd

(951) 789-5201

La Michoacana 3961 Chicago Ave

951) 248-9142

The Loop 3678 Central Ave, Ste 104

(951) 742-5685

Mixies Ice Cream & Cookies

3605 Market St

(951) 595-4520

Spoonful Yogurt Café 4270 Riverwalk Pkwy #120

(951) 729-5882

Toi Moi Italian Ice & Juice Shop 10181 Hole Ave

(951) 343-4146

Yogurtland 1242 University Ave Ste A

(951) 683-1950

Yogurtland 3510 Tyler St #104

(951) 772-0229

INDIAN

Bombay Stores

1385 W Blaine St

(951) 788-3042

Gandhi Indian Cuisine

1355 E Alessandro Blvd #205

(951) 653-4147

India Sweets & Groceries 779 W Blaine St (951) 784-7400

Masala Mischief 223 University Ave Ste 150

(951) 224-9692

Namaste Indian Kitchen

6061 Magnolia Ave

(951) 275-5316

Punjab Palace Cuisine of India 1766 University Ave (951) 686-9968

ITALIAN/PIZZA

Aloha Pizza & Pasta 755 W Blaine St (951) 788-8830

Antone’s Italian Food

4125 Sunnyside Dr (951) 682-5900

Antonio Pizza 195 E Alessandro Blvd (951) 776-1888

Antonious Pizza Cafe

3737 Main St (951) 682-9100

Bella’s Pizza

5196 Arlington Ave (951) 351-3131

Blaze Pizza 3540 Riverside Plaza Dr (951) 789-3212

Blaze Pizza

10920 Magnolia Ave Suite 107 (951) 474-5855

Bricks & Birch 3605 Market Street #5 (951) 500-7776

Capone’s Pizza 7207 Arlington Ave F (951) 689-3520

Dave’s New York Style Pizza 1490 University Ave #102 (951) 787-9900

DeMatteo’s Pizza

7030 Magnolia Ave (951) 682-6198

Dematteo’s Woodcrest

18590 Van Buren Boulevard (951) 429-7317

D’Caesaro Pizza & Italian 6160 Arlington Avenue C4 (951) 687-0777

Enzo’s Pizza 10170 Indiana Ave (951) 351-2375

Farfalla’s Cucina Italiana 5250 Arlington Ave (951) 354-5100

Fast 5 Pizza

5300 Arlington Ave (951) 977-9090

Fast 5 Pizza 1889 University Ave #108 (951) 781-3838

Fiesta Pizza 6110 Van Buren Blvd (951) 353-8007

First Class Pizza & Pub 4290 Riverwalk Pkwy (951) 354-7900

Lava Coal-Fired Pizza 1725 Spruce St Suite #101 (951) 823-0238

Mamma Mia Restaurant and Bar 10971 Magnolia Ave (951) 729-5555

Marcello’s Pizza & Pasta 783 W Blaine St (951) 781-9996

Marcello’s Pizza & Pasta 6519 Clay St A (951) 681-9797

Mario’s Place 3646 Mission Inn Avenue (951) 684-7755

MOD Pizza 3444 Arlington Ave (951) 374-5255

New York Pizza Co 3570 Van Buren Blvd (951) 688-4000

The Old Spaghetti Factory 3191 Mission Inn Avenue (951) 784-4417

Papa Joe’s Pizza 5115 Jurupa Ave B3 (951) 680-9090

Papa Joe’s Pizza 10555 Indiana Ave (951) 688-1188

Pietro’s Italian Cuisine 6788 Brockton Ave (951) 784-1310

The Pizza Place... 18955 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-5588

Romano’s Chicago Pizzeria 285 Alessandro Blvd (951) 780-7399

Romano’s 5225 Canyon Crest Dr UNIT 58 (951) 781-7662

Scratch Pizza 4950 La Sierra Ave #8 (951) 359-2023

Shakey’s Pizza Parlor 5941 Van Buren Blvd (951) 689-7700

Tower Pizza 3375 Iowa Ave (951) 518-4300

University Pizza Company 1201 University Ave #116 (951) 823-0630

Viano’s Restaurant 16810 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-3000

JAPANESE/POKE RAMEN/SUSHI

AhiPoki 3540 Riverside Plaza Dr STE 310 (951) 530-8255

Amagi Sushi 19510 Van Buren Blvd Unit F6 (951) 656-8144

Big Tuna 4270 Riverwalk Pkwy (951) 343-0201

Joe’s Sushi Japanese Restaurant 9555 Magnolia Ave (951) 353-1929

Kotsu Ramen & Gyoza 3522 Madison St Ste 101 (951) 299-8889

The Lowkey Poke Joint 11860 Magnolia Ave (951) 299-7699

Mokkoji Shabu Shabu 1575 University Ave Ste B (951) 905-4007

Ohana Sushi 195 Alessandro Blvd Ste 8A (951) 789-0443

Oishii Sushi 6133 Magnolia Ave (951) 784-2550

Ooka Sushi & Hibachi Steak House 3525 Riverside Plaza Dr #200 (951) 779-0099

Otsuka Ramen & Bar 10949 Magnolia Ave (951) 353-9888

Pacific Cabin Sushi 3770 9th St (951) 782-0888

Poke Bar 3740 Iowa Ave (951) 405-8233

Poke Bistro 3375 Iowa Ave Ste K (951) 394-8580

Pokilicious Riverwalk 4290 Riverwalk Pkwy #306 (951) 376-1377

Ramen Okawari 3740 Iowa Ave #104 (951) 680-9411

Rohey’s Wok & Grill 4294 Riverwalk Pkwy (951) 359-5272

Saku Ramen 3643 Main St (951) 742-5849

Soho Ramen Riverside 3605 Market St (951) 595-4528

Sumabi 3530 9th St (951) 823-0278

Sushi Asahi 2955 Van Buren Blvd Suite #D2 (951) 637-1313

Sushi Ok 5228 Arlington Ave (951) 689-8054

The Riversider Magazine
46

Sushi Okoku 10380 Magnolia Ave (951) 343-2225

Sushi R91 1630 Spruce St (951) 682-1323

Sushi Station 19029 Van Buren Blvd #115 (951) 789-0068

Sushi Times 1400 University Ave Ste A101 (951) 777-1037

Sushingon 6060 Magnolia Ave (951) 224-9590

Taiyos Sushi & Poki 11120 Magnolia Ave (951) 343-1112

Teriyaki Plus 7120 Indiana Ave (951) 788-8337

Tomo 7 Sushi 5519 Van Buren Blvd (951) 343-5991

Top Grill

5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 94 (951) 530-8668

Vanilla Fish

5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 55 (951) 777-1950

Zen Street 3600 Central Ave #1 (951) 683-3648

KOREAN

Chimak House

11120 Magnolia Ave, Unit A (951) 343-1120

88 Korean Corn Dog 3740 Iowa Ave

Manna Grill 1201 University Ave #110B (951) 530-8033

Kimchichanga 1995 University Ave (951) 684-9800

Koreana Grill 10051 Magnolia Ave Ste A1 (951) 688-9000

Saet Byul Asian Market 9555 Magnolia Ave (951) 637-5652

Wang Cho Korean BBQ

3639 Riverside Plaza Dr (951) 788-8889

MEDITERRANEAN

Elias Pita

1490 University Ave Ste 103 (951) 686-6800

Fufu’s Mideast Grill

3605 Market Street

(951) 595-4527

Georgie's Mediterranean 5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 57

(951) 823-0440

Greek Street Grill

3312 La Sierra Ave Ste 103

(951) 352-0801

The Halal Guys 1201 University Ave, Ste 102

(951) 742-7656

Kabab EL Basha 365 Iowa Ave

(951) 289-9511

Kabob House 10901 Magnolia Ave

(951) 353-9711

Lucky Greek 3887 Merrill Ave

(951) 686-2621

Panini Kabob Grill 1298 Galleria at Tyler (951) 352-6318

Sam’s Pita & Kabab 9799 Magnolia Ave (951) 376-1269

MEXICAN Acapulco Pollo 8151 Arlington Ave Ste O (951) 406-1215

Ahumadas Mexican Grill 7614 Evans St

(951) 368-4583

Anchos Southwest Grill & Bar 10773 Hole Ave (951) 352-0240

Antojitos Mexicanos La Ribera 4773 Tyler St Ste 2d (951) 353-1852

Armando’s Mexican Food 4294 Riverwalk Pkwy Ste 200

(951) 343-5896

Ay Mi Pa

3775 Tyler St #1B

(951) 729-6174

Azteca Market 5125 Jurupa Ave A2

(951) 530-8791

Bajio Mexican Grill 3760 9th St

(951) 786-9573

Birrieria Little Tijuana

12702 Magnolia Ave Unit 25

(951) 268-6895

Birrieria Xolos

9696 Magnolia Ave

(951) 376-1226

Brandon’s Diner Jr Of City Hall

3900 Main St

(951) 778-2588

Cactus Cantina 151 E Alessandro Blvd

(951) 789-0211

Cañada's Grill

10436 Magnolia Ave

(951) 588-6758

Casa Mota 8151 Arlington Ave (951) 352-7383

Carlos's Tijuana Tacos 3980 University Ave

Castaneda’s Mexican Food 6751 Indiana Ave (951) 786-0996

Castañeda’s Mexican Food 1450 P University Ave (951) 786-0996

Chilitos Mexican Grill

3847 S Pierce St Ste F (951) 509-1002

Cielito Lindo

10277 Arlington Ave (951) 352-3214

Costa Delmar 4561 La Sierra Ave (951) 588-8798

El Chapala Seafood Restaurant

8201 Arlington Ave (951) 359-7560

El Fogon Mexican Grill 765 Blaine St (951) 782-8959

El Habanero 6160 Arlington Ave (951) 343-5868

El Ojo De Agua

2115 University Ave (951) 779-6293

El Patron 3204 Mission Inn Ave (951) 777-1131

El Silencito 1091 Center St (951) 312-6542

El Torito

3639 Riverside Plaza Dr Ste 526 (951) 684-6816

El Trigo

4155 Park Ave

(951) 787-6937

Fire Up Bar & Grill 3750 University Ave (951) 289-9071

Fish Taco Xtreme 16960 Van Buren Blvd Ste D (951) 800-9061

Fuego 360

Rotisserie Chicken

3866 La Sierra Ave

(951) 456-3705

Green Taco

3812 Pierce St

(951) 353-2272

Habanero Mexican Grill 2472 University Ave (951) 224-9145

Ixtapa 4093 University Ave (951) 777-1132

Joe Aguilar’s Templo Del Sol 1365 University Ave (951) 682-6562

Juan Pollo 6055 Magnolia Ave (951) 683-3513

Kalaveras 1690 Spruce St (951) 742-5761

Kimchichanga 1995 University Ave (951) 684-9800

La Bufadora Baja Grill 497 E Alessandro Blvd Ste B (951) 776-2881

La Bufadora Baja Grill 5650-52 Van Buren Blvd (951) 687-7237

La Cruda Mariscos 6733 Indiana Ave (951) 777-0862

Las Campanas 3649 Mission Inn Ave (888) 326-4448

Las Nuevas Islas 4920 Jackson St (951) 772-0020

Little Green Onions 6723 Brockton Ave (951) 328-1273

Los Cabos Tacos 11840 Magnolia Ave (951) 352-2653

Los Fredo’s Mexican Food 9111 Magnolia Ave (951) 525-3411

Los Novillos Market 2650 Main St (951) 530-8893

Lucies Locadas 1601 University Ave (951) 423-4828

M Taco 4111 Main St (951) 784-7135

Maria’s Mexican Kitchen 17028 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-2034

Mariscos El Camaron Loco 3340 Mary St (951) 682-3882

Mercado Don Juan #3 3375 Iowa Ave (951) 787-9292

Mezcal Cantina Y Cocina 3737 Main St Ste 100 (951) 888-2240

Miches De La Baja 1242 University Ave Ste 5 (951) 742-5633

Mi Lindo Apatzingan 9948 Magnolia Ave (951) 688-0908

Mr. Taco 2435 Main St (951) 682-4020

Mr. Taco 18590 Van Buren Blvd (951) 776-9900

Olivia’s Mexican Restaurant 9447 Magnolia Ave (951) 689-2131

Palenque 3737 Main St (951) 888-2240

Pepitos Mexican Restaurant 5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 42 (951) 783-9444

Placita 1805 University Ave (951) 405-8730

Ramiro’s Cocina 9418 Magnolia Ave (951) 354-6146

Ranchito Tacos Al Carbon 2995 Van Buren Blvd Ste A1 (951) 359-8646

Rancho La Perla 3700 Van Buren Blvd Ste 109 (951) 688-8682

Retro Taco 3744 Main St (951) 742-5606

Rico’s Tacos El Primo 1788 University Ave Ste 102 (951) 782-9610

Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill 3848 La Sierra Ave (951) 687-2280

Rolando’s Taco Shop 19530 Van Buren Blvd Ste G6 (951) 656-0304

Señor Baja 6033 Magnolia Ave (951) 369-5720

Sushingon 6060 Magnolia Ave (951) 224-9590

Taco Station 4088 Mission Inn Ave (951) 782-8226

Tacos Y Más 10203 Hole Ave (951) 687-1344

Taqueria Azteca 5959 Arlington Ave Ste E (951) 509-3670

Taqueria 2 Potrillos 10088 Magnolia Ave (951) 588-8772

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Bar & Restaurant Guide

The Riversider | February/March 2023

Taqueria Mi Ranchito 4724 La Sierra Ave (951) 352-0528

Taqueria Tomateros 9164 Magnolia Ave (909) 257-1545

The Tamale Factory 3663 Main St (951) 342-3023

Tijuana’s Tacos 8151 Arlington Ave (951) 343-7777

Tina’s Mexican Food 2421 University Ave (951) 686-1524

Tio’s Mexican Food 19009 Van Buren Blvd Ste 124 (951) 780-7776

Tio’s Tacos 3948 Mission Inn Ave (951) 788-0230

Tony’s Mexican Food 3870 Chicago Ave (951) 788-4410

Tony’s Mexican Grill 9670 Magnolia Ave (951) 729-6141

Tuxies Juices 6030 Magnolia Ave Ste 3 (951) 781-1048

Yoli’s Mexican Grill 3225 Market St (951) 801-7104

Zacatecas Cafe 3767 Iowa Ave (951) 683-3939

PAKISTANI

Al-Karam Pakistani Cuisine 3457 Arlington Ave Ste 101 (951) 742-5610

Mirchi Restaurant 1385 W Blaine St (951) 400-2825

Punjab Palace 10359 Magnolia Ave (951) 351-8968

SEAFOOD California Fish Grill 10920 Magnolia Ave Suite 101 (951) 405-6880

Market Broiler 3525 Merrill Ave (951) 276-9007

Pacific Grill 1299 Tyler St (951) 643-8168

Pier 76 Fish Grill 3555 Riverside Plaza Dr Ste 108 (951) 341-9297

Rockstar Shrimp 767 W Blaine St (951) 530-8620

Seafood & Crawfish 10173 Magnolia Ave (951) 359-5999

Star Crab 10051 Magnolia Ave (951) 977-9440

STEAKHOUSES

Duane’s Prime Steak & Seafood

3649 Mission Inn Ave (888) 326-4448

Flat Top Bar & Grill 17960 Van Buren Blvd (951) 780-0114

THAI

Angel Thai Cuisine 6736 Brockton Ave (951) 788-1995

Sam's Bann Thai 3203 Mission Inn Ave (951) 742-7694

Best Thai Cuisine 1735 Spruce St F (951) 682-4251

Gra Pow 497 E Alessandro Blvd #D (951) 780-1132

Monark Asian Bistro

5225 Canyon Crest Dr #64 (951) 683-1073

Morefire Thai 2955 Van Buren Blvd #F1 (951) 359-1331

Riverside Thai Kitchen 7755 California Ave (951) 729-6675

Royal Orchid Restaurant

9791 Magnolia Ave (951) 354-6100

TK Thai Cuisine

11860 Magnolia Ave Ste T (951) 509-3701

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN

Craveabowl 3434 Arlington Ave Ste 20 (951) 742-5878

Goodwin’s Organic 91 W Big Springs Rd (951) 682-2667

La Sierra Natural Foods 11550 Pierce St (951) 785-2563

Monty’s Good Burger 3605 Market Street (213) 915-0257

Oasis Vegetarian Café 11550 Pierce St (951) 688-5423

Plant Power Fast Food 3940 University Ave (951) 905-5222

Roots Restaurant & Bar 3700 12th St (951) 405-8324

Veg & Go 1201 University Ave Ste #115 (951) 213-6233

VIETNAMESE/PHO

5 Stars Pho Restaurant 4950 La Sierra Ave (951) 772-0700

Cha2o 1400 University Ave Ste A104 (714) 406-3090

Ocean Pho 4069 Chicago Ave Ste 100 (951) 742-5272

Pho 81 2995 Van Buren Blvd Ste A13 (951) 977-8869

Phở 99 4557 La Sierra Ave (951) 688-2671

Pho Anh 5646 Van Buren Blvd (951) 977-9889

Pho Anh Hot Pot & Crayfish 10271 Magnolia Ave (951) 729-6668

Pho Anh Hot Pot & Crayfish 231 E Alessandro Blvd (951) 215-0585

Pho DJ 5180 Arlington Ave (951) 354-2799

Pho Ha 10185 Magnolia Ave (951) 354-8918

Pho Ha #7 1820 University Ave #101 (951) 680-0790

Pho Star Bowl 10051 Magnolia Ave (951) 299-8130

Phở Vinam Restaurant 1201 University Ave #107 (951) 784-4290

WINE BARS/WINERIES

The Brickwood 3653 Main St (951) 352-2739

Canyon Crest Winery 5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 7A (951) 369-9463

Mario’s Place 3646 Mission Inn Ave (951) 684-7755

The Riversider Magazine
@riversidermag Follow on instagram
JULIAN JOLLIFFE
48
OPEN EVERYDAY Mornings: Monday through Sunday 7am to 12pm Evenings: Thursday through Sunday 5pm to 10pm Family Founded Owned & Operated 3750 University Ave #175 Riverside, CA 92501 (951) 742-5949 Website: urbandripp.com Instagram: @urbandrippdonuts “ The Best Donuts in the Inland Empire located here in Downtown Riverside”

Open Everyday 6:30am to 2pm

Live Music

Every Sat. & Sun. 10am-1pm

Riverside's #1 breakfast & lunch spot!

6951 Flight Road

Riverside, CA 92504

951-688-3337

riversideairportcafe.com

@theriversideairportcafe

YOUR Riverside Realtor MY PROFESSIONAL MARKETING OFFERS: • Photography (drone photography offered) • Spot on the “At Home in SoCal” TV Program • Ad in “View” Magazine • “Just Listed” postcards mailed out • Attention grabbing social media banners • Beautifully printed property brochures • Geographically targeted marketing online & on Social Media “Whether you are Selling or Buying, I am dedicated to your journey” JenJenRealestate.com (951) 906-3429 CalRE#01703480 Visit my website to view homes in your area Jen Martel of
** Community Action Partnership of Riverside County has several assistance programs you may qualify for. You may contact them at (951) 955-4900 UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS RiversidePublicUtilities.com/Assistance • (951) 782-0330 Additional kWh at 1st Tier Rate Requirements: • Qualifying Medical Equipment in Home • 24 Month Renewal UTILICARE Requirements: Financial Hardship due to COVID after 3/1/2020 $400 One Time Credit S haring H ouseholds A ssist R iverside’s E nergy SHARE RPUShare@RiversideCA.gov $16 Electric | $3.25 Water Monthly Credit Requirements: Income Qualified Requirements: Income Qualified + Deposit or Urgent Notice $250 Once Per Year RIVERSIDE COUNTY & OTHER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Rent and Utility Assistance Requirements: Income Qualified UnitedLift.org • (951) 697-4700 UNITED LIFT CAPriverside.org • (951) 955-4900 Requirements: Income Qualified Low Income Home Water Assistance Program Water Assistance, up to $2,000 **LIHWAP Electric or Gas Assistance Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program **LIHEAP
Electrify Your Ride and Save with Our Improved EV Rebates Electrifique Su Vehículo y Ahorre con Nuestros Mejorados Reembolsos EV ELECTRIFY RIVERSIDE ELECTRIFIQUE RIVERSIDE ACTUALIZADO PARA UPDATED FOR 2023 UN MENSAJE DE RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES A MESSAGE FROM RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES DriveClean.CA.gov Learn more about driving clean at Obtenga más información sobre la conducción limpia en PlugShare.com Find an EV charging station Encuentre una estación de carga EV RiversidePublicUtilities.com/Rebates NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE REBATES FOR RPU CUSTOMERS when installed at your service address towards a Level 2 EV Charger $500 Rebate Up to Recieve an additional $805 for the installation of a Time-of-Use Meter USED Electric Vehicle Rebate Program* Rebates for the purchase of a qualified used electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle $1,000 Plus an additional $1,500 rebate for qualified low income customers *Limited Program Funding REEMBOLSOS DE VEHÍCULOS ELÉCTRICOS NUEVOS PARA CLIENTES DE RPU Programa de Reembolso de Vehículos Eléctricos USADOS* Además de un reembolso adicional de $1,500 para clientes calificados de bajos ingresos *Fondos de Programa Limitados Reembolsos por la compra de un vehículo usado calificado o híbrido que se enchufa $1,000 Reciba $805 adicionales por la instalación de un Medidor de Tiempo de Uso para un Cargador EV Nivel 2 $500 De Reembolso Hasta cuando se instala en su dirección de servicio
The Riversider Magazine Postcards From Yesterday 1915 JULIAN JOLLIFFE COURTESY OF CHRIS NAPOLITANO COLLECTION The Riversider | February/March 2023 2023 54
CONNECT WITH US CONÉCTESE CON NOSOTROS RiversideCA.gov/Connect #ILoveRiverside @secondhandlight @jvjolliffeimages JOIN US FOR ALL THINGS RIVERSIDE! ¡ÚNASE A NOSOTROS PARA TODO LO RELACIONADO CON RIVERSIDE! Upcoming events, day-to-day updates, and emergency notifications –we’ve got you covered. Próximos eventos, actualizaciones diarias y notificaciones de emergencia –lo tenemos cubierto. @faithandframes @gr0o0ovydanny @samie290
The Riversider Magazine Must be 18 or older to attend shows. Tickets and info at HarrahsSoCal.com. Entertainment subject to change or cancellation. Must be 21 or older to gamble and attend events. Know When To Stop Before You Start ®. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Owned by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians. Managed by HCAL, LLC. ©2023, Caesars License Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Jim Gaffigan Dark Pale Tour Saturday, February 18 Josh Turner Long Black Train 20th Anniversary Tour Friday, August 18 Los Ángeles Azules Friday, April 14 Nick Offerman Friday, March 10 56

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