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Weaving together culture and community through vintage furniture repair

Ghermayn Baker and Christina Powers ditched their high-paying corporate jobs for a simpler life repairing intricately woven furniture, allowing for a more fulfilling and rewarding life built around community and each other.

Ceramist fights deportations and connects with her Cambodian culture one donut pipe at a time

Vanndearlyn Vong uses her art to raise money for the Long Beach Southeast Asian Anti-Deportation Collective. She hopes to keep the traditional practice of Khmer ceramics alive for generations to come.

Custom sneaker artist paints shoes so cool you won’t want to wear them

Bryan Phillips is the creator behind Swell Guy Customs, a Long Beach-based company that creates hand-painted one-of-a-kind sneakers.

Former Dark Harbor artist reveals his true self through the mastery of makeup

Holding back tears, Jay Quintana recalls how he started his career in the beauty industry as an eager-to-learn student, spending the first two to three years learning everything he could about makeup from YouTube videos.

‘Like working at a toy shop’: Making molten metal art with Behind the Embers

What can you make out of molten metal? Derek Franklin is here to find out.

Speak Cheezy’s sourdough pizza is so delicious you’ll actually want to eat the crust

The popular roaming pizza pop-up has been a well-known hit around the Southland for a decade with their five-grain, naturally leavened sourdough crust and ingredient-focused signatures.

Educator moonlights as gourmet mushroom farmer, helping people eat local

“I love mushrooms because it forces us to eat locally and I think that’s how you’re supposed to eat anyways,” said Nguyen, who is aiming to double his mushroom growth soon. “There’s some spiritual aspect about eating stuff where it’s grown.”

Battambong BBQ blends Texas style barbecue with Cambodian flair

After losing his job to the pandemic, Chad Phuong turned to food and launched his North Long Beach pop-up, Battambong BBQ, that honors traditional Texas-style barbeque with Cambodian flavor.

A ‘parade of flavors’: Long Beach’s El Paisa restaurant explores Colombian cuisine

Cumbia music plays as the aroma of toasty empanadas, rounded buñuelos and cheesy pan de bonos resting on the counter’s heated display embrace guests who walk in to Melvin Henriquez’ El Paisa Colombian restaurant.

Side StrEATS: Peruvian restaurant Casa Chaskis in West Long Beach

Growing up with Jaliscan parents, seeing Latin food cooked so differently fascinated Agustín Romo, owner of Peruvian restaurant Casa Chaskis in West Long Beach. Peruvian gastronomy, for instance, has been heavily influenced by an influx of Asian immigrants to the region over centuries. These influences show through characteristics such as the use of woks while sauteing or stir-frying noodles and rice.