I never really messed w/ #MistahFab’s music but I all-the-way rock with his emcee mind state.
He’s the genius behind #dopeera, a streetwear brand that leans heavily into the nostalgia of the 80s. The homies at Brand Marinade play a role in helping execute Fab’s vision to serve dope shirt concepts in the same way emcees serve verses.
That really speaks to my heart, mang.
So, as a budding coffee enthusiast {and would be hip hop coffee concierge}, I had an idea for a shirt that celebrated #Mexico, #Mexicans, #Mexican Coffee, #thirdwave culture and streetwear aesthetics.
Hence, the sarape design freaked w old English.
My peoples have supported, too. I’ve sold about 50 shirts. Now, I’m looking to take the design to more people and launch additional coffee lifestyle designs.
Look, I’m not trying to be on my bullshit like that but the facts speak for themselves. And when those facts are attested to by footage, then only a fool would dare discount the claim.
Feast your eyes on The Aguilar’s Who Run Covina, Ca.
Eating out with the kids can be a hassle. I know because I’ve watched from my table as your family struggles through the ordering process.
Maya and Joaquin, though, are arguably too skilled at ordering their food. They typically know what they want before we get to the establishment; no luck in having them try something new.
But they’d never been to MiMi’s before, so this was a chance for them to experiment. But not before a little basketball. In this house, you have to score to eat.
(That or just be around when the food is served).
When we got to MiMi’s, we were greeted by the General Manager, Brandon Byran, who was eager to show us the new kids’ menu.
“Hello, Big Brown Beautiful Family”
I have fond memories of MiMi’s, my MaMa used to love going there. I think it had a lot to do with their delicious muffins…and the fact they offer them up as you wait to be seated.
The Monrovia location is holding up, shaded most days by the San Gabriel Mountains to its north. The place was humming by 9:00 am, a sign that MiMi’s has a faithful lot.
True to form, the muffins were an early hit with Maya…and Big Brown Mom.
3 The Soft Way
Joaquin (5) was eager to dive into the new menu.
The new choose your own adventure menu covered lunch items.
The server did a great job explaining how it worked. Joaquin still had questions, though.
What exactly does “ALL you can eat” mean?
We left with our bellies full and our spirits high. What more can you ask?
The battle never took place because of a riot that happened while
standing in line but the experience did land me my first television job
when Carlos Caro interviewed me about my experience for a fledgling new network.
He read about my exploits inAbelardo de la Peña Jr. Latino LA newsletter where I placed an ad in the classified asking for donations to fund my trip—on some pre-Go Fund me shit.
Two weeks after I came back from the NYC battle that never happened, I
saw an ad in Latino LA looking for a writer for new cable network
catering to English speaking Latinos, Mun2.
The guy who interviewed me for the show then interviewed me for the job. I got it. Big ups Carlos Caro.
Every Sunday morning, Brian Gomez of The Roasted Bean in San Dimas, California spends 5 hours in front of his Toper 5kg Roaster, turning out flavorful coffee from all over the world.
What started as a hobby in 2011 developed into a full fledged business in 2015. And it’s been growing ever since.
Fun Belly caught up with Brian to discuss the origins of The Roasted Bean LLC, the company’s values and how he views the emerging 3rd wave coffee culture in Los Angeles.
What prompted you to start The Roasted Bean?
I had a spinal cord injury in 2011. Before my injury, I was into motocross and bike riding. After my injury, I wanted to keep my competitive fire burning. Coffee roasting allowed that and I dove right in. I bought a table top roaster, smoked out my house a few times and entered some competitions. It turns out, I was pretty damn good. After sharing beans with my friends and family, they encouraged me to go deeper, so I did. After about two years of tabletop roasting and 6 months of window shopping , I decided to buy a Toper 5k, which allows me to roast 10 lbs of coffee at a time. After that, my business really started developing.
Tell me more about your business.
It’s definitely a family affair. My Dad, Angel, is a successful businessman in his own right. When he’s not running his business, he’s my hands, legs and voice. He helps coordinate purchases and sales, lends a hand with the roasting and knows how to fix everything. My mom and girlfriend help with the packing, shipping and handling while my cousin is regular at the Farmer’s Markets. If you see him at Victoria Gardens, tell’em what’s up?!
What do you think about the issue of diversity in the 3rd Wave coffee movement?
I’ve found it to be a super-inclusive, judgement-free zone. The industry attracts a bunch of personalities–from artisans to activists to marketers. It’s important to us to run a fair business which is why we only work with coffee brokers who set price standards that allow for a livable wage for the growers. We pride ourselves on these values.
What are some of your most popular coffees and where can Fun Belly readers find it?
Our top sellers are our coffees from Guatemala and Ethiopia. Currently, the Claremont Club, 4th St Mill in La Verne and the Village Eatery in Glendora carry TRB Coffee. We sell our coffee online at theroastedbeanllc.com. We’re grateful to have loyal customers in Nevada, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
What’s the future hold?
More coffee. More relationships. More fun. And our new Nitro Cold Brew! Follow me on Instagram and I’ll tell you all about it! I’ll hook up your Fun Belly readers with a 5% on any pound of coffee.
There’s a parallel between hiking and praying that is often overlooked.
Many ‘folk Christians’ resort to free-form prayer. Free-form prayer is stream of consciousness; it’s unstructured rambling, even if earnest. But the greatest religious traditions, including Xtianity and Islam, have tomes of scripted prayers that abide by a logic and aim.
Take, for example, The Lord’s Prayer.
The opening, “Our Father” establishes the person to whom the prayer is directed, is grounded in a claim about the nature of the relationship and serves to remind the supplicant of her dependancy; “who are in heaven” establishes transcendence, and on and on. The prayer advances by a certain logic. The formulations allow for a guided prayer.
Regrettably, I couldn’t find any books that lay out how we ought hike. Like prayer, the operating assumption is that some benefit simply in virtue of our participation.
But like prayer, we would truly benefit from some reflective prescriptions while hiking or else, you’re just sorta walking around with a wandering mind.
One prescription might be to focus on the sounds for the first 1/3 of the hike. Then colors and then smells. Or, imagine yourself an animal on this hike.
