Fresno's Best

In this episode of Fresno’s Best, host Jordan Mattox sits down with Luke Hoekstra, Executive Director of the Kings River Land Trust, for a wide-ranging conversation about one of the Central Valley’s most important—and most misunderstood—natural resources. Luke shares his favorite Fresno restaurants, then dives into the true nature of the Kings River: its volatile flows, its complex system of forks...

In this episode of Fresno’s Best , Jordan talks with Christopher, owner of the soon-to-open We Rock the Spectrum inclusive sensory gym in Clovis, beginning with a tour of Fresno’s Filipino food scene—including food-truck favorites and the eternal question of when Fresno will finally get a Jollibee—before diving into what makes an inclusive gym truly inclusive. Christopher explains how his experien...

In this episode of Fresno’s Best, host Jordan Mattox talks with Robert Scott, President of the Fresno Cactus and Succulent Society and Caltrans environmental specialist, about the surprising richness of succulents and cacti in the Central Valley. Scott explains how his environmental work informs his love of plants, shares practical tips on caring for and propagating succulents, and discusses the e...

In this episode of Fresno’s Best , host Jordan Mattox sits down with Mona Cummings, CEO and Director of Tree Fresno. Mona shares her fascinating journey from serving in the Peace Corps on islands off the coast of Africa to leading international forestry projects in Mozambique, and how those experiences shaped her approach to community work in Fresno. The conversation dives into the role of trees i...

In this episode, Jordan sits down with Jordyn Houseworth, the creative force behind Love On Tap , a unique singles experience bringing speed dating to breweries and venues across California. They dive into the ins and outs of modern romance—how dating apps are changing the game, why in-person connection still matters, and what it takes to organize a successful speed dating event in today’s world....

Today we have Crystal Uyeno and Nayantara Rodrigues on the show. They're the co-founders of Rooted Heart Yoga, a 200-hour, all-levels yoga teacher training located here in Fresno. Between these two amazing women, there is so much knowledge and perspective—not only about yoga, the body, and mental health, but also about the qualities of a good teacher and developing a business-minded approach to fi...

Today, we have Stephen Wilson. Stephen is the President and CEO of the Fresno Philharmonic, a gem in our community, and is one of our city's biggest advocates for the arts. Stephen and I had a fantastic conversation covering classical music, of course, but also exploring the arts more broadly. Please enjoy! Fresno Philharmonic's Website Books:  Authority and Freedom: A Defense of the Arts Jed Perl...

Today, we have Molly DeFrank on the show. Molly is a mom to six children and the author of two parenting books,  Mothering Boys: 8 Things Your Son Needs From You Before He Turns 10,  and     Digital Detox: The Two-Week Tech Reset for Kids.  Before children, Molly worked as a press aide to Governor Schwarzenegger.  Molly's Website Books:  The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood...

 Today we have another edition of our brewery tour through Fresno and Clovis, and we are going to meet Dustin Hale and Matt Denson, the founders of Burning Sun Brewing Company, right on Clovis Avenue in Clovis, California. Burning Sun's Mission Statement :  Our mission at Burning Sun Brewing Company is to craft exceptional, high-quality beers that ignite passion and inspire moments of enjoyment. W...

Danielle R. Shapazian is a registered nurse and writer who lives in Fresno. Her essays have appeared in the Fresno Bee and the Los Angeles Times. She is the founder and director of the San Joaquin Valley Bookfest. We dig into all things books, literary culture, audio vs. print books, keys to hosting events in Fresno, and more.  Bookfest Website Get (Free) Tickets Here Books:  Esperanza Rising  Pam...

Today, we have James Ellett on the show. James is the pizza genius behind Pinky’s Pizza, my favorite place to get pizza in town. We talk about all the mechanics and minutiae of the world of pizza. Pinky's Hotplate Link Books:  Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza Ken Forkish The Pizza Bible: The World's Favorite Pizza Styles, from Neapolitan, Deep-Dish, Wood-Fired, S...

Today, we're gonna be covering my favorite event of the year in Fresno: Tower Porchfest. I have three guests on to tell us more about the event in this particular upcoming Porchfest. The first one is Jessica Mindren, who's the lead organizer of Porch Fest. We also have Joshua DeFisher who is the social media and merch lead. And then Alleha Navarro, who's a three time Porch Fest host. Each of these...

Today, we have Ruth Soderlund on the show. Ruth is a Fresno artist passionate about building connections within the art community. Her new endeavor, The Artist Mentorship Project kicks off this month, April, 2025. The project aims to link artists of varied skill and professional experience to provide young and emerging artists with support as they pursue their individual career goals. Ruth hopes t...

 Today we have Dana Pellerin on the show. Dana is the owner of South of Shaw Beer Company in downtown Fresno, California on Broadway Street. Not only do they have great beer, but they also have some of my favorite pizza in town.  South of Shaw is one of the places that I love to hang out at. If you're there on a Friday night, there's a high probability you'll see me. It's become kind of institutio...

Today, we have Kat Kavner Woolf on the show. Kat is the Founder and Co-CEO of Heyday Canning Co, which produces some of my favorite bean products on the market right now. Kat leveraged her experience working in the industry to start Heyday combining beans with amazing sauces and ingedients. We dig into all things beans in this conversation. Nerdy bean conversations was not on my bingo card, but I...

Today, we have Ryan Parsley and Cody Sturgis of the Reborne Brewing Company in Clovis, CA on the show.  Ryan has called Fresno California his home since he was five years old. He has been married to his amazing wife for 15 years, and they both have two beautiful children. Ryan also, has proudly been serving in the California Air National Guard for over 14 years, which helped him complete his educa...

We are continuing our series highlighting some of the amazing businesses that are supported through the WET Center at Fresno State's  Valley Ventures Accelerator program. Today, we have Emily Dinino on the show. Emily is the Founder & CEO of ThermoShade. She spent two years studying the problem of extreme heat as her master’s thesis and is passionate about finding solutions to protect people a...

Today, we have Roque Rodriguez on the show. Roque is a Fresno based filmmaker and creative working to cultivate a vibrant and diverse film community throughout the San Joaquin Valley. After growing up in the rural farming town of Firebaugh, Rodriguez earned his degree in graphic arts from Brooks College in Los Angeles, only to eventually plant himself in what he calls the “Goldilocks” city of Fres...

On today's show, we have Manuel Bonilla, president of the Fresno Teachers Association. We dig into education practice, policy, organized labor, and more in this episode. If you are looking to dig into the weeds of education, this is the episode for you.  Fresno Teachers Association Website   Books:  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy J.R.R. Tolkien The Infinite Game Simon Sinek On Bullshit Harry G. Fra...

We have a special episode for you today with some of the leaders of the VA Central California Health Care System. We brought in three knowledgable leaders to discuss the state of this organization and their services. This was recorded at the end of last year, so any Trump administrative moves will not be covered here. Here are the three guests who shared in this episode:  Froylan “Froy” Garza, Int...

 Today, we have Alex Van Horne on the show. Alex is the president of the Central Valley Brewers Guild and the co-owner of Summer Fox Brewing, one of my favorite breweries in Fresno. I was so excited to record this podcast with Alex! If you really want to nerd out on beer, this is the episode for you. Summer Fox Brewing   The Central Valley Brewers Guild Books:  Tasting Beer, 2nd Edition: An Inside...

 Today, we have Josh Huckaby on the show. Josh is the owner of Hoodwink Consulting, a central valley cybersecurity provider. Josh has spent the last six years focused on cybersecurity, which led to him opening up Hoodwink Consulting here in Fresno. They specialize in helping companies understand cybersecurity risk and provide services to protect them. And his free time, Josh enjoys spending time w...

 We're beginning a series of episodes with the WET Center at Fresno State. WET stands for water, energy and technology. The WET Center's mission is to empower central Valley's core industries by providing access to cutting-edge resources, innovative research and industry expertise, driving sustainable growth and regional prosperity. They have supported amazing startups and companies around the wor...

On today's show, we have Kellee Williams, owner and teacher at Tower Yoga. Kellee is a deeply experienced and knowledgable teacher and practitioner of yoga. We dig into a lot of topics in this conversation. Please enjoy! Tower Yoga Site Books:  Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self  Anodea Judith  Tantra of the Yoga Sutras: Essential Wisdom for Living w...

Lynda Oniah, founder and creative director of StandTallJeans, is a tall woman who faced the challenge of finding stylish, long-enough denim for herself. Driven by this personal struggle and inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial spirit, Lynda transitioned from a successful banking career to pursue her passion for fashion. After earning a Master’s Degree in Management and graduating with honors f...