Fresno's Best

Jordan Mattox
  • 4.7 (32)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

An interview podcast highlighting interesting people doing important work in Fresno. https://linktr.ee/fresnosbest

  1. 5d ago

    Wayne Stonecipher, Founder of Central California Tiki

    There's no tiki bar in Fresno — yet — but there's a thriving tiki community, and Wayne Stonecipher was instrumental in building it. Wayne is the founder of Central California Tiki, the group he started around 2018 that has grown from four friends making drinks out of the Smuggler's Cove book into a community of well over a thousand members celebrating "tiki escapism" across Central California, from the Grapevine to the Delta. The group hosts meetups throughout the valley and puts on the Central California Tiki Marketplace beside Bakersfield's Tiki-Ko and The Sinking Ship, drawing dozens of carvers, artists, and vendors from all over California. In this episode, host and Wayne cover the origins of tiki culture (Don the Beachcomber, Trader Vic, and the secret numbered rum recipes), the difference between celebration and appropriation, what actually defines a tiki cocktail, the great Mai Tai and Painkiller debates, how to design a transporting home bar, and a fast round of tiki "overrated vs. underrated." They also dig into what a distinctly Central Valley tiki scene could look like — think "tree to glass" cocktails built on the region's incredible citrus and agriculture — plus Wayne's essential book recommendations and a tease about the tiki bar finally coming to Fresno. Find Central California Tiki at centralcaliforniatiki.com and on Instagram and Facebook @centralcaliforniatiki.

  2. Sep 7

    Jose Salazar, Candidate for Fresno County Superior Court Judge and Senior Defense Attorney

    Jordan Mattox sits down with Jose Salazar, a senior defense attorney on the major crimes team at the Fresno County Public Defender's Office and a candidate for Fresno County Superior Court judge. Born and raised in Sanger in a family of immigrants, Jose traces his path from Central Valley high school football and debate to Berkeley, UC Hastings law school, and over a decade defending some of the most serious cases in Fresno Superior Court. The conversation ranges widely: why people are drawn to public defense, what voters should actually look for in a judicial candidate, and how a trial judge balances applying the law, exercising discretion, and managing a courtroom. Jordan and Jose dig into the mechanics of California's elected judiciary, court backlogs and the resources problem behind them, continuances and plea deals, juvenile justice and adolescent brain development, homelessness, and judicial temperament. Jose also lays out the one issue he says sets him apart — his public-policy stance on ICE agents in the courthouse — framing it as a matter of public safety, court access, and fairness for the underserved communities that built the Central Valley. The episode closes with Jose's case for why he's the right candidate, a nod to fatherhood and family (including the story behind his youngest son's middle name), and his book recommendations: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Jose's campaign fundraiser is Wednesday, September 9th, from 5:30 to 7:30 at Sumner Fox Brewery in the Tower District — all ages welcome. You can find him on Instagram and Facebook at JoseSalazarForJudge, or at joseSalazarForJudge.com. Election Day is November 3rd.

  3. Aug 21

    Meahgan McCready, Aerial Performer and Instructor and Adjunct Psychology Professor

    Meaghan McCready spends half her life suspended in the air and the other half at the front of a psychology classroom — and on this episode she makes the case that the two aren't as far apart as they seem. Host Jordan Mattox talks with Meaghan about her path into aerial arts, from a spur-of-the-moment sign-up at Fulton 55 to a decade of teaching silks, sling, and lyra at her downtown studio. They dig into the mechanics and myths of the "art sport": just how much you can trust a strip of nylon, why the muscles that matter most aren't the ones you'd guess, the burns and bruises that come with the territory, and how social media and body-type expectations have reshaped the craft. Meaghan also opens up about how aerial — and the trust it demands — helped carry her through her own struggles with depression. On the psychology side, they get into the messy state of the field today: wellness influencers, self-diagnosis, ChatGPT as a stand-in therapist, and the grind of adjunct life across three Valley colleges. Plus a round of Overrated or Underrated, a detour through downtown Fresno and the Tower District, and a couple of closing book recommendations. Curious about trying aerial yourself? Meaghan teaches at the Sun Stereo Warehouse in downtown Fresno and performs with Central Valley Cirque. Books mentioned: The Science of Revenge by James Kimmel Jr. The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why by Amanda Ripley

  4. Aug 10

    Cactus Harris, Organist, Keyboardist, Educator, and Dean of San Joaquin Valley chapter of the American Guild of Organists

    Organist, conductor, and educator Cactus Harris joins Jordan to make the case that the pipe organ is anything but boring. From teaching himself accordion out of his mother's closet to commanding the 1928 Robert Morton theater organ at Warnors, Cactus traces a winding path through saxophone, keyboards, and a master's in conducting. He and Jordan dig into the instrument's unexpected origins, the misconceptions that keep people away, and why he believes there's a far bigger audience for the organ in Fresno than most people assume. In this episode Cactus and Jordan open with the best hole-in-the-wall food out by Fresno State before getting into the accordion's underrated versatility, the surprisingly rowdy battlefield origins of the pipe organ, and how it migrated into churches and later silent-film theaters. They cover organ technique and the notorious "octopus" coordination it demands, the terraced versus swell dynamics of different instruments, and a spirited round of overrated versus underrated (harpsichord, Wayne Newton, Me-n-Ed's crust, and more). From there the conversation turns to the Robert Morton organ at Warnors — what makes it special, what a museum-quality restoration would cost, and Cactus's vision for bringing new audiences in — before closing on arts funding, Measure P, and the challenge of defining what art is worth funding in Fresno. Book recommendations Liza with a Z / Liza Minnelli's recent memoir (co-created with Michael Feinstein) — a fun read for anyone into Broadway and show-biz history The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis — a summer re-read Cactus is working through with his kids

  5. May 26

    Nav Gurm, Candidate for Fresno City Council District 7

    District 7 City Council candidate Nav Gurm joins Jordan to make his case ahead of the June 2nd election. A UCLA and UC Davis Law grad who returned home to Fresno against the brain drain trend, Nav lays out his vision for housing, homelessness, public safety, economic development, and city hall culture. The conversation covers his all-of-the-above approach to the housing crisis and what revitalizing the Blackstone Corridor and Manchester Mall would actually take, his plan to launch a District 7 project review committee in his first 100 days, why he supports the anti-camping ordinance but wants major reforms and stronger county collaboration, how to bring down 911 response times and invest in preventative public safety tools, and why small businesses deserve the same red-carpet treatment from City Hall that big employers get. Nav also explains why he opposes taxpayer-funded soccer stadiums, points to Los Angeles and San Jose as models for budget transparency and policy outcome tracking, and addresses head-on the critique that at 26, he's too young for the job. Plus, his favorite vegetarian spots around town, why he recommends Ezra Klein's Abundance, and a final get-out-the-vote push with voting center locations across Fresno. Election Day: Tuesday, June 2nd. Learn more at @NavForFresno. Book Recommendation:  Abundance Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

  6. May 15

    Naindeep Singh, Candidate for Fresno City Council District One

    Naindeep Singh is running for Fresno City Council in District 1, and he's framing this race as a question of insider versus outsider — a contest of values and integrity rather than the old red-versus-blue divide. Jordan sits down with Deep to talk about what it's actually like to run for council in Fresno, the trade-offs of the district voting structure, and the critique that community organizers struggle to govern the people they used to organize against. They dig into the West Fresno sidewalk problem and Deep's pitch for a dedicated city fund matched by the county; the parking conversation nobody's having about Tower; how the city could be a partner instead of a hindrance to events like Porchfest; vacant buildings and the missing middle in commercial real estate; and historic preservation through a Strong Towns lens. On the citywide side: Fresno's strong-mayor system and the absence of checks and balances on Mayor Dyer, why Deep opposes SEDA and what smart growth looks like instead, capping utility rate hikes (trash is already up 80% in five years), whether the city should take on its own public health services, and how to think about the FPD budget when non-emergency calls are going unanswered. Stick around for overrated/underrated — yard signs, Me-N-Ed's, the 180 Freeway, the Tower Theatre, door knocking, and public comment — plus Deep's current reading list and where to find the campaign. Find Deep: @Deep4Fresno on Instagram • Text 559-647-4700 Upcoming events: Ice cream socials at Inspiration Park (this weekend, 4–6 PM) • Final District 1 candidate forum at Big Red Church, Monday May 18 at 6 PM. Book Recommendations Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution Anand Gopal No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes Anand Gopal California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric — and What It Means for America's Power Grid Katherine Blunt Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It M. Nolan Gray

  7. May 7

    Fernando Macias, GM and Creative Director of Eden Wine Lounge

    On this episode of Fresno's Best, Jordan sits down with Fernando Macias, the General Manager and Creative Director of the Eden Wine Lounge, to talk about why Fresno's nightlife has been missing somewhere you can actually hear the person across from you. Fernando opens up about the philosophy behind Eden: dim, neo-soul-soundtracked, intentionally conversational, and built as a juxtaposition between elevated ambiance and dive-bar comfort. Along the way, he and Jordan dig into the economics of pouring wine, why Eden pivoted away from imports toward Napa, Paso, and local Central Valley producers, the surprising rise of their cocktail program, and the art of building a charcuterie board people actually photograph. Fernando also weighs in on a rapid-fire Overrated vs. Underrated round (listening bars, Me and Ed's, wine influencers, kegged wine, sommelier certifications, QR-code menus, THC drinks, and the death of the cork), and previews what's coming next at Eden — a new rum-forward May cocktail menu, micheladas, jazz nights, expanded patio seating, and the eventual transition to a full bar. Eden Wine Lounge Website Recommended Books:  The Creative Act: A Way of Being Rick Rubin Anything by Hunter S Thompson

  8. Apr 24

    Gilbert Quesada, Executive Director of Operations at PM Lounge

    In February, Gilbert Quesada opened the PM Lounge — Fresno's first private business and social club — on a bet that the city has a higher-end hospitality appetite nobody's been serving. This week, Jordan is joined by special guest co-host Vince Mancini to sit down with Gilbert inside one of the club's private suites and talk through what it takes to build something like this here, and what it might mean for the rest of Fresno. The conversation covers the real difference between a social club and a country club, why the PM Lounge skipped initiation fees and F&B minimums, how Forbes-level training actually works (all 960+ criteria of it), and Gilbert's vision for a menu that moves between Fresno steakhouse roots, French and Italian technique, and a rotating cast of visiting chefs. Along the way: Macallan dinners, Shaq's oversized DJ rig, the fight against Fresno's brain drain, and Gilbert's vision for the future of the city.

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4.7
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

An interview podcast highlighting interesting people doing important work in Fresno. https://linktr.ee/fresnosbest

Information

  • Creator
    Jordan Mattox
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    178
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2021
  • Show Website
    Fresno's Best

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