This August had all of us looking for the best thing to hold onto — a cold drink, a visit from family, a night out with music. Here's what made the month, straight from the people and places around town that made it happen.
Micaela's Best Thing: The Spear at Café Oro Dos Aztecas
"A Spear latte — with hazelnut and white chocolate syrup — from Café Oro Dos Aztecas brought me back to life on a 104-degree afternoon this month."
The café, tucked into Main Street downtown, is the work of owner Ricardo Gallegos, who spent years running coffee pop-ups before opening the brick-and-mortar shop earlier this year. His beans are sourced from three farms back in Veracruz, Mexico — a place close to his heart — and the signature drink, "The Spear," takes its name from the obsidian spears of Aztec tradition, meant to represent a strong, balanced pour.
Between the Aztec calendar art on the walls, the local artist features, and a menu built on family history, it's easy to see why one iced drink was enough to turn Micaela's whole afternoon around.
Amy's Best Thing: The Moscow Mule at Heroes Restaurant & Brewery
"A perfectly prepared Moscow Mule by Rob at Heroes — perfectly balanced, sweet, spicy from the ginger, with just the right dash of bitters. I'm with Micaela on this one — it revived me after a scorching hot week."
Many Riversiders already know Heroes for plates big enough for the whole table to share — sandwiches and salads built for passing around. Amy and her husband are regulars at the tractor table, and they keep coming back for the same reasons: the awesome staff, blessedly cool AC in the summer months, and a kitchen that never gets it wrong. They may not be serving bespoke beverages, but the community there makes every visit feel a little extra special.
Norm's Best Thing: A Visit From the Twins
"The best thing that happened to Tracy and me in August was the visit to Riverside of our twin granddaughters, Davina and Luli — as well as their parents! Who knew that kitchen utensils could make such good toys!"
Sometimes the best thing in town doesn't come with a menu. A mixing bowl, a colander, and a couple of curious little hands turned an ordinary living room into the highlight of the month.
Rosy's Best Thing: Picking Cherries Near UCR
"Picking cherries near UCR. Always the best time gathering as a community."
A full basket says it all — a good haul, gathered alongside people who made the time together the real reward.
Ken's Best Thing: Chris Murray at Thunder Clap Sounds
"Even the most loyal lovers of Riverside spend August wishing they were somewhere else. It has been hot. Between trying to keep from melting and the upset in family rhythm that comes with the start of the school year, August is somewhere between a blur and a daze.
The best thing I did this August was see Chris Murray at Thunder Clap Sounds at Brüe Crüe, on the western edge of town on Sterling Avenue. Murray has three decades of rocksteady, reggae and ska behind him and needs only an acoustic guitar to keep a crowd dancing."
Thunder Clap runs the third Thursday of every month, and September looks like it'll be worth clearing your calendar for — Mucho Gusto, the arts collective behind the North Park festival, takes over the programming on the 17th with DJ sets and a special guest band.
