"Stand looking out from the wide intersection of East Mariposa Street and Lake Avenue for one potent, representative view of Altadena a year after the catastrophic Eaton fire. You see rows of businesses, some returned to operation and others still shuttered, possibly forever; emptied lots surrounded by chain-link fencing; and smatterings of short trees, in front of awnings or next to a bus-stop bench, that look almost startling here in their steadfast shades of green."
"Many who lost their homes - including generations of Black locals who gave the mountain town a defining part of its identity for decades - remain displaced. It is human instinct to search for hopefulness amid overwhelming destruction. On this corner, where low buildings and rising elevation make the sky appear especially vast, two heartening signs of life sit 279 feet apart: Betsy and Miya, restaurants both owned by Altadena residents"
"They are entirely different places. Betsy falls into the category of ambitious American bistro, powered by a central open hearth. Just across the street, Miya is a quirky, two-room Thai charmer with a relatively concise menu of curries, noodles, soups, salads and vegetables. Geography and tragedy unite them, as does the purr of comfort inherent in their cooking. In an era of extreme division and cynicism, I have all but shed the naive idea of espousing restaurants as hubs of community that bring people closer."
From the wide intersection of East Mariposa Street and Lake Avenue a year after the Eaton fire, rows of businesses sit returned or shuttered, emptied lots with chain-link fencing, and small trees offering green contrast. Over 9,000 residential and commercial structures burned, and bureaucratic delays have slowed rebuilding. Many displaced residents include generations of Black locals who shaped the town's identity. Two nearby restaurants, Betsy and Miya, reopened despite owners losing homes; Betsy is an ambitious American bistro centered on an open hearth, and Miya is a compact, two-room Thai with curries and noodles. Both serve comforting food and a renewed sense of community.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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