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THE SCENE When I interviewed chef Jeremy Pacheco about his home fridge for our July/August issue, he perked up when we discussed his new restaurant, The Genuine. He enthused about the wood-fired oven, the locally sourced meat, the pasta and the veggies. “There will be something for everyone,” he said as we chatted across his kitchen counter. “A nice neighborhood hangout.”   So, when I got an invitation to come in for a media happy hour...

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  Photo by Leah LeMoine   THE SCENE  Have you ever put off trying a restaurant because you thought it was far from your house? No? Just me? Well, as I’ve mentioned before, my partner is loath to leave the 5-mile bubble he’s mentally constructed around our house, even for good food. I will drive damn near anywhere for a delicious meal – and I do, in “normal times,” trying new places all around the Valley with foodie friends. During the pandemic, though, I’ve found myself...

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The Vig Burger | Photo by Daniel Kim   The Vig isn’t new,” you’re probably thinking, and you’d have a point. Fifteen years have passed since owners Tucker Woodbury and Jim Riley unveiled the first location of their eating-and-drinking empire (with an emphasis on “drinking”), which makes it an odd fit for First Dish. So why are we here? To taste the handiwork of celebrated Valley chef Jeremy Pacheco, late of Lon’s at the Hermosa,...