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Serena Maria del Refugio

@serenamaria36

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Food Critic @hourdetroitmagazine
Best American Food & Travel Writing, 2026
Founder @the_midwest_mexican @tostadamagazine
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I'm going to Mexico. Help me get there!

Eleven years ago, I turned down a scholarship to study Spanish in Guadalajara because I needed a paycheck more than a dream.

Next month, I'm finally going back.

If you'd like to help me report from Guadalajara and the highlands of Jalisco, I'd love your support. Become a paid subscriber today!

Independent journalism is increasingly sustained by readers who choose to invest in the stories they want told. Your contributions not only allow me to continue in my work, it's a pledge to sustain our democracy.

Gracias for following along on my journey! 🌽

Link en el bio! 🔗

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Once you go nixtamal, you can’t go back. I always appreciate the masa program at @vecinodetroit #midwestmexican #detroit #mexicanfood #masa #tortilla 🫓 ✨

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Sunday funday in SW Detroit’s El Nacimiento for machacado con huevos and then un cortadillo from their panaderia next door. 🇲🇽 🍰 #midwestmexican #detroit #brunch #panadería #taqueria

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We visited a halal Mexican spot and tried a variety of menu items. From the crispy chips and flavorful burritos to the epic cheese pulls, every bite was packed with flavor. 🌮🧀

My family especially loved the cheesy goodness, and seeing the smile on my niece’s face made the experience even better.

@banditos_mexican is a local family-owned restaurant that could use our support. Be sure to stop by, give them a try, and show some love to this great local business!

#familyrestaurant #annarbor #foodiesnapper #eaterdetroit #mexicanfood

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Maybe I was ahead of my time.

I'm excited to share that Midwest Mexican has been selected for Project C's Journalism Creators Startup Lab, an eight-week, invitation-only program for independent journalists building audience-supported media businesses.

What's especially meaningful about this opportunity is that when I launched Tostada Magazine in 2017, there was no roadmap for what I was trying to do. I spent years figuring things out through trial and error, applying for grants, chasing freelance assignments, and trying to find a sustainable path forward.

Today, creator journalism has an ecosystem of its own. And I'm grateful to be learning alongside a cohort of journalists who are helping shape its future.

Thank you to Project C, the Google News Initiative, Arizona State University's Knight Center for the Future of News, and everyone who has supported my work over the years.

Now, let's fucking go.

Link en el bio! 🔗

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Still processing this one.

My essay “When the Food Journalist Needs Food Stamps,” which was first published independently in Midwest Mexican, was selected for Best American Food and Travel Writing 2026, guest edited by @chefjoseandres with @jayasax as the series editor, and published by @marinerbooks / HarperCollins.

This essay changed my life in ways I’m still trying to understand. Thank you to everyone who read it, shared it, subscribed, interviewed me, or helped carry it into the world. Special shoutouts to @joeybear85 and @jamilarobinson from @bonappetitmag for bringing this to a wider audience. Independent journalism only survives because people choose to support it.

If you’d like to read the full story — and support the work behind it — consider becoming a paid subscriber to Midwest Mexican. 💜

Link en ele bio! 🔗

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Wrapped up a quick trip up north with in taco de tripas from Sparky’s Diner in Traverse City #midwestmexican #michigan #puremichigan #tacos

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Baby’s first taste of Leelanau County-fresh ramp ranch dip, aka rampch 🌱 #midwestmexican #michigan #puremichigan #traversecity #upnorth

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Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. didn’t start as an excuse to drink — it started as a political act.

Mexican Americans built this tradition over generations to be seen, to claim space, and to define ourselves on our own terms.

I went deep on the history and what it means in a place like Detroit.

Consider becoming a paid subscriber so that I may continue to take you down these culturally resonant rabbit holes. 🐰

✍🏽 + 📸 by @serenamaria36

Click on the link en el bio to read 🔗

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ironchefdetroit.com

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Stopped by Guisos el Gordo at 2303 Campbell St in SW Detroit and took home a dinner plate of costillas 🍖 en salsa roja with nopales@ beans, rice, and tortillas hecho a mano 🫓 #midwestmexican #detroit #mexicanfood #haycomidaenlacasa #guiso

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I will never not love seeing my byline in print, this time in the May 2026 edition of @hourdetroitmagazine shout out to @jeffdanielsofficial ✨ more to come ✌🏽 😘 #midwestmexican #detroit #foodwriter #latinasinfoodjournalism #magazine

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