Dining with the Dead

A "Fair"ly Delicious Adventure

Submitted by Bo Gatzka on Mon, 10/17/2011 - 20:49

Each year there is an event so “Big” that comes to Fresno that it’s hard to miss.  Like a tumble weed, it rolls out as fast as it rolls in.  I’m speaking of the Big Fresno Fair, an 11 day all you can eat hodgepodge of pure unadulterated culinary ridiculousness.  Last year Greg and I had a hell of a time at the horse track, but this year it was all about the food.  We decided very early on that this visit to the fair would be a bowel moving experience, and boy was it.

Krawfish Time !!! A Delicious Identity Crisis

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Sat, 08/20/2011 - 00:32

 

Some things in life seem to have no rhyme or reason. There are just intangibles that defy logic or all mainstream thought. There are incidences in this world that are completely unexplainable to the rational man, things like a restaurant called Krawfish Time!!!

Chinese Food Challenge: A Sampling of North Fresno

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Sun, 08/14/2011 - 12:19

My grandma has been a Valley girl since 1930. Her family got a little ranch in Reedley after they saved enough money working the docks around Oakland and Sausalito. It was back in the days when escaping the city squalor for the Valley was a dream and not a punishment. I asked my grandma if she could ever remember a time without Chinese food and the answer was no. After some research I found that Chop Suey has been popular in America, namely the early western Railroad States,  for longer than the hamburger. Fresnans in particular have been sucking down chow mein at neighborhood joints well before the chain restaurant infestation that has come to define and divide us. So when Bo and I began discussing Chinese food history, a battle arose. Which of our families' favorites (TAKE-OUT only) were better ? This is when we knew we had to have a Lunch Combo Chinese Food CHALLENGE! 

The Cosmopolitian Tavern: Old-School Class

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Sun, 08/07/2011 - 18:19

You may not know it from the exterior or even from the name, but the Cosmopolitan Tavern isn’t really a dive. It isn’t dank, it isn’t dirty; they have white table cloths for god’s sake. We were actually going to Indian food that day until Brendan called us up and said he wanted to come with.

You see Brendan can’t eat exotic flavors, interesting foods, or even eat lettuce without invoking a gag reflex. Brendan did hear that “The Cosmo” had the best French Dip sandwich in town so we scratched the Indian and headed downtown to an old tavern and Italian grill that has been serving people for almost 80 years.

Valentin's: A Breakfast Story

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Sun, 07/31/2011 - 17:42

Summer mornings in Fresno are pleasant, and honestly, I rarely take the time to enjoy them. I was happy when Greg called me at 8:00 in the morning and asked if I could pick him up from the mechanic and escort him on a series of man dates throughout the day until his car was ready to drive again. When I got in my car I didn’t fear the oppressive heat that usually accompanies a summer drive, it was early, the air was still cool and life felt good. Every good Fresnan knows that nothing can make a summer morning better than a breakfast burrito so we drove west looking for adventure, and what we found was a place called Valentin’s in a strip mall on Dakota and Hughes. It was a Mexican Restaurant that like so many others offered Mariscos but we were more interested in a Mexican breakfast, preferably in burrito form. They were open and had a sign painted on the window that read “$5.99 breakfast specials daily” so we were sold.

A Couple O Burger Joints !!

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 13:24

I have been to a few of Fresno’s lesser known burger joints over the last few months, both of them were good but neither of them really warranted their own review from Di60Y. They are on two different sides of town, one is new and one is old but both specialize in burgers going in and around your mouth.

The Chicken Man

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Mon, 05/16/2011 - 10:10

THE CHICKEN MAN

Salaam Seafood - Deep Fried Done Right !!!

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Mon, 04/25/2011 - 10:01

South in Your Mouth !!

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Tue, 04/05/2011 - 11:54

Smokin’ Dem Bones for “When You Want South in Your Mouth,” that’s what it said on the window at least.  Bo and I took our Monday food reviewing adventure parade into this discreet BBQ joint on First and McKinley.  We first heard of Smokin’ Dem Bones from a man named Mike who fashioned our RoboRun Cup (a trophy awarded to the winner of the RoboRun).  Mike is a self proclaimed “Big Guy” who is particular about portion size.  When we entered his trophy shop, Omega Trophy, he was having his first experience with Smokey.  He tried a burger called the Mr. Texas and claimed it was one of the biggest and best he ever had for the price.  With that kind of recommendation from a guy like Mike we knew we had to take the trip.

The Paris Cafe: Chinese & Cheap

Submitted by Daniel Serber on Wed, 03/23/2011 - 11:48

Bo and I were back in Chinatown to actually check out some Chinese food.  Right on F Street there is a legendary little hole in the wall called Paris Café.  It is known for big portions for people with small wallets.  It is also known for its only waitress, Helen, who keeps regulars from every inch of town returning again and again.