Lunch Critics's Profile
The Mad Duck [Fresno]
We stopped by The Mad Duck a few days ago to check out what all the fuss was about. Our results: one miss, one "on target", and one "bullseye".
The miss: the Marinated Grilled Steak Sandwich with chimichurri mayonnaise, carmelized onions, and melted havarti cheese on a baguette. The steak was tender, but the carmelized onions overpowered everything else in the sandwich. The chimichurri mayonnaise and the havarti cheese were non-existent. Basically, it was a steak and onions sandwich.
On target: The Triple Bypass. Pulled pork, sliced ham, smoked bacon, a fried egg and melted swiss cheese on a hoagie. Tasty and tender, but not as decadent as the description might indicate. Overall, it tasted pretty much like one would expect a sandwich with a lot of pork to taste.
Bullseye: The Spicy Shrimp Baguette. The menu describes the sandwich as "spicy sauteed shrimp in a hot pepper butter sauce inside a baguette." What it doesn't describe is the shrimp are perfectly accentuated by the sauce, which makes for an absolutely delicious sandwich.
On the service/price front, the service was prompt and unobtruisive, while the prices seemed on the reasonable side for the portions that one receives.
Overall, there are still a few bugs to work out on the food side. But, we're willing to give The Mad Duck another try in a couple of months.
Pismo's Coastal Cuisine of Fresno
A quick review because it's getting late....
Decor: Creatively put together. Lots of weathered wood in the interior to give it a seaside feel. The windows were open all the way to the ceiling, giving a nice pseudo-"open air" feel to the place.
Service: Excellent. The waitress seemed to hover around our table in a casual way (as opposed to a deliberate way, as can sometimes happen). She promptly brought any additional requests (more water, more salad dressing, etc.) to our table. Other wait staff seemed to also be on their game.
Food: Needs some work. The items we ordered were:
- Cup of Clam Chowder: Nice thick clam chowder, with more than hint of thyme and just a hint of cayenne pepper. It's not the best clam chowder we've had, but it's good.
- Caesar Salad with Pistachio Crusted Calamari Steak: The mistake was made when the Caesar Salad dressing was poured over the calamari steak. Eventually, the liquid turned the steak's crust into mush, making the dish almost inedible. Also adding to the poor quality of the dish was the toughness of the calamari. It wasn't completely leather-like, which under-tenderized calamari will turn out to be after it is fried. But, it was just tough enough to make one realize that the chef hadn't tenderized it enough.
Clams & Linguini in a White Wine Sauce: The most clams (in the shell) that we've ever seen in a clam & pasta dish. The clams were perfectly cooked, and the linguini was just the right tenderness. The problem with this dish...way too much sauce. The clams in our bowl must've felt right at home, because they were under liquid during most of the meal. The excess sauce made the dish a messy experience.
Wedge Salad with Sirloin Strip: The best dish of the three. The meat was perfectly tenderized and cooked. Then again, that's no surprise, given that Pismo's owner (Dave Fansler) also ran Tahoe Joe's and now runs Yosemite Ranch. Still, the fish should be the focus at Pismo's and not the meat.
Overall: We're not ready to toss Pismo's into the "over-rated" bin quite yet. They are new, and are probably still working out the bugs. So, we're willing to give them another try in the next few months. Still, the food missteps we saw aren't a promising start. We hope that they can fine-tune the menu a bit before their appeal goes out like the tide.
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Pismo's of Fresno
7937 N Blackstone Ave, Fresno, CA 93720
Fresno: Bella Pasta II
We're glad that you had a great meal at Bella Pasta, Ken. Our experience matches Tavmark's. During our first visit, one of our group had a chunk of onion in the bottom of their glass of red wine (we've heard of marinating onions, but this was ridiculous). At our next visit, the red sauce was burnt, which pretty much ruined the dishes for a couple of us.
We agree that the portions are very large. But, our experience is that the portions don't justify the high prices and miscues we've seen.
Black Bear Diner in Monterey
We've been to the Black Bear Diner in Seaside a couple of times. Our impression...huge portions, bland food.
There are better breakfast places in the Monterey area. Fresh Awakenings has one of the better breakfasts. Old Monterey Cafe in downtown Monterey and The Breakfast Club in Seaside also have very good breakfasts.
Fort Bragg & Mendocino in July
We enthusiastically second the recommendation for Egg Heads. When we were there about a year ago, they had some wonderful fresh blackberry pancakes on the menu (with blackberry syrup) that were heavenly. Since blackberries are back in season, perhaps this item is back on the menu.
The admonishment in the previous post is correct. It is a small place, so it does tend to fill up quickly. And, the Wizard of Oz theme is way overdone inside the restaurant. But, the food is worth the wait and the overdone decor.
Best Barbeque in Fresno
Based on the good reviews and the fact that we work nearby (does everyone in Fresno work in the area of Clinton and Fresno Streets?), we decided to try Ruben's Rib Shack. We have to say that our experience was not as positive as those experienced by the other reviewers.
As everyone has mentioned, Ruben's is strictly a cash-only, take-out establishment. The menu is limited (beef, ribs, chicken, hot links, and pulled pork), which is not a bad thing for a barbeque restaurant.
Two of us order the beef plate ($9.99). The plate comes with two sides and bread. Both of us chose the baked beans and the rice. One of us order the pulled pork sandwich ($5.99), which comes with a small bag of chips and a small cup of cole slaw. We found all meals to have generous portions. However, we were disappointed with the beef plates. While the beef was tender, it had absolutely no barbeque sauce on it. As a result, it tasted more like it had come from a crock-pot than a barbeque pit/grill. We ended up shoveling the beans over the meat in order to give the meat more flavor (the beans were excellent...but the rice tasted like Rice-a-Roni). As for the pulled pork, the problem was just the opposite. There was too much barbeque sauce on the sandwich, which drowned the taste of the meat.
We might give Ruben's another try, in case they were having an off day. But, given the prices and the quality we experienced, we can think of better barbeque in the Fresno vicenity (for example, the weekend grill on the corner of Grangeville and Highway 41 just northwest of Lemoore).
Fresno-Sad News
Sorry to say, but this really isn't a surprise. First, they stopped serving lunch. Then, they reduced the days they were open to just Thursday - Sunday. Even after taking those steps, it seemed like the place had more empty tables than patrons most nights. In hindsight, it looks like buying the bakery was not a good move.
That being said, we'll miss it too. The food was always very good, and the service was great. Their closure is a big loss to the Fresno dining scene.
Looking for good Indian Food in Fresno
We're not big connoisseurs of Indian food. But, we enjoy a good piece of naan every so often. So, when we started hearing good things about the North India Bar and Grill, we decided that we'd been without naan long enough and needed to see what the place offered.
Having remembered that the building formerly housed On The Border (Tex-Mex restaurant), we were impressed with the makeover that was done on the building. Gone were the dark colors and all the Western paraphernalia; in its place were much lighter colors and curtains around sections of the restaurant. It was a very effective, low-tech way of closing off sections of the restaurant, while still giving it an exotic feel.
None of us are very adventurous when it comes to Indian food, So, when we saw the lunch plates came with salad, rice, mixed vegetables, dal, and glorious naan, we thought they'd be perfect for our limited palates. One of us order the tandoori chicken, another ordered the chicken tikka, while the final member of our group ordered the curry chicken. Each of the plates cost about $8. Overall, we found the food to be very good. The chicken in its various incarnations was tender and moist. The spices complimented the dishes, but didn't overwhelm them (always a danger when dealing with curry). The complementary nature of the spices was especially noticeable with the vegetables. The naan was good, but not great. It is baked in an oven, which meant it was crispy and slightly burnt on the outside; but still had the soft texture we love on the inside. However, the crispy/burnt crust was a slightly unpleasant surprise to us.
What was a major unpleasant surprise was being told at the end of the meal that the credit card machine wasn't working and that we'd need to pay cash for our lunch. It's a good thing that we're a group, because we always seem to have enough cash between us to cover these emergencies. However, it would've been nice for the servers or the hostess to tell us about the broken credit card machine before we got our check.
Back to the food…is the food at the North India Bar and Grill the best Indian food we've ever had? Not even close. Then again, the best Indian food we've had was in London, which isn't exactly convenient to visit if one gets a craving for naan. So, is the food at the North India Bar and Grill the best in the Fresno area? We'd answer "yes" to that question (ranking it just slightly ahead of Tandoori Nights and Lahori Tikka). The subtle use of spices and the manageable portions make this restaurant a perfectly acceptable choice for either sampling Indian food for the first time, or for satisfying a craving.
Ad Hoc - Fabulous! [review w pics]
Just thought we'd mention our experience dining at Ad Hoc on 1/18/09....
We’d heard the hype…in fact, we’d even bought into the hype: a Thomas Keller restaurant that served a four-course family style meal for under $50/person. How could it go wrong? Well, there were several ways it could go wrong. Fortunately, none of them happened during our visit.
We had made reservations about three weeks in advance for a Sunday evening dinner at 6 p.m. We arrived promptly at 6, and were told it would be a couple of more minutes before our table was ready. Sure enough, we were seated within five minutes of arriving. The staff even took the time while we were waiting for our table to take our picture under the Ad Hoc sign.
Upon being seated, our waiter brought out a bottle of water and a basket with both white and wheat French bread. The bread was baked at the Bouchon Bakery just down the street (another Keller-owned establishment). While we enjoyed the white French bread, the wheat French bread was simply heavenly. The bread was a good start to the meal.
We had been told that the first course is usually a salad or (occasionally) a soup. On this night, the first course was beef short ribs with a green bean salad (in a buttermilk dressing) and assorted pickled vegetables. The waiter explained that the idea was to recreate a picnic meal with this course. Well, we’ve never had a picnic as good as this first course. The ribs, marinated perfectly in a “from scratch” barbeque sauce, crumbled off the bone when touched with a fork. The green beans were also tender. Best of all, the buttermilk dressing was lightly applied to the green beans, thereby complimenting the beans’ flavor instead of drowning it.
Having enjoyed a delicious first course, our waiter moved us on the second course: skirt steak with a vegetable medley and creamy polenta. Overall, we found this to be the weakest of the four courses. Not that it wasn’t well prepared (particularly the vegetable medley). However, the polenta turned into a brick as it cooled (thanks to the copious amounts of parmesan cheese in the dish). Also, the skirt steak was seared; meaning, it was brown on the outside and very red on the inside. We like our steaks cooked a bit more than how this skirt steak was prepared. Still, we didn’t send the dish back for extra cooking because we knew that skirt steak can get tough if overcooked. So, we ate the dish as it was prepared, but wished it could’ve been cooked a bit more.
With one hit and one near-hit under our belts (and on our waistlines), our waiter brought out the third course: the cheese plate. The cheese was a sharp jack from a local dairy. It was served with apples and honey. Our waiter gave us a hint before we sampled this course: “Stack it. Put the cheese on the bottom, top it with an apple slice, and drizzle the whole thing in honey.” That was great advice. The combination was heavenly. It was so good that we gave serious consideration to licking the honey jar. In fact, we were so distracted by the dish's flavor that we forgot to take a picture of the dish until we had almost finished it!
The meal closed with the desert course: banana bread with chocolate mousse – vanilla ice cream and caramelized pecans. The banana bread, which was moist and buttery, came in slices that looked like the top and bottom of a banana nut muffin. This presentation made it perfect to create a banana bread-ice cream sandwich. We each put one scoop of ice cream between two banana bread slices, and then started eating. We’re embarrassed to say that we did lick the plates after this dish.
Throughout the meal, we were impressed with the ambience of the place. The staff does a very good job of promoting a casual atmosphere (right down to the blue jeans and tennis shoes that they wear). However, underneath that casual surface is an organization that is almost military in its precision. We noticed it in several aspects:
- The place was spotless. Even the windows looked like they had been cleaned earlier in the day.
- The plates for each course were laid out on a central table. So, when a table had finished one course, the dishes were whisked away to be quickly replaced with another set of plates for the next course.
- The wait staff may have been dressed casually, but their knowledge of each dish and their overall attentiveness belied their casual appearance.
The only misstep in the whole evening involved one of our party who was celebrating a birthday that day. When we made the reservation, we told the Ad Hoc staff that one of us would be celebrating a birthday. However, no acknowledgment of that occasion was given by the Ad Hoc staff. We saw others in the restaurant receiving that acknowledgement (usually in the form of a candle in the banana bread). But, our wait for that acknowledgment didn’t materialize. Still, it was a minor misstep in an otherwise great evening.
So, was Ad Hoc worth the hype? Despite some minor quibbles, our answer is a resounding “Yes!!” If you want basic food prepared extremely well, then Ad Hoc is your restaurant. We are anxiously planning our next visit to this gem of the Napa Valley.
SF's Limón opening Fresno location
We want to add to the chorus of reviewers who are singing the praises of Limon. We went there on a Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. While the place was deserted (with the exception of another family of four), the wait staff and the cooks didn’t let the lack of customers impact their standards. Instead, we found the food to be exceptionally well-prepared and well-presented.
We started with the Empanada Don Walter ($7.25). The two empanadas we ate were absolutely heavenly. Filled with sirloin steak, onions, olives, raisins, and hard boiled egg (we couldn’t even tell that the last three ingredients were in the mix) and encased in a perfectly flaky crust that wasn’t greasy, the empanadas were perfectly accented with a roasted pepper cream sauce. They were a great start to the meal.
Our waitress then brought out our main courses. Based on the reviews from other Chowhounds, two of us ordered the Pollo Latino ($15.75) and one of us had the Churrasco a La Parrilla ($18.75). Of course, being the picky eaters we are, we had to request changes to the dishes. The Pollo Latino normally comes lightly covered with a Dijon mustard sauce, which one of us ordered on the side. The Churrasco a La Parilla did not come with onions. But, we requested that we’d have grilled onions on the side to complement this dish. Both of these modifications were accommodated with no problem.
The Pollo Latino was delicious. The chicken breast, which was served on the bone, was tender and moist. The Dijon sauce didn’t overpower the chicken, but instead complimented it nicely. The dish was served with a truffle oil infused macaroni and cheese. We didn’t really taste the truffle oil (a good sign that there wasn’t too much in the dish). But, we did enjoy the abundance of thyme that we found. Overall, the macaroni and cheese was also an excellent compliment to the chicken.
As good as the chicken was, the Churrasco a La Parrilla was even better. The 12 oz. ribeye steak (which was the dish’s centerpiece) was cooked to perfection. The cabernet sauce and the chimichurri put on the side brought out wonderful flavor in the steak. Once we added the grilled onions and the roasted potatoes to the steak, we knew we were in the presence of great cooking.
We don’t usually get dessert. But, because the appetizer and entrees were so good, we thought we’d splurge and try dessert. Again, based on the reviews of fellow Chowhounds, we chose the coffee crème brulee. It wasn’t the best crème brulee we’ve ever eaten…but, it was still very, very good. Our only complaint was that there wasn’t enough fruit on the top of the dessert. We had only lonely blackberry topping our crème brulee, which made a delicious counterpoint to the slight bitterness of the coffee. While we know berries aren’t in season, we figured that if they could put one on the crème brulee, they could’ve added two more. Still, the crème brulee without the berries was delicious.
We also found the service to be superb, mainly because we had the uber-proficient Raina as our waitress (she’s also been mentioned on this board). She was extremely knowledgeable about the dishes, and was more than willing to share that knowledge with us. She was also extremely attentive to our requests, although that may have been a function of the lack of customers in the restaurant. Still, we found the service to be top notch, regardless of the lack of competition.
While we enjoyed having the restaurant to ourselves, we did leave Limon worried that, given their hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and their higher-than-average prices for lunch, they may not be able to stay open in this troubled economy. Still, our concerns for the future didn’t diminish our enjoyment of the present. Limon is a great addition to the Fresno dining scene. If they can survive the current weak economy, they should have a long stay in Fresno.
Moulin Rouge Restaurant
We were walking to the Asian Art Museum when our stomachs told us that we needed to eat breakfast. We spotted Moulin Rouge near the corner of Geary and Larkin, which was advertising a host of breakfast options on a chalkboard outside the restaurant. Because we were pretty hungry, and it didn’t look like there were a lot of options nearby, we went in.
The restaurant proudly advertises itself as “open since 1978.” It’s not hard to guess that it’s been open that long, because the restaurant’s décor doesn’t look like it’s been updated since it opened. If you can visualize a medieval theme with various Toulouse-Lautrec posters on the walls, then you know what the Moulin Rouge’s interior looks like. The small tables and the overall cramped feel to the dining areas also detracted from the ambience.
While the décor and the ambience left the impression that the food would be subpar, the food actually turned out to be decent. We had the two pancake plate ($3.99) and the eggs and sausage plate ($5.50). Both dishes were not memorable, but they were well prepared and tasty.
What was memorable was the service. The entire restaurant is run by one family: a mother, a father, and a son. All three are some of the friendliest people we’d ever met. They came by our table several times to make sure that everything was okay. They even made special accommodations for the two-year-old that was in our party (not an easy thing to do, given the size of the restaurant). The great service went a long way to offsetting the restaurant’s other limitations.
Would we go back to the Moulin Rouge for breakfast? Well, we wouldn’t make a special trip to the place. But, if we were ever in the neighborhood, we’d have no problem stopping in for breakfast once again.
Uncle Vito's Pizzeria
Uncle Vito’s (at the corner of Bush & Powell Streets) proudly exclaims on its menu that “Food critics don’t write about us.” While it may be true that professional food critics don’t review the place, everyday customers have posted generally positive reviews about this neighborhood pizza restaurant. Given those reviews, we thought we’d give it a try.
The reviews that say the place is crowded do not exaggerate. Right after one enters the front door, one is sandwiched between a counter and a wall separating the dining area and the counter. Add in a few people picking up to-go pizza, and you have gridlock. Fortunately, the staff worked quickly to disperse the crowd, which meant that we were seated after a minimal delay.
Uncle Vito’s menu has a wide variety of options, ranging in price from $5 to $11. But, we were there for the pizza. The pizzas cost anywhere from $6.75 (for an 8” personal pizza with only cheese) to $20.50 (for a 16” large Mountain pizza). We ordered a small Veggie pizza ($11.50) and a small Greek pizza ($11.75). The Greek pizza was topped with salami, pepperoni, bell peppers, black olives, and feta. While the Greek origins of the dish were questionable, the pizza was delicious. The crust was perfectly baked (crispy…just how we like it). Additionally, the feta added a nice complement to the spiciness of the pepperoni and the salami.
While we liked the Greek pizza, we were ambivalent about the Veggie pizza. While the pizza had all the requisite items (onions, olives, tomatoes, etc.), it seemed like it was missing something. As a result, we found the Veggie to be a bit bland.
So, it was one hit and one miss for us. Still, the ambience was good, and both pizzas weren’t greasy. While it wasn’t the best pizza we’ve eaten, we took away enough positives to entice us back to Uncle Vito’s on our next trip to San Francisco.
Paisano's Pasta - Fresno
We've tried it. To be honest, it was passable, but not memorable.
Good points...the owner is very friendly and the service was good. The location also seems to be have it's advantages (next to Wal-Mart, so the potential is there for a lot of foot traffic).
Bad Points: The food is okay...but nothing special. We would also recommend that they serve more than a half of a dinner roll that came with our meals. It's definitely geared to a "fast food" model (meaning takeout) rather than dine-in (although there are tables for dine-in). With McDonald's next door, most people are probably going to be thinking Big Mac instead of spaghetti with shrimp as their take out option.
Overall, Paisano's is a decent choice for Italian take-out. However, given the stiff competition competing in the same arena (DiCicco's, Mamma Mia's, etc.), there's a real question whether they'll be able to make a go of it in this market.
La Paella in Fresno - Closed?
Just to add a bit more to FHS' synopsis, La Paella was purchased by Marco Cazares and Laura Mendez. Cazares is the nephew of the owners of La Cabaña in North Fork and Don Fernando's in Prather. Cazares worked at those restaurants, as well as Erna' Elderberry House and the Tenaya Lodge, as a line cook. Mendez is related to the family that owned Mama Luz's, which was in downtown Fresno for many years.
Both new owners said that they wanted to keep La Paella's original menu (and had kept on a cook to teach them how to make the original dishes). However, they also planned to add new dishes, which they were trying out on customers during the lunch hour. If those dishes proved to be a hit, the plan was to migrate them to the dinner menu.
There's no mention in the article of them temporarily closing to revamp the restaurant. We suspect this closure is permanent.
La Paella in Fresno - Closed?
You correctly guessed the new owners, Gail. Here is a link to Joan Obra's column of July 3, where she profiles the new owners and their plans for La Paella.
http://www.fresnobee.com:80/201/story/711045.html
La Paella in Fresno - Closed?
Last Friday, we headed over to La Paella for dinner (yes, we are not exclusively lunch hounds). To our surprise, we found the doors locked and no patrons in sight (although the furniture was in place). There was also no sign on the door saying this was a temporary closure.
We know that La Paella's original owner recently sold the restaurant to a family that runs some Mexican restaurants in the foothills. Those new owners had stated they were committed to keeping La Paella open, with the same Spanish dishes for which La Paella was noted. Have they already fallen prey to the difficult financial times that most restaurants in the area are experiencing?
If any Fresno hounds have any information regarding a possible La Paella closure, please share. Thanks!
Cracked Pepper Bistro (Fresno)-Now Serving Lunch
Having read on this board that the Cracked Pepper Bistro was now open for lunch, we thought it was a perfect time to make our first visit to this restaurant.
We arrived a few minutes before noon, only to find the place completely empty of patrons. While we were there, two other tables filled up. However, there were so many tables available that we wondered if lunch reservations were necessary. We also saw two people pick up orders to bring back to their work place, which probably also dampened the number of people actually dining in the restaurant. Needless to say, the service was fine. But, with only three tables of customers, it wasn't hard to get good service.
Being that it was our first visit, we also took note of the décor. The dark earth tones perfectly matched the cozy atmosphere. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the restaurant’s décor. And, just to add our two cents regarding the background music…it was a little loud, but not so loud that we had to raise our voices to speak.
We ordered the prosciutto with fresh basil and mozzarella panini, the turkey breast with pesto aioli panini, and the eggplant parmesan (a special that day). We need to disclose that we love prosciutto (few things spice up a dish better than prosciutto). However, we’ve never found a prosciutto sandwich we’ve liked. Why? Due to the fact that the meat is so soft, it’s tough to tear unless it’s cut into very small pieces beforehand. However, most places put prosciutto strips into their prosciutto sandwiches. As a consequence, all the prosciutto comes out of the sandwich on the first bite, and then one is left with just bread and whatever other condiments/vegetables were placed in the sandwich. And, that’s exactly what happened with this panini. It still tasted good; but, we were left with a mozzarella and fresh basil panini after the first bite.
The turkey panini was better than the prosciutto panini. The turkey was tender and perfectly balanced by the aioli. It was very good, but not a “WOW!!” dish. The “WOW!!” was saved for the eggplant parmesan. Now, all of us are not big fans of eggplant: the result of having slogged through too many dishes where the eggplant was overcooked, resulting in a sloppy mess. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that we ordered this dish. But, this eggplant parmesan was simply the best we’ve ever eaten. The eggplant was perfectly breaded, smothered in a couple of layers of cheese, and encased in a robust tomato sauce. To be honest, we couldn’t tell we were eating eggplant (one of us thought we were eating chicken parmesan). The eggplant parmesan was enough reason for us to come back again. Another reason to come back was the delicious graham cracker/coconut/chocolate desert that was on our plate. However, the morsel of that desert just left us wishing that desert options were offered at lunch.
While we were there, Chef Vatche came out from the back and began chatting up some of the other customers. He confirmed that he had just secured a lease on the space next door, and would soon begin expanding the restaurant. The current restaurant would become a banquet area, while the new space would enclose the day-to-day dining. Good news, indeed.
Overall, we were impressed with the Cracked Pepper Bistro. While we would avoid the prosciutto panini in the future, the eggplant parmesan showed more than enough talent to make us want to visit again.
Superior Dairy Ice Cream- Hanford..OMG!!
As the sign in the shop implies, Superior Dairy has been a long time favorite of Kings County residents (and residents from other counties as well). Finishing one of those sundaes is a rite of passage for locals. Glad you were able to experience one of Hanford's true treasures!
Marsol in Fresno
All of the buffet pans were set up, but I suspect they were empty. Additionally, the buffet option wasn't on the menu. Patrons at the five tables we observed ordered from the menu.
Marsol in Fresno
We recently visited Marsol to see if it was a suitable option for lunch. While the food had a couple of missteps and the prices were a bit steep for lunch, it seemed to be a perfectly good addition to the Fresno dining scene.
Folks who remember Nicola’s won’t recognize the interior of Marsol. Nicola’s nooks and crannies have been completely obliterated, resulting in a spacious dining room that’s gracefully illuminated by a couple of skylights. We had a mixed reaction to the décor. Some of us thought that the restaurant was decorated with a classy pseudo-baroque style, in homage to famous New Orleans restaurants like Galatoire’s. Others of us thought it was kitschy, with more than a hint of modern American funeral home.
Marsol advertises itself as offering “New Orleans & Southern Cuisine.” Believe it or not, that statement accurately describes the menu. It’s almost evenly split between New Orleans dishes (like jambalaya and po’ boy sandwiches) and Southern cuisine (like collard greens, fried chicken, and black eyed peas). We tried a sample of both sides of the menu. From the Southern cuisine side of the menu, we tried the two-piece Southern Fried Chicken ($10.95). This dish came with a side of our choice…we chose the mashed potatoes. While the two pieces turned out to be a thigh and a drumstick (no breast at that price?), they turned out to be cooked to perfection. The coating was golden and crispy, while the meat inside was juicy and tender. The only downside was that it was served with a “spicy sauce” that was way too “hot” for the meat. Fortunately, it was served on the side, which meant we could avoid it after our initial, unfortunate taste.
From the New Orleans side of the menu, we ordered the jambalaya ($10.95) and the Cajun Fried Shrimp ($11.95). The only thing going for the fried shrimp were that they were large. However, the batter in which they were fried was bland and forgettable. Making matters worse was that the dish only came with steak fries, and that no sauce was given for dipping the shrimp. We asked for some sauce, and were presented with the chili sauce that one usually gets in Thai restaurants. Needless to say, the sauce didn’t really work with the shrimp. After we left, we got the idea that we should’ve dipped the shrimp in the sauce that came with the chicken. That’s an experiment that we’ll have to try at a later date.
While the shrimp was a disappointment, the jambalaya was excellent. A wonderful mix of Andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp in a thick roux, the jambalaya was flavorful and filling. Best of all, it had a very nice “kick” at the end of each bite which reminded one of this dish’s Cajun roots. All in all, it was a superb version of jambalaya.
As for the publicized service issues, we didn’t see them during our visit. While the meal was a touch slow getting to our table, the waiter did his best to keep us apprised of when our meals were coming, and to check on us frequently to see if we needed anything. Then again, in a dining room of about 40 tables, there were only five tables occupied during our lunch (most of those with only two people). So, there really wasn’t any reason why we shouldn’t have received adequate, if not exemplary, service.
Overall, we thought there was promise for Marsol. Even though the portions were large, we still thought the prices were high for a lunch visit. However, we are open to trying them again for dinner (dinner versions of the dishes we tried are about $6 higher than the lunch versions). Now that Fahrenheit 5141 has closed its doors, Marsol is about the only New Orleans restaurant left in the Fresno area. We hope that it takes that leadership role seriously and polishes up the rough edges in its menu. If it takes that step, we’re sure that Marsol will develop a nice following in the Fresno dining community.
Belden Alley suggestions?
I already did, with this post:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/44778
I'm just late in posting my Plouf comments.
Belden Alley suggestions?
I’d have to give a marginal thumbs up to Plouf. While we experienced some serious missteps during our visit, the positives were just enough to outweigh the negatives.
Because we’d had a similar dish at the Belden Taverna the prior evening, we started with the Dungeness Crab Cakes with Baby Lettuce and Sauce Gribiche ($13). While the sauce was excellent, the three crab cakes themselves were a bit dry. To make matters worse, one of them was burnt. After having superb crab cakes at the Belden Taverna the night before, we thought that the Plouf version of this dish could use some improvement.
For our entrées, we ordered the Thai Coconut Poached Butterfish with Kaffir Lime Scented Jasmine Rice and Baby Bok Choy ($24) and the Fish And Chips Served With Prawns, Garlic Aioli And Malt Vinegar ($16). The butterfish was perfectly cooked, and served with a delicate sauce that complimented entire dish. Our only suggestion would be to offer the sauce on the side, as opposed to pouring it over the fish and rice (we didn’t ask for it on the side, so we don’t take “points” off for that presentation). The fish and chips were very good. The “fish” part of the dish was made up of several varieties of fish (including salmon) that were deep fried. We’d never had deep fried salmon before, but it turned out to be rather tasty. The trick with all the fish was to dip it in the malt vinegar first, and then in the garlic aioli. However, the highlight of the dish was the frites. Light, crispy, and (above all) flavorsome, these frites were some of the best we’ve ever eaten. After devouring all of the frites on the plate, we came to the conclusion that Plouf’s reputation regarding its frites is very well deserved.
Finally, we had the Plouf Apple Tarte Tatin With French Vanilla Ice-Cream And A Caramel Sauce ($8.50). It turned out that we saved the best for last. This exquisite desert had a flaky crust, a tender apple, and a caramel sauce that was heavenly. We (including our two-year-old, who though she was in paradise) devoured every scrap of it.
As for the service and ambience, it was adequate. The restaurant itself is a bit loud, and the table placement isn’t exactly optimal when trying to accommodate a toddler. But, the staff was friendly, served us promptly, and made every accommodation possible to have our two-year-old seated at the table.
In the end, we enjoyed our dinner at Plouf. Even though some of the dishes could some improvement, we found that the culinary successes could better be described as triumphs. We would be open to going there again…this time to try the famous mussels. But, we think we’ll try the other restaurants in the Belden Alley first.
Belden Taverna
Just wanted to echo Singleguychef's comments. Our recent experience at the Belden Taverna wasn't fantastic, but was good enough that we'd recommend it.
We began with the Dungeness Crab Trio ($14): an appetizer of three crab cakes, each in a different sauce. The crab cakes themselves were perfection...light, crumbly to the touch, and perfectly cooked. As for the sauces, the only one that seemed a ideal accompaniment to the crab cakes was the spicy tomato sauce. The corn bisque sauce and the saffron sauce did nothing to highlight the flavor of the cakes (an especially surprising conclusion for the saffron sauce). Next time, we'll ask for only the spicy tomato sauce.
One of our party was not particularly hungry, so they ordered the Monterey Calamari Three Ways appetizer as their entree ($13). This dish contains fried, sautéed, and grilled calamari served with cocktail sauce and tarter sauce. As was the case with the crab cakes, the fried calamari was lightly breaded and tender: in other words, it was perfect (the cooks obviously know how to fry). The grilled calamari was also very tender and tasty. But, the sauteed calamari seemed to lack the taste that the other two versions had. As was the case with the crab cakes, we'll ask for the fried (and maybe the grilled) calamari next time.
We also had the grilled chicken penne ($17). The chicken was nicely done, and the pasta was also very tender. But, there was a tad too much blue cheese in dish, which overpowered the taste of the tomato sauce. We love blue cheese; so if we thought there was too much, we think that someone who is less than enthralled with blue cheese will find this dish inedible.
As for the service, we have mostly positive comments. While our waiter did have to return a second time to take our order (he didn't write it down, and then forgot it on his way to the kitchen), he was very helpful with suggestions as to what to order. Best of all, the staff had no problem accomodating the two-year-old in our party. In fact, they even let us roll the stroller into the dining room and park it (with the two-year-old inside) next to our table throughout the meal.
Overall, the Belden Taverna wasn't fantastic. But, there were enough highlights that we're more than willing to try it again.
The Public House - Fresno
With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, we decided to try the latest pub to try to survive in Fresno: The Public House in Granite Park (on Cedar between Dakota and Ashlan). As it turned out, we had occasion to visit The Public House twice in one week, which gave us a good opportunity to confirm or modify our initial impression.
The first aspect of The Public House to make an impression is its appearance. With most of the furnishings and the entire bar having been imported from Ireland, one would guess that The Public House would feel authentically Irish. However, that authenticity is diminished in the dining area, which is painted to look somewhat like a cave (or, perhaps, the Newgrange mound) that's decorated with Celtic symbols. Even the bar area and its assorted bric-a-brac seems to be more calculated than authentic. We eventually came to the conclusion that if Walt Disney would've built an Irish pub, he'd have built The Public House.
The true test of any Irish pub is if they can pour a good pint of Guinness. When it comes to the Guinness, The Public House falls short. The beer is bitter, like it is in most American bars where Guinness is served. They don't even pour the shamrock into the foam. At $5.95 a pint, the Guinness is a real disappointment (further proof that the only good Guinness is in Ireland).
This board isn't an interior decorating or a beer lovers forum...you want to know about the food. Here again, there's room for serious improvement. First off, there are plenty of options on the menu: sandwiches/burgers, appetizers, small plate dishes, and full meals. Prices range from $6.95 to $15.95. Under the heading of "Pub Food", The Public House lists a Corned Beef Sandwich, Fish & Chips, and Bangers & Mash. But, there is no Shepherd's Pie...what self-respecting pub doesn't have Shepherd's Pie?! The first time we were there, we had Chef Kevin's Steak Sandwich ($9.95) and the Blue Burger ($9.45). The steak sandwich was advertised as "tender steak with cheese and onions on a baguette." While the steak was tender and well prepared, but the cheese was barely present and the onions were no where to be found. The burger, which was decorated with blue cheese and bacon, was solid but unspectactular. On the other occasion, we had the Cheddar Chicken sandwich ($6.95). It's advertised as "shredded chicken with cheddar." That sounds better than "pieces of chicken embedded in a ball of cheese between two pieces of bread." We also had the Bangers & Mash ($11.95), which consisted of two pieces of sausage on a bed of mashed potatoes and garnished with fried onion strips. As was the case with the burger, it was solid, but unspectacular. Finally, we had the cheese plate, which contained several different cheeses from California and Ireland. It wasn't bad; but, it wasn't worth the $13.95 we paid.
So, if the decoration is Disney-like, the food is mediocre, and there isn't a good pint of Guinness anywhere on the premises, is there anything worth merit at The Public House? The answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. The service is nothing short of superb. On both occasions, we were treated to extremely attentive, extremely helpful service. We'd even go so far as to say that it's some of the best service we've had at any restaurant in Fresno.
We realize that the main business of The Public House is to overcharge Fresno residents for alcohol. But, if they want to cover their massive overhead once the "newness" factor wears off, they need to make sure that all elements of the establishment are top-notch. They've succeded in making the service top-notch...now, they need to focus on improving the food.
Fresno's Top 100--Let's make a list!
Three more....
1) Almost anything at La Paella.
2) A hamburger or cheeseburger at Irene's
3) The salsa at Marian's Mexican Restaurant
Fresno's Favorite Five
Fahrenheit 5104 is pretty good. The portions are a bit small. But, the food is delicious, and the service is excellent.
One small note...as of this October 2007, they are no longer serving lunch except for pre-arranged parties. I had wondered how they were going to stay in business being open from 11 a.m. to midnight. Obviously, the owners realized the same thing and focused their efforts on the dinner crowd only.
Belana Vs. Pangea - Fresno
I agree that Roy Harland certainly doesn't do the cooking at Belana, and probably isn't involved in its day to day operations. However, the other owners are coyly associating his name with the place, in much the same manner that Pangea touts its ties with Campagnia. As evidence, one need look no further than the menu, which advertises that the sweet potato fries are "the original". If they're going to link the man to the restaurant, then they shouldn't be surprised that people dine at Belana with a high expectation. They also shouldn't be surprised at a negative response when customers say that the food isn't to the caliber of other Harland restaurants.
Belana Vs. Pangea - Fresno
Now that both Pangea and Belana have finally opened in the Fig Garden Village, myself and my colleagues thought it would be an appropriate time to see if the potential in these restaurants was realized or just hype. After our unscientific lunch-time sampling, it's clear that one of these restaurants comes close to the hype, while the other is primarily just hype.
Our first stop was Pangea. Our comments:
Restaurant decor - Fantastic. The large wine rack right behind the front desk is impressive. I can understand why people complain about the size of the dining area. But, the dining area and the patio were a perfect size to hold the lunch-time crowd.
Ordered -
Macaroni and Cheese: with its multiple cheese combination, it has excellent taste when dish is warm, but loses some of its appeal when it cools. It's above average overall.
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich with Sea-Salt Seasoned French Fries: ordered without vegetables, so it tasted like a pile of meat covered in cheese. The fries, though were light and delicately seasoned.
Iceberg Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing: Nice presentation. Taste was what one would expect.
Balsamic Vinegar-Marinated Pulled Pork Sandwich: Amazing!!! The pork was tender and extremely tasty. Overall, the best dish of the bunch.
Service - Efficient, unobtrusive, helpful. Just how you'd like it.
Price - Averages about $12 per dish, a bit higher than the usual lunch menu.
Other - Pangea's "small plate" concept is dumped for lunch. So, the plates and portions are "regular" sized.
The following week, we went to Belana for lunch:
Restaurant decor - More "homey" than Pangea. Also more open floor plan. We had no trouble walking up and getting a table here, either.
Ordered - After going through the large menu, we selected:
Chicken Pot Pie
Club Sandwich with Applewood Smoked Bacon
Cuban Pork Sandwich
While we were eating, all of us commented that the food was okay, but it lacked any special quality. In some cases, the food seemed to lack a key ingredient. For example, the pulled pork sandwich contained meat, pickles, and bread (that's it). My colleague took the Oriental dressing from another colleague's side salad and dipped the sandwich into it. Much better!! I took the applewood smoked bacon from the club sandwich and mixed it into the chicken pot pie. Much better!! Too bad the Belana chefs didn't think about those changes. However, they have so many items on the menu that they probably don't have time to add originality to a dish (more on that later).
Service - Belana had a lot more staff than Pangea on the day we went (it seemed like one server for every two tables). But, the service wasn't any better. In fact, when the bill arrived, we were charged for our meals and another table's meals. When we went to have the bill changed, our server was no where to be found. After a 15 minute wait, the server reappeared and blamed the check on "the computer." It was eventually fixed.
Price - Averages about $10 per dish.
So, what's our verdict? Well, even though both restaurants are still new and are probably working out the bugs, we'd have to say that Pangea is the winner in the "Best new restaurant in Fig Garden Village" race. The food and the decor are more creative and the service was solid.
What does Belana need to do to catch up? In our humble opinion, Belana is trying to do too much. For starters, they're open from 6:30 a.m. - midnight daily (even later on Fridays and Saturdays). They're serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They're a restaurant, and a bar, and a nightclub!! Mirroring that ambitious agenda is a menu that is way too big. The result of this situation is food that's not memorable. They need to pare down the menu and figure out the market to which they want to appeal, instead of trying to please everyone. Until that step is taken, it's not unreasonable to conclude that Harland and his investors have basically recreated Mimi's Cafe with Belana (not that we don't like Mimi's Cafe, but we expect more from a Harland's restaurant).
In the meantime, we have no problem recommending Pangea for lunch. We're even open to trying it for dinner. It's a nice addition to the Fresno dining scene, which we anticipate will be developing a loyal following in the very near future.
