Any decent restaurants in Fresno?

[Valerie226]

Going to Fresno for a family anniversary party. Last time it was pretty darn awful and this is a similar setup.... but this time we will stay in a motel so there WILL be air conditioning and we hope to get out for lunch and dinner. Any decent restaurants? even chains will do if the food is OK. Last time the big dinner out was Olive Garden and I don't want to revisit that. same for Red Lobster, Applebee's. Any suggestions? I don't know yet where we'll be staying but we will have a car.

[gertdog]

Valerie,

What part of town will you be in? There are definitely some good restaurants hiding amongst the gazillion chain places... if you know roughly where you'll be staying, I can offer some suggestions (and I'm sure MaryH and swquilts will too!).

[swquilts]

What kind of food do you like?? There are TONS of restaurants in Fresno. The Tower District has quite a variety. For sushi I would only go to Sakanaya, Mary can vouch for that one too.

If you aren't comfortable posting dates/times, see my email address in my profile and I'll be happy to help!

Could we all meet up perhaps?? MaryH, myself, Mimeea, etc. When will you be in town?

[Valerie226]

No notification on this thread..? DH & I will be in Fresno briefly on memorial day weekend. It's an anniversary for my in-laws. You guys would probably be more fun but I'm obligated to spend the little time we have with family. But thanks for thinking of that... if we spend more time on another visit maybe that'll work. Haven't seen DH's parents in years and they are in not so great health. I'm not sure where the party is, my SIL hasn't told us yet and she's making motel reservations somewhere for us. I'm hoping that if we get out for a meal that I can suggest something better than ........Olive Garden. Sushi would not be an option, no one in his family eats fish. Actually, they aren't foodie people at all. More later when I get a location.

[MaryH]

Valerie, just let us know. I am in northeast Fresno and, as Susan said, Fresno actually has a lot of good restaurants (you just need to know where to look). FWIW, if the family is more into chain type restaurants there is now a Cheescake Factory and a Claim Jumprer. But I can also give you suggestions for local non-chains if that would help. Also, in terms of hotels/motels the further north the better. If you have questions about a particular one or want suggestions, pm me.

[Valerie226]

Thanks! I still haven't heard from my SIL. She's setting up reservations for several of the out-of-towners at one place. I told her Comfort Inn, Best Western level. don't need a $200 a nite Marriot. DH's parents, sister, brother ( and lots more family I don't know) & their spouses live in Fresno area so we won't be spending a lot of time at the motel.

Still no notification on posts.....

[swquilts]

I just now got a notification.....didn't get one for your post or Mary's. weird.

[Valerie226]

Just got word from my SIL. the Picadilly Inn at 2305 Shaw. They have rented a room there for the party & our rooms are in the same facility. Any ideas? No rush, this isn't for > 2 months.

[gertdog]

Hey, that's where my high school reunion was held and not too far from the house I grew up in. :) I'll think about restaurants out that way.

[swquilts]

Is that at west Shaw? or the one near Fresno State??

If it's the West Shaw one there are more restaurants further west near Hwy 99. Not anything really "foodie" though, maybe a Indian place. There is an Italian place, name escapes me right now, it's OK.

That's just what's nearby though. When it's closer to your visit we'll find out more about what you want, how's that? ;) :)

[gertdog]

99.9% sure that address is the one on W. Shaw. My dad's office is across from the Piccadilly and the address matches up.

[Valerie226]

hmmm, still no email notification.
Yes, it's on west shaw, NOT the one near the college. apparently my SIL is getting all of us rooms there. I googled for it & it looks like a quite a nice place.
How hot is likely at the end of May? I'm not a good hot weather person and the last time we did this it was very hot. Stayed at BIL's house and will say that he said the air conditioning was on but not by my standards. It was pretty awful... could not sleep & it was too hot to do anything during the day. took along exercise clothes but it never got cool enough to use them, even at 4 am. but enough whining..... I'm trying to be a good sport about this.

[swquilts]

Well, I'm not going to lie to you, it can be warm here the end of May. But not in the 100's or anything. Probably high 80's to mid 90's. You just never know around here. We normally don't get snow in March either, but had a heck of a storm 2 wks ago!!! :eek:

About a week before you come out check www.weather.com and look at the 10 day forecast. That should give you a good idea.

I don't do well when it's above 95 here. :o

[MaryH]

I'm with Susan, shouldn't be bad but I don't guarantee anything. As far as restaurants I'm going to suggest the Elbow Room as it is in Fig Garden and is maybe a couple of miles (if that) from where you'll be. It's in a very nice outdoor shopping area. (Which will have a Pottery Barn, Coldwater Creek, Ann Taylor and perhaps a newly remodeled Williams Sonoma open by then.) As part of that restaurant there is another, higher end one called A Chef's Table, which is very good. Depends on if you want something a bit more casual, or a bit more formal.

For The Elbow Room: http://www.elbow-room.com/the_elbow_room.shtml

For A Chef's Table: http://www.chefstablefresno.com/content/profile.asp

[Valerie226]

I get in a snit above 75. at night I expect to see my breath. so there's no way I'll be happy, but this is where they live!. sigh.... I'm not sure if we'll actually get a chance to get free and go eat somewhere, or if everything will be pre-planned. DH's family, most anyway, think Olive Garden is gourmet. Trying not to be a snot here, but....

[gertdog]

I have a vivid memory of laying on a raft in my best friend's pool, drinking Fresca and listening to the radio announcer say it was currently 94 degrees. It was midnight!! :D I actually miss the dry heat- love love love it when I get off a plane in Fresno and feel that blast of warm air on my face. But in May it shouldn't be too bad.

Fig Garden Village is at Palm and Shaw and not at all far from your hotel. In addition to the restaurant Mary mentioned, there are delicious cookies at Hungry Bear (my mom still sends me tins of them sometimes) and there is a Chipotle if you're looking for a quick but yummy meal. Also a Whole Foods market. (And, beware, an Applebees.) It's a nice place to walk and window shop.

My dad is traveling for the next few days, but when he gets back I'll ask him about specific places near the Piccadilly- I know he takes clients to lunch on a regular basis and he might have some additional ideas for that area.

[MaryH]

Fig Garden Village is at Palm and Shaw and not at all far from your hotel. In addition to the restaurant Mary mentioned, there are delicious cookies at Hungry Bear (my mom still sends me tins of them sometimes) and there is a Chipotle if you're looking for a quick but yummy meal. Also a Whole Foods market. (And, beware, an Applebees.) It's a nice place to walk and window shop.

See, something for everyone. :) I say just drop the inlaws off at Applebees and then head to the Elbow Room. :D You can tell them you'll meet them at Whole Foods in an hour.

[badunnin]

I get in a snit above 75. at night I expect to see my breath. so there's no way I'll be happy, but this is where they live!. sigh.... I'm not sure if we'll actually get a chance to get free and go eat somewhere, or if everything will be pre-planned. DH's family, most anyway, think Olive Garden is gourmet. Trying not to be a snot here, but....


Hey girlie! Positive thoughts! The whole weekend will go better if you don't go in thinking you're going to be miserable the whole time....

[Valerie226]

Thanks everyone... I may be hot and sweaty but at least I'll be well fed!.
I'm thinking we'll have some time on saturday. with everyone staying at the same hotel we may need a place to go to lunch or dinner and I'll be the one with some ideas. (SIL may have everything choreographed down to the last second) but we hope to spend some time with the nieces & nephews and their offspring from colorado & oregon. Last time we did this get-together BIL had a barbecue planned so everyone had to show up for that and that took care of meals except for the event at Olive Garden. Hope we have more free time.

[MaryH]

Let me guess, last time BIL made tri tip? ;) (I swear I had never heard of this before I moved here.)

[Valerie226]

Nope, hamburgers and tater tots.