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Pismo's readies to open as Bentley's shuts doors

Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

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If ever a week showed the risks in Fresno's food business, this is it.

As Bentley's Fresh Market shuts down, Pismo's Coastal Grill is close to opening. Both started with visions of delivering high-quality food in casual settings.

Unfortunately, the faltering economy has a knack for derailing such plans. Can Pismo's, the new seafood restaurant and market, avoid the fate of Bentley's, the retailer based on gourmet grocery stores?

When it opened three years ago at Friant and Fort Washington roads, Bentley's evoked Bristol Farms and Dean & Deluca -- stores with wine-and-food savvy clientele.

There was talk of stocking Jean-Marc XO vodka instead of Smirnoff for the market and importing langoustines from England for Bentley's Bistro.

Then the economy crashed. Folks dined out less and pinched pennies at supermarkets. And although it dropped prices, Bentley's never overcame its reputation as an expensive store, says Rick Hutcheson, one of Bentley's owners.

After the bistro closed in September, Bentley's owners wanted to add more ready-made entrees and side dishes to the market. They planned to transfer the bistro's liquor license and add more tables and chairs. But when the market opened Monday on its third-year anniversary, the going-out-of-business sale started.

Shoppers thronged the extensive wine collection, snagging bottles such as Robert Craig 2006 Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at 25% off.

"If you wanted to put a nice dinner on the table, this was the place to be," says Greg Stobbe, a faithful Bentley's customer who placed bottle after bottle in his cart.

He listened to Hutcheson describe the store's struggles with its higher-end reputation. "It's a lesson in being really careful with how you start out," Stobbe says.

At Pismo's Coastal Grill, Dave Fansler -- known for launching Tahoe Joe's and Yosemite Ranch -- is somewhat mindful of the money-saving mood.

His latest project, in the Villaggio shopping center at Blackstone and Nees avenues, will serve casual meals (think fish and chips) and higher-end ones (think garlic-and-herb roasted Dungeness crabs with handmade buttered noodles).

It took about $4 million to secure the spot, build the restaurant and decorate it, Fansler says. Tables feature reclaimed wood, while the large, horseshoe-shaped bar is topped with marble. And the kitchen boasts custom-made equipment, such as a "crab-o-matic," a giant wheel that spins vacuum-sealed containers of poached Dungeness crab with garlic, parsley, cilantro and other flavorings.

At the head of Pismo's kitchen is Justin Shannon, the former executive chef of Bentley's Bistro.

Before Bentley's, Shannon was a chef de partie at The French Laundry, one of the country's premier fine-dining restaurants. He also was a sous chef at Bouchon, the French bistro known for precise techniques applied to classic dishes. Both Yountville restaurants are owned by renowned restaurateur Thomas Keller.

Will Fansler's vision of popcorn shrimp and filet mignon be a hit in this economy? You'll soon see for yourself: Fansler hopes to open Pismo's in early November.