2018 People’s Choice: Food and Drink

When you walk into Uncle Harry’s New York Bagelry and Coffeehouse, you’re more than a customer — you’re family. Since opening in 1995, the bagelry runs as a mom-and-pop shop — focusing on using fresh, high-quality ingredients.

In fact, the bagelry has become a mainstay in the Fresno area. When the location in Fig Garden Village closed after 18 years in 2017, customers were shocked and dismayed by the news.

The bagelry has built a reputation on serving cream cheese schmears and bagels of various flavors, as well as a variety of coffee and espresso drinks, caramel apple cider, hot chocolate and Italian soda.

The Beggelwich — a popular item on the menu — has scrambled eggs, American cheese and your choice of meat (sausage, bacon, ham or Canadian bacon) stuffed within two halves of a bagel of your choice.

The Ultimate is a favorite option of the Beggelwich. It has scrambled eggs, American cheese, hash browns, bacon and sausage. The Traditional Lox Sandwich has slices of Nova lox, cream cheese, red onions and tomatoes on a bagel.

The selection of bagels includes cinnamon raisin, sun-dried tomato, banana nut, chocolate-chocolate chip, cranberry orange and gingerbread. Cream cheese schmears like Lite Supreme Spinach and Lite Sundried Tomato Basil are packed with flavor.

You don’t need to travel to France to taste the delight of French cuisine. The answer to your prayers is La Boulangerie, also known as “La Bou.”

Founded by Patrick Bourrel in 1980, La Boulangerie has been located in Fig Garden Village since 1985. In 2017, Bourrel sold the bakery to a group of partners, including Dali Rakkar.

Influenced by French cuisine, the menu incorporates fresh, high-quality ingredients from local businesses like Robb Ross Foods, 1st Quality Produce, Lanna Coffee Company, Challenge Dairy Products and Focus Packaging and Supply Company.

Croissants, baguettes and loaves of bread are baked throughout the day, Rakkar says. The bakery makes a variety of sweets including cakes, cookies, French macarons, tarts and muffins, Parker House rolls, breadsticks, strawberry shortcake, cheesecake and Portuguese bread. It also serves hot, cold and grilled sandwiches and espresso drinks.

Recently, Rakkar says La Boulangerie added cupcakes, customized cakes and wedding cakes to the menu. To see hear about seasonal specials, follow La Boulangerie on Instagram and Facebook.

In December 2013, Dave Fansler of Fansler Restaurant Group opened Westwoods BBQ & Spice Co. on the corner of Nees and Blackstone avenues by River Park Shopping Center.

But before opening the barbecue restaurant, Fansler and his team studied the various styles of barbecue throughout the United States. The menu is the result of their research. It serves high-quality meat from Nebraska and areas surrounding the Midwest, Fansler says.

The menu isn’t complete without tri-tip, pastrami and pulled-pork sandwiches, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, wood-grilled chicken breast, applewood bacon & cheddar fries, fried pickles, jalapeño cornbread and beer-battered onion rings.

Fansler says the top plate on the menu is the Kansas City-style brisket burnt ends, which spend half a day in the smoker. With executive chef Porfirio Aldape at the helm, tender and juicy creations are smoked on almond firewood.

“Porfirio has been with me since 1986,” Fansler says.

The interior looks like an upscale industrial warehouse with a full-service bar that features handcrafted cocktails and beers. According to Fansler, there are 24 taps of beers and ciders from California-based breweries like Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company, House of Pendragon Brewing Company, South Gate Brewing Company, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Lost Coast Brewery and Lagunitas Brewing Company.

Cocktails include the Fansler Old Fashion, the Municipal Mule, the Corona ‘Rita and the Citrus Freeze Lemon Drop.

Jeff and Becci Colla have a gift for pairing pancakes with mouth-watering flavors. For nearly a decade, Batter Up Pancakes has been a hot spot in northeast Fresno — serving an array of made-to-order breakfast and lunch items to tantalize your taste buds.

The owners named the restaurant after their love for America’s pastime. Not only does the menu make the restaurant a hit, but so does the owners’ commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients. They also aim to treat customers like family.

“We’re humbled, honored and grateful they choose to visit us,” Becci says about customers.

Becci says the most popular item on the menu is the Tessa Cate Cinnamon Roll — a pancake topped with a generous swirl of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon before being flipped to add a layer of cream cheese frosting.

If you have a sweet tooth, the Ice Cream Sundae is a pancake topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, drizzled with your choice of boysenberry, strawberry or chocolate syrup, and finished with whipped cream, pecans and sprinkles. The menu won’t disappoint you.

You can also order gluten-free pancakes, Whole Grain Blue Cornmeal pancakes or protein pancakes. If you’re opting for protein pancakes, order the Warrior Fitness Breakfast and Fort Washington Fitness Breakfast.

As far as omelets are concerned, the Chili Verde omelet is a top choice, followed by Trip to the Mound Omelet and Wild Pitch Omelet. Omelets come with a pancake or toast, and hash browns, country potatoes, fruit or cottage cheese.

Becci says customers love the array of choices for omelets, as well as the portion size. Staying true to their local roots, the owners also source Kuppa Joy Coffee House for hot, iced and blended espresso drinks.

“Fresno has been good to us,” Becci says. “We’re more than grateful.”

There’s one thing Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino’s California Market Buffet can offer that its competition in the People’s Choice Best Buffet category cannot. It offers and incredible 56,000-square-foot gaming floor just steps away from the buffet tables. That’s pretty hard to compete with, but isn’t the only thing this buffet has to offer.

The California Market Buffet and Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino serves a huge variety to guests. The bounty and diversity of California’s cultural heritage is brought to life as the California Market Buffet serves traditional and regional cuisine from the Central Valley.

Featuring regional specialties prepared with ingredients harvested from the riches of the Golden State, the restaurant changes the menu four times a year to ensure that wholesome seasonal ingredients are included in the fare.

According to Shalon Williams, the California Market Buffet is known for fried chicken, newly expanded salad station and its fresh product from local growers. People return for the stone oven baked pizza, fried chicken and Mongolian freshly grilled dishes.

The menu changes daily. Monday is the Taste of Italy, Tuesday is International Barbecue, Wednesday is a seafood buffet, Thursday is a Mexican Fiesta, Friday and Saturday feature prime rib and crab legs and Sunday is a champagne brunch.

The buffet costs $19.95 plus tax for themed dinners. Beer and wine are offered for $1 a glass. Discounts are offered for seniors, as well as members of the Rewards Club.

Pardini’s Catering and Banquets has been serving the Central Valley for more than 35 years. It started with Jim Pardini working with his father, Albert, starting at age 13.

They continued to work as a team through the years until Albert retired in 1981, which prompted Jim to launch Pardini’s Catering.

Today, Pardini’s Catering and Banquets is a full-service catering company that provides servers, dishes, silverware and linens. It caters small and large events like weddings, birthday bashes, bridal and baby showers, fundraisers and corporate parties.

The on-site and off-site menus include a range of options for breakfast, lunch, hors d’oeuvres and dinner. Whether you’re craving international delights or traditional dishes, you won’t be disappointed.

The banquet facility, located on Shaw Avenue and Van Ness Boulevard, features three salons and the Tuscan Room that can accommodate hundreds of guests.

“We recently refurbished the banquet facility,” Jim says. “More like a facelift.”

Pardini’s Catering and Banquets is a concessionaire for the Fresno Fairgrounds, Fresno Convention Center, Bulldog Stadium, Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium and Woodward Park. It also serves the Clovis Memorial Hall, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, The Grand 1401 and Simonian Farms.

Last year, Pardini’s Catering and Banquets won “Best Catering” by the Fresno chapter of the California Restaurant Association. Pardini was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” — recognizing him for his work with Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also supports a range of charitable foundations and nonprofit organizations from health care to the Fresno County Public Library.

For more than 35 years, Shanghai Chinese Cuisine has been providing authentic Chinese cuisine to the Central Valley. The restaurant provides a family-friendly ambiance to accompany the modern Chinese décor.

Located at Blackstone Avenue and Griffith Way, the menu boasts an array of exotic flavors and savory sauces, using fresh, high-quality ingredients to create authentic dishes. Appetizers include fried wontons, pot stickers and spring egg rolls.

You can order from a wide selection of pan-fried or European-style chow mien, chop suey and vegetarian-friendly meals.

The menu is divided by several sections to showcase the array of dishes like fried and steamed rice, Chinese chicken salad, Kung Pao beef, chicken or shrimp, Cantonese-style shrimp, fried oysters, braised-bean cakes and hot-braised shrimp. The most popular item is orange chicken.

The restaurant offers combination plates, platters and several selections of Sichuan cuisine. It also hosts private parties in a large banquet room.

Start your morning by getting a jolt of energy from Dutch Bros. Coffee. The drive-thru coffeehouse is known for employing baristas — or bro-istas — who connect with customers known as the Dutch Mafia.

“They’re genuine, happy and full of energy,” says Jacob Cantu, the marketing and events manager for Dutch Bros. Coffee.

The drive-thru coffeehouse was founded by Dane and Travis Boersma in 1992. The brothers of Dutch descent bought a double-head espresso machine and started experimenting with 100 pounds of beans, Cantu says.

With the mission of “spreading the Dutch Luv,” the coffeehouse serves cups of coffee, hot, iced and blended espresso drinks, tea, smoothies, fruit-infused sodas, hot cocoa and iced or blended drinks made with Blue Rebel — an energy drink made by Dutch Bros. Coffee.

Today, there are more than 290 locations throughout the United States. In 2006, the first local on the corner of Ashlan and Willow avenues in Clovis.

Now, there are five local locations: Ashlan and Willow avenues, Bullard and West avenues, Shaw and West avenues, McKinley and Blackstone avenues, and Maple and Behymer avenues.

“We live by three main core values: speed, quality and customer service,” Cantu says.

Cantu says the most popular beverage on the menu is iced or blended drinks made with Blue Rebel. There are dozens of flavors like Double Rainbro, Dragon Slayer, Dinosaur Egg, Dutch Mojito, Unicorn Blood, Laser Cat and Majestic Forest.

As for espresso drinks, Cantu says the Annihilator — a chocolate macadamia nut breve — and the Caramelizer —a caramel mocha — are favorite beverages among the Dutch Mafia.

Each year, with the help of the community, Dutch Bros. Coffee donates more than $2 million to local and national nonprofit organizations like the American Cancer Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the ALS Association.

On the horizon, Cantu says: The sixth location is expected to open at Palm and Herndon avenues in the spring.

Beverly Gable was inspired to open Frosted Cakery after the closing of Jimmie’s Bakery, which was owned by her mother and father.

Six years later, Gable and her daughter, Megan, planted the roots of Frosted Cakery in downtown Fresno. The mother-and-daughter duo transferred a few recipes from Jimmie’s Bakery, but Gable spent more than a year developing the recipes that have helped establish Frosted Cakery in the Central Valley.

“Our goal is to combine detail, artistry and love to make customers walk away happy with their end product,” Gable says.

Frosted Cakery sells cakes, cookies and pastries like French macarons, cannoli, truffle brownies and tarts. Made from scratch, ingredients are fresh — not frozen (except for ice cream, Gable says).

In addition to cakes, cupcakes are in high demand by customers. There are about 100 flavors, Gable says, like salted caramel, red velvet, snickerdoodle, rainbow confetti, French toast and bacon, vanilla bean raspberry, pink champagne, chocolate peanut butter cup. A few flavors also include gourmet fillings like caramel, fudge and Bavarian cream.

Customers can purchase cupcakes at the counter (there are 15 flavors available on a daily basis) or order larger quantities by visiting www.frostedcakery.com. Cupcakes are baked to perfection and then topped with housemade buttercream, which comes in a variety of flavors.

“The most popular flavor is Salted Caramel,” Gable says. The brown sugar cake is filled with caramel and topped with buttercream and sea salt.

The best part about Frosted Cakery? It caters to customers with dietary restrictions by serving vegan and gluten-free options. Do you need soy-free and/or nut-free cupcakes? No problem. In-person consultations are also available.

Fresno’s own taste of Italy can be found at the corner of First Street and Clinton Avenue. Sami’s Italian Deli and Marketplace has been a staple in Fresno for more than 30 years.

Visitors are greeted — in many cases by name — when they arrive. And they’re given the personal attention to make sure each order is filled to their specifications.

Sam Marziliano’s legacy lives on at the deli. The Marziliano family continues to celebrate the traditions of Southern Italy in the aisles packed with imported Italian pastas, olive oils and specialty groceries and in the kitchen where Angela Marziliano bakes her bread and foccacia.

At the deli, you’ll find fresh Italian cold cuts, imported cheeses, antipasto platters, 6-foot-long super subs, sandwich trays, Angela’s take-home pasta dinners and Sam’s homemade Italian sausage.

During the past decade, Nick Marziliano has added and continually expanded the department of specialty wine. From the boutique style wines of California to the highly sought after, Super Tuscans, Barolo’s and Brunellos di Montalcino produced in Italy, the deli is proud to offer a collection of more than 700 labels.

When you visit the deli, be prepared to be immersed in a taste of Italy.

Jeff and Amelia Bennett go beyond ice cream at Ampersand Ice Cream, located across the street from Fresno High School. Yes, the ice cream parlor serves desserts with a spin.

For starters, pick a flavor of ice cream. Flavors range from staples like Whiskey Caramel Swirl and Dark Chocolate to dairy-free sorbets. Special flavors like Grizzly Jack and Bananas Foster are a hit.

Next, choose between a cup, cone or flight of four flavors. Do you want to add house-made toppings like whiskey caramel sauce, hot fudge or salted caramel sauce? Of course, you can skip a cup or cone and order a milkshake.

Although you won’t find frozen yogurt or cupcakes at the ice cream parlor, your mouth will be drooling with a variety of options for dessert.

“You can get ice cream in between two house-made chocolate chip or snickerdoodle cookies,” Amelia says.

You can also pair ice cream with cold brew from Lanna Coffee Company for a kick of caffeine. Speaking of caffeine, Amelia encourages ordering a cup of ice cream and then walking to Kuppa Joy Coffee House — located a few steps away from the ice cream parlor — for a shot of espresso to pour on top.

“It’s delightful,” Amelia says of affogato, an Italian coffee-based dessert.

Having their roots planted in Fresno, Jeff and Amelia partner with local businesses like The Annex Kitchen and Cracker Pepper Bistro. They’re also co-owners of The Revue in the Tower District.

The Revue serves affogato with a scoop of Madagascar Vanilla and a shot of espresso. You can also order the Whiskey Caramel Latte, the Nitro Float and the Cold Brew Milkshake.

For Dave Fansler of the Fansler Restaurant Group, creating a family-friendly atmosphere is the foundation of his three restaurants in northeast Fresno: Yosemite Ranch Steak, Seafood & Roast House, Westwoods BBQ & Spice Co. and Pismo’s Coastal Grill.

Located in the Villaggio Shopping Center, Pismo’s Coastal Grill brings the flavors of the Central Coast to Fresno. The Pismo’s Platter is a crowd-pleasing appetizer for your family to enjoy. It includes marinated crab, oysters, shrimp and ahi tuna poke.

The kid’s menu includes your choice of grilled salmon or mahi-mahi, fried snapper bites, chicken strips, popcorn shrimp, cheeseburger, grilled cheese sandwich or buttered noodles. It also comes with French fries, cole slaw or steamed broccoli.

Although the menu is mainly comprised of seafood, there are a few vegetarian-friendly appetizers like hot-roasted edamame, sweet potato fries, grilled artichokes with lemon-garlic aioli and specialty salads like the Bistro Salad with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and champagne vinaigrette.

Tempt your taste buds with desserts like the Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie, the Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake and the Brownie a la Mode.

In a nutshell, the seafood restaurant doesn’t disappoint. There are tasty bites for children and handcrafted cocktails mixed at the full-service bar for adults.

Opened in 2015, The Annex Kitchen takes your taste buds on a journey to Italy. Located in northwest Fresno, the Italian-inspired restaurant is influenced by the flavors of the Central Valley.

Behind the restaurant is Jimmy Pardini — a third-generation restaurateur. He co-owns the restaurant with his brother, Jeff. Their father, Jim, is the president of Pardini’s Catering and Banquets in Fresno.

“We want to provide an experience for the community to be able to enjoy,” Pardini says.

The menu features signature appetizers and entrées like handcrafted pasta and wood-fired pizza. A selection of meats — chicken, salmon, rib-eye and hanger steak — are cooked in a wood-burning hearth.

The arancini — the most popular choice on the list of appetizers, Pardini says — are deep-fried risotto balls with mozzarella, basil pesto and tomato sauce.

As for entrées, Pardini says the most popular item is the agnolotti made with Fresno State sweet corn. It was featured on the Cooking Channel’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” in January.

Simon Majumdar, an author and TV personality who appears on Food Network, visited the restaurant — ordering the agnolotti — in 2016. He wrote on Instagram afterward: “People have been asking me for my ‘best of’ lists for 2016. So, let’s start with the best dish I ate in the USA this year, which was served @annexkitchenfresno by chef　@jimmypardini.”

When Fresno State sweet corn isn’t in season, AKA the summertime, the restaurant uses butternut squash for the agnolotti in the winter.

The full-service bar serves made-from-scratch cocktails — like the Smoke and Mirrors, the Little Italy and the Bicycle Built For Two — and wines from France and Italy, in addition to like Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Alexander Valley.

“A lot of Italian wines mingled with California wines,” Pardini says.

The Annex Kitchen sources ingredients from local businesses like Mary’s Free Range Chicken, Enzo Olive Oil and Ampersand Ice Cream. In fact, the restaurant serves affogato (an Italian coffee-based dessert), blackberry and blueberry crisp, and crème brulee with a scoop of Madagascar Vanilla.

In addition to Majumdar, Tyler Florence — a celebrity chef and television host on Food Network —visited the restaurant a few months ago. He posted to Instagram, “@annexkitchenfresno killed it tonight. @jimmypardini has a hit on his hands.”

After nearly 20 years of working in the restaurant industry, Liz Sanchez decided to open CASA de TAMALES in 2009. It started as a storefront on Shaw and Brawley avenues — offering a spread of dishes made from recipes passed on from her mother and grandmother. Sanchez makes tamales by hand with in-house, gluten-free masa.

“We use local non-GMO corn to make masa,” Sanchez says.

After a few months of running the location in northwest Fresno, Sanchez started a food truck that travels to local events like the FresYes Fest, which will take place on Saturday, March 24 at Tioga-Sequoia Craft Brewery in downtown Fresno. It can be found at Fresno City College on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Enzo’s Table　on the weekends.

The most popular dishes are traditional tamales like the New Mexico Chile Pork and the Green Tomatillo Chicken, Sanchez says. The Creamy Chicken Poblano is also a favorite among customers. It also serves vegan and vegetarian tamales like the Farmers Market, the Jalapeño & Cheese and the Spinach & Artichoke.

If you have a sweet tooth, try the Triple Chocolate Cake and the Blueberry & Cream Cheese. Seasonal tamales include the Pineapple Coconut Tamale in the summer and the Pumpkin Pie Tamale in the autumn.

“The Pumpkin Pie Tamale is always a hit,” Sanchez says.

In 2014, the Pepperoni Tamale and Chicken Bacon Tamale earned the Buyer’s Choice Award as part of the Fresno Food Expo New Product Awards. The next year, the location in northwest Fresno moved to Olive Avenue in the Tower District. It serves wine by the glass (provided by Engelmann Cellars), artisan sangrias and mimosas for Sunday brunch.

In-N-Out Burgers have a certain passionate following, so much so that when it changed its iconic menu earlier this year, it made headlines.

Before we get to the big change, let’s talk about the traditional menu. First, choose your burger: hamburger, cheeseburger or the Double-Double — two patties and two slices of American cheese. Toppings include crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes and the In-N-Out signature spread.

Next, a burger shouldn’t be without fresh-cut fries. If you prefer to skip the soda or fresh-brewed iced tea, you could opt for a vanilla, chocolate or strawberry milkshake. The not-so-secret “secret menu” includes grilled cheese, animal-style fries or even lettuce-wrapped burgers for people watching carbohydrates and calories.

The simple, straightforward menu has made its mark on society. Case in point, in February, Derek Carr was spotted at the In-N-Out in Clovis. There have been other celebrity sightings as well. Nathan Fillion posted a photo at In-N-Out on his Instagram page. Kylie Jenner said it was her No. 1 craving during her recent pregnancy. Even celebrity chef Ina Garten said In-N-Out was her California go-to. And, she said she knew it was Julia Child’s favorite as well.

As a rule, you can’t argue with the culinary excellence that is Julia, but for the first time in 15 years, the chain has offered something other than its standard hamburger or cheeseburger, fries, sodas and shakes menu. In January, it began to offer — gasp! — hot chocolate, made with cocoa powder from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. You can even request marshmallows.

This is the first menu revamp since the restaurant added lemonade, and hot chocolate is now available in 328 restaurants across Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

It is nice to know there are some things you can count on. Here’s one: The price of the hot dog and soda combo at Costco has never changed. The $1.50 price tag is cheaper than just the soda alone in most restaurants. And you can’t beat the convenience of grabbing a dog after you’ve shopped for gigantic jars of pickles, cat food and appliances at the warehouse store.

Here’s some trivia about that Costco dog. Costco’s booming food court business started in 1984 with a hot dog cart outside the San Diego warehouse. The trial, with a cart provided by then hot-dog supplier Hebrew National, went very well, so much so that the food court is now considered by Costco management to be an added benefit to membership.

And, do the math on this one. Costco sells 100 million hot dogs each year. In 2015 that number his 128 million, which is supposedly said to be four times as many hot dogs sold in all the major league baseball stadiums combined. Even so, the dogs are considered by Costco to be a loss leader. They’re not making money on the combo, but are counting on you spending some dough before sitting down for lunch.

Here are some more stats about the Costco dogs, as reported by mashed.com.

Costco dogs are no longer Hebrew National brand. That brand was dropped from Costco’s offering in 2009, replaced by Kirkland Signature All-Beef Wieners. The Kirkland brand dogs are 10 percent bigger and longer than the Hebrew National, and we all know size matters in such things. The soda offering has gotten bigger too. The combo used to come with a 12-ounce soda. Now, you get a 20-ounce soda with free refills.

Costco’s buns are steamed, which is why sometimes they can get soggy if not consumed right away. All that steaming adds moisture.

Costco’s weiners contain no by-products, corn syrup, phosphates, fillers, artificial color or artificial flavors and they’re also gluten-free. That’s practically health food, right?

The possibilities are endless at Ampersand Ice Cream — the ice cream parlor “where great ice cream and community meet.”

Owned by Jeff and Amelia Bennett, ice cream has played a big role in their lives — starting with their first date at McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams in Southern California and continuing with opening Ampersand Ice Cream in Fresno.

Jeff, a native of Ventura, and Amelia, a graduate of Bullard High School, started their journey by meeting on Match.com. After saying “I do,” they planted roots in Fresno. Although they were getting settled as newlyweds, they didn’t want to slow down. Not yet.

And so, Ampersand Ice Cream opened on the corner of Echo and Weldon avenues — across the street from Fresno High School — on Memorial Day 2015.

The ice cream parlor is a small-batch creamery and state-licensed dairy plant, Amelia says. You can watch the 4-hour process of making ice cream through a window.

Not only does the couple have love for downtown Fresno, but the Central Valley. They stay true to buying and using local and in-house ingredients. They buy dairy from Top O’ The Morn Farms, honey from Bradshaw Honey Farms and Blossom Bluff Orchards, produce from Food Commons Fresno, olive oil from ENZO Olive Oil, coffee from Lanna Coffee Company and tea from Raizana Tea Company.

Although flavors change daily, you’ll find staples like Mint Chip, Rocky Road, Madagascar Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Bordeaux, Whiskey Caramel Swirl and Honeycomb.

Honeycomb is a top seller, Amelia says. The custard ice cream features chunks of homemade honey brittle, made with orange blossom honey from Bradshaw Honey Farms. The dairy-free sorbet flavors include Strawberry Balsamic, Raspberry Sorbet and Lemon Sorbet.

Seasonal specials like Bananas Foster, Grizzly Jack, Earl Grey & Lavender, Piña Colada and Fudgy Mint are anticipated throughout the year. As for seasonal specials from 2017, Amelia says Spring Flowers & Lemon Zest and Cheese Board were tempting taste buds for the summer.

So what’s their favorite flavors?

Jeff: “My favorite is Grizzly Jack.” Inspired by Cracker Jack, the butter popcorn ice cream is loaded with molasses caramel and candied almonds.

Amelia: “I always say my all-time favorite is Madagascar Vanilla. Definitely not ordinary.”

In 2014, Ranjit “Junior” Dosanjh made his mark in the Clovis-Fresno area by opening Elephant Lounge Indian Bistro — located on Shaw Avenue in the Wild West Village Shopping Center.

The CEO and executive chef was born in Punjab, India, but moved to the United States at age 10. He was raised in Silicon Valley, learning the essentials of cooking Indian cuisine from his mother. He has been in the food industry for more than 15 years.

Dosanjh owned India 4 U and Xenia Bistro with his wife, Brinda, in the Bay Area. About 10 years later, they planted roots in Clovis. He opened the Indian bistro in the space formerly occupied by North India Bar and Grill.

Dosanjh says he spent about eight months renovating the space, adorning the interior ceiling with a full-service bar and chandelier imported from Europe. Cooking alongside him is Elias Fernandez.

The menu features a fusion of flavors, including seafood specialties, dishes made with chicken, beef, lamb and goat, vegetarian-friendly options and tandoor-cooked dishes.

Dosanjh says the most popular dishes are the chicken tikka masala — cubes of chicken marinated in tandoori masala — and the butter chicken — chunks of chicken simmered in a creamy tomato-based sauce for 5 1/2 hours.

You can also order a bacon cheeseburger, meatloaf and pasta. The Indian bistro hosts private parties in a large banquet room.

We can’t talk about culinary creations of Italy without thinking about DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant — the local Italian eatery that has satisfied our appetites for more than 60 years.

In fact, the Italian eatery has grown to be a tradition for a lot of local families. There are nearly 20 locations throughout the Central Valley — expanding to neighboring cities like Sanger, Kingsburg, Madera and Oakhurst.

Each location is owned and operated by various members of the DiCicco family. The recipes were passed down from their grandparents, Pasquale and Maria, to their four sons: Frank, Roberto, Nicola and Alberto — also known as the “Four Sons of Italy.”

Although each location is unique, the list of tried-and-true dishes and signature plates remain the same: hand-tossed pizza, garlic cheese bread, spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine Alfredo, eggplant parmesan, cheese or meat ravioli, lasagna and made-to-order pizza.

Sandy DiCicco is the owner of the location in Old Town Clovis — a staple at Clovis Avenue and Fourth Street since 1977.

Although the history makes the Italian eatery a winner in the Central Valley, the menu is also loved and praised by customers, says Charles Carrero, the general manager of the location in Old Town Clovis.

Carrero says the most popular dish is the Scarface Pasta, pieces of chicken and mushrooms tossed in a creamy white sauce and served on top of rigatoni. The menu also caters to customers with dietary restrictions by serving lighter-fare options and gluten-free pasta.

Located at Nees Avenue and First Street, Sakura Chaya Tokyo Cuisine has been an international delight for a decade.

The Japanese restaurant serves a mix of traditional dishes and sushi rolls. You can dine at the teppanyaki grill, watching as your meal is prepared before your eyes, order from the traditional dining menu or pick signature rolls from the sushi menu.

The key to success is consistency, says David Wong, the general manager at the Japanese restaurant.

Let’s start with the teppanyaki grill, which is popular with large groups because there are numerous seats wrapped around the iron plate. You can order teriyaki, hibachi or sukiyaki-style chicken, beef, New York steak, filet mignon, shrimp, calamari, scallops, salmon or cod. Lunch is served with miso soup and salad, grilled seasoned vegetables and fried or steamed rice.

Wong says the most popular item is the Terrific Teppan Trio —chicken, beef and shrimp paired with miso soup, salad, grilled vegetables and fried rice — for $11.99.

Dinner is served with a shrimp appetizer, miso soup and salad, grilled seasoned vegetables, fried or steamed rice and frozen yogurt.

The chefs are known to entertain customers by juggling eggs, telling jokes and making volcanoes from rings of onions and heart-shaped piles of fried rice. They go through an in-house training process that takes about six months, Wong says.

The traditional dining menu includes teriyaki chicken, shogayaki chicken, pork, beef or seafood, yakizakana cod, salmon or mackerel, seafood tempura, katsu oysters and tempura udon. The combinations are endless.

The sushi menu features signature rolls with eccentric names like Drunk Cousin Roll, Yo Mama Roll, 9-1-1 Roll, Godzilla Roll, R&B Roll and Crab Lover Roll.

On the horizon for 2018: A second location of Sakura Chaya Tokyo Cuisine is planned for Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis.

For 25 years, Mediterranean Grill and Cafe has remained a landmark in downtown Fresno. Heiam Hemaidan Elaawar owns and operates the restaurant with her brother, Hisham Hemaidan, and her mother, known as “Mama.” Her husband also helps with the behind-the-scene operations.

The restaurant fills the hearts — and stomachs — of customers who are treated like family, she says. In fact, there are a number of customers who have been visiting the restaurant for decades.

“My husband knows a lot of customers by name,” Hemaidan Elaawar says.

The menu features a variety of hearty and flavorful traditional Mediterranean dishes made with high-quality ingredients. For starters, you can order falafel balls, hummus, grape leaves or baba ghanoush.

The most popular dishes are the fattoush chicken salad — made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread — and the Lebanese chicken served with rice and garlic sauce. Entrées include the Tabbouleh salad, the Greek chicken salad, lamb, beef or chicken kebabs and gyros.

Hemaidan Elaawar says the vegetarian plate — an assortment of grape leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, tomatoes, onions, parsley, herbs and spices, falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj and tabouli — is a popular item right now. Finish your meal with homemade baklava — thin layers of phyllo stacked with honey, butter, cinnamon and nuts.

The restaurant is open for lunchtime on weekdays, but offers full-service catering for special events and private parties.

Bobby Salazar’s Mexican Foods is synonymous with south-of-the-border cuisine in Fresno. It serves traditional Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and tamales.

“I’m following the tradition,” says Bobby Salazar, the president of Bobby Salazar’s Mexican Foods.

The story of Bobby Salazar’s Mexican Foods started with his father and grandparents in the early 1940s. Now, there are three full-service restaurants and three taquerias in the Fresno-Clovis area.

The menu features appetizers like the Bobby’s Fiesta Sampler, the Holey Guacamole! and the Nachos Grande. Tacos and burritos include the Fancy Burrito, the California Burrito, the Bobby’s Rico Taco Dinner and the Hot-n-Spicy Grilled Chicken Tacos.

“It has a flour tortilla filled with beans, jack cheese and chile verde,” Salazar says about the Fancy Burrito, the most popular item on the menu. “And then more chile verde and lots of jack cheese melted on top.”

You can also order party trays of the Fancy Burrito Lasagna, the Mexican Lasagna and the trio of miniature taquitos, burritos and quesadillas.

Since being founded in 2007, Tioga-Sequoia Craft Brewery has aimed to bring awareness to the preservation of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains with a plethora of brews named after local landmarks.

The General Sherman IPA, the Half Dome California Wheat, the 99 Golden Ale, the Sugar Pine Cocoa-Vanilla Porter and the Joaquin Murrieta Chile Beer are a few brews that pay homage to the Golden State, specifically the Central Valley.

In 2010, the brewery became a part of the landscape at the south end of Fulton Street in downtown Fresno. The tasting room is the spot to try the selection of brews, as well as buy merchandise. It hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the FresYes Fest on Saturday, March 24 in the TSBeerGarden.

The menu features more than 20 brews, including high-gravity beers and special releases. The most popular brew is the General Sherman IPA — a blend of pale and caramel malts with hints of citrus.

The brewery sources ingredients — fruit, coffee and vanilla beans — from a handful of local businesses. The Half Dome California Wheat, named after Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, is infused with stone fruit — thanks to peaches from Wawona Orchards in Clovis.

The TSBeerGarden also hosts local food trucks throughout the week like CASA de Tamales, Fatte Albert’s Pizza, El Premio Mayor and The Chicken Shack.

The covered patio at The Elbow Room Bar & Grill invites customers to a comfortable and classy setting. State-of-the-art mister fans in the summer and heaters in the winter control the environment.

“The vibe on the patio is definitely out of this market,” says Mike Shirinian, owner of the restaurant. “We’ve had thousands of guests from all over the world dine on the patio and comment enthusiastically about its beauty, comfort and edgy feel. Many say they would only expect to experience something like this in Newport Beach or other very high-end locations.”

The covered patio is roomy with a seating capacity of 130, and a 29-foot-long mural that wraps around the top of the bar serves as a focal point. Fresno artist Conrad Jimenez painted the mural in 2014, and he did two other murals inside the restaurant in earlier years. All three murals show customers enjoying themselves.

“The people in these murals represent the spirit that has blessed The Elbow Room since its inception in 1955,” Shirinian says.

At Me-N-Ed’s Pizzeria, the secret to success starts with staying true to traditional recipes and techniques. Since 1958, when the original location on Blackstone Avenue opened, the pizzeria has grown to include more than 60 locations in Central California.

“We work hard to stay connected to the community,” says Thomas Ferdinandi, executive vice president and chief operations office of Milano Restaurants International.

There are more than 20 locations in Clovis and Fresno — offering an array of options for you to customize your pie. For starters, the pizzeria is known for using firebrick ovens to create crispy crust from. You can choose between thin or thick crust and red tomato or white garlic Alfredo sauces. Next, your pie is topped with a blend of five cheeses and your choice of toppings.

Toppings extend to include fresh vegetables like artichoke hearts, chopped garlic, mushrooms, black olives, pineapple, jalapeños, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli florets, roasted red peppers, bell peppers, red onions and green onions. It also offers an array of hearty meats for toppings: pepperoni, bacon, Canadian bacon, salami, ground beef, seasoned chicken, Italian sausage and linguiça.

Signature combinations include The Italiano, Valley Veggie, Tuscan Harvest and Hot Hawaiian. The flavors of Italy continue with homemade sandwiches, calzones and garlic bread.

Ferdinandi says there are three locations with self-pour brew taps: Bullard and West avenues, Temperance Avenue and Highway 168, and Wishon Avenue near Olive Avenue in the Tower District.

But where would Me-N-Ed’s Pizzeria be without the love and support of the community? As a way of returning the support and appreciation, the pizzeria established a philanthropic organization called the Me-n-Ed’s Do-Nation.

In January and February, Ferdinandi says $60,000 was distributed among three local charities: Poverello House, Catholic Charities and Boys and Girls Clubs of Fresno County.

You can get a sandwich just about anyplace. But to get a sandwich that lives up to your sandwich dreams, you have to go to Italy. Or at least Fresno’s own little Italy, which can be found at the corner of First Street and Clinton Avenues.

Sami’s Italian Deli and Marketplace features culinary delights ranging from specialty pastas, cheeses, meats, bread, spices, cookies and coffee.

The menu of sandwiches is extensive. Sandwiches are freshly prepared to order on 5-inch or 8-inch sesame rolls, with the exception of the New Yorker Hot Pastrami and the Sam’s Steak Sandwich, which are available in a large, 10-inch crusty baguette.

Sandwiches are piled high with the highest-quality ingredients, mayonnaise, mustard, peppers, pickles and cheese — and, depending on what you ordered, meat: turkey breast, roast beef, salami, pastrami, ham, tuna, capicollo, mortadella and prosciutto.

Specialty sandwiches like the muffaletta, meatball or eggplant Parmesan sandwiches are favorites in Fresno. In addition to sandwiches, the deli offers sides like pasta or Mediterranean Orzo salad complete your lunch. An insider’s tip: Come hungry and arrive early if you want to eat on site.

Located in the Villaggio Shopping Center, Pismo’s Coastal Grill bridges the gap between Fresno and the Central Coast. Resembling a beachfront eatery, the seafood restaurant was built by Dave Fansler of the Fansler Restaurant Group in 2009.

“We just finished our best year in history,” Fansler says about the success of the seafood restaurant.

The menu features hot and cold appetizers, specialty salads, burgers and sandwiches, pasta and entrées. Weekly specials change due to seasonality and availability, and deliveries are made on a daily basis to provide fresh, high-quality products.

For starters, hot appetizers include hot-roasted edamame, wood-grilled oysters, pistachio-crusted calamari　and sweet potato fries to dip in cilantro-jalapeno sauce. The Pismo’s Crab Cakes are topped with lemon beurre blanc.

Fansler says cioppino — a stew of spicy wine-tomato sauce with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and whitefish served in an iron pot — is a popular item on the menu. It comes with sourdough bread to dip.

The seafood restaurant also serves three kinds of clam chowder: Classic White, Spicy Red and Rhode Island Clear. You can order a cup, bowl, mug, sourdough bread bowl or sampler.

Attached to the seafood restaurant is the Pismo’s Fish Market. You can purchase halibut, mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, snapper, trout, swordfish, Chilean sea bass and farmed salmon.

Yosemite Ranch Steak, Seafood & Roast House (also known as Yo Ranch) resembles a lodge in Yosemite National Park — providing an intimate and cozy atmosphere for customers to relax.

Located on the northeast corner of Cedar and Shepherd avenues, the steakhouse is owned by Dave Fansler of the Fansler Restaurant Group. The menu features appetizers like the Roast House Nachos and the Big Firecracker Shrimp that are perfect to share between couples and samplers for sharing among friends.

His team goes to great lengths to develop and perfect dishes that are unique to the steakhouse. Meals are cooked on a coastal red oak fire — an important fact that sets the steakhouse apart from competitors.

Prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients, Fansler says the most popular meals include baby back ribs, the combination plate of ranch steak and lobster tail, and seafood delights like shrimp, calamari and salmon.

Salmon can be served a variety of ways, Fansler says. You can enhance your dinner with cracked pepper and blue cheese, sautéed portobello mushrooms, firecracker prawns or pan-roasted scampi.

The wine list includes varietals from the Central Coast, Napa Valley, Sonoma and Monterey, as well as champagne like Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon from France.

Complete your dinner with dessert: the Ranch Kitchen Crème Brulee Cheesecake, the Yosemite Rangers “Contest Winning” Chocolate Cake or the Bread Pudding with Jack Daniel’s Bourbon Sauce.

Sunday brunch at Campagnia offers the enjoyment of patio dining, a buffet with delicious options and music that wraps you in a welcome embrace.

The restaurant has different dining areas to suit guests’ needs, but The Garden Atrium patio area “plays very nicely into brunch, mimosas and live jazz,” says Tony Sciola, the owner of Campagnia. The Garden Atrium is open year-round — courtesy of misters, heaters and a state-of-the-art roofing system that accommodates all weather conditions.

Served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the buffet-style brunch offers made-to-order omelets, bacon and sausage, potatoes, cold salads, poached salmon, chicken piccata and hot pasta dishes. Two popular items are prime rib au jus with fresh horseradish cream and mixed berry French toast with homemade caramel sauce.

The menu also includes soups and assorted breads, grilled vegetable or antipasto platters and peel-and-eat shrimp cocktail.

The Ultimate Bloody Mary garnished with bacon, jalapeños, olives and shrimp is one of the drinks on the cocktail list. A complimentary glass of champagne is available — or order bottomless mimosas for $12.

William Morris provides live jazz during Sunday brunch. He’s an “entertainer extraordinaire,” Sciola says.

It’s no surprise that Campagnia is a popular destination on Sundays. In fact, Sciola recommends reservations.

“Brunch is a day to relax and be with family,” he adds. “At your leisure, go up to our buffet and get some good homemade food and save room for dessert.”

Escape reality and enter a world with more than 40 different sushi rolls. Without a doubt, Wassabi hooks customers with the eclectic atmosphere, enthusiastic employees and to-die-for rolls.

With the original location on Herndon Avenue closed, Wassabi has moved to the northwest corner of Willow and Nees avenues. The name: Wassabi on Fire. The second location, Wassabi Off The Hook, remains in Fig Garden Village.

The most popular rolls on the menu include the OMG, the Booty Booty and 3M. The three rolls feature crab and spicy tuna. If you don’t have a palate for sushi, try the Nemo with salmon or the Yoda with deep-fried calamari and asparagus topped with avocado.

Wassabi also plays tribute to the Golden State by featuring the Super California: imitation crabmeat and avocado topped with shrimp tempura. The Fresno consists of salmon, yellowtail, shrimp and green onions wrapped with soy paper and spicy tuna.

If you want to be bold, order the Smells Like My EX, the Crazy Monkey, the Lobster, the Dynamite and the Red Dragon. The menu also features vegetarian-friendly rolls with avocado, asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms or cucumber.

But if you want to skip sushi, Wassabi has you covered with teriyaki chicken, Chilean sea bass, deep-fried wontons, crab cakes, salted or garlic edamame, fried rice, deep-fried green beans.

Teazer World Tea Market takes your taste buds on a tropical adventure. The tea shop, which boasts more than 100 types of tea, was founded by Ann Liao in 2003.

The tea shop has locations throughout Fresno area, starting with the original location in the Tower District. Employees, called Tea Tenders, help customers navigate through the menu. You can order tea with fresh fruit, cream or soy milk.

The tea shop is known for featuring seasonal blends like Cherry Blossom Green Tea, Lavender Cream Earl Grey, The Royal Blue, Peachy Lichee, Shanghai Lichee Jasmine and Nerola Orange Oolong in the spring.

Tango Mango, Vanilla Sky, Green Lantern, Brazilian Coconut, Lavender Lemonade and Pomegranate Hibiscus are top picks in the summer.

The best part about tea? It provides a number of health benefits. There are a number of caffeine-free herbal teas — infused with flavors like peppermint, ginger, spearmint, lavender, lemongrass and rose petals — with medicinal properties to relax and soothe your mind and body.

The tea shop also offers unfermented green tea, which contain powerful antioxidants. Rooibos, meaning “red bush,” is a caffeine-free herbal tea native to South Africa. It boasts beneficial properties like zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, fluoride and polyphenols.

Pad Thai Restaurant is named for its signature dish — stir-fried rice noodles that Kim Rang recommends to customers trying Thai food for the first time.

“It is very popular in my restaurant,” says Rang, who co-owns the business with her husband, Bob. Pad Thai (the dish) is ideal for first-timers because it doesn’t have “heat” — no chilies or spices that give other entrees their zip. (That zip comes in four levels: mild, medium, hot and super hot.)

Pad Thai noodles are made with egg, green onions, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. They can be ordered with beef, chicken, pork, seafood or a combination of meat. Rang also recommends basil chicken (also called Pad Kra-Pao) for customers exploring Thai food. It features yellow onions, bell peppers and mushrooms stir fried with fresh chili, garlic, sweet basil leaves and a special secret sauce.

Pad Thai’s menu features a dish with an intriguing name: Drunken Noodles (also known as Pad Kee Mao). A traditional Thai food, it’s spicy, pan-fried, flat rice noodles with chili, garlic, yellow onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and sweet basil. One theory about the name says a drunk came home and used what was in the kitchen to make a meal.

The Rangs opened Pad Thai in 2014 with experience in the business. In the early 2000s, they operated a small Thai restaurant in Fresno but closed it after several years. Kim Rang then worked as a server in other restaurants and at the Internal Revenue Service center in Fresno.

She and her husband were drawn back to the restaurant business because she likes to cook and enjoys serving people. “I love talking to customers,” Rang says.

Eddie’s Bakery Cafe makes about 400 wedding cakes a year — tiered creations of moist sweetness influenced in this digital age by what couples can find on the internet.

Pinterest and Google supply pictures and ideas to brides and grooms, and consultants at Eddie’s guide them toward a final selection. “We help them mix and match to get something more personal,” says manager Sophia Myers.

Champagne custard remains the most popular filling, but a colorful trend in cake decoration emerged in the last year. Blush pink or shades of plum and purple were among couples’ favorites. Greenery such as ferns, eucalyptus and succulents (most real plants) also provided color.

“Bright cakes were a nice change for the year,” Myers says.

An earlier trend — dessert tables — remained strong in 2017. Couples would choose a smaller, two-tiered cake and then complement it with mini dessert items: brownie bites, small cupcakes and fruit tarts. “Variety is the spice of life, and everyone is embracing it,” Myers says.

Choosing a cake is a careful process at Eddie’s. Consultants take at least an hour with each customer, with family and friends sometimes present to also enjoy the experience in the consultation room.

Two years ago, Eddie’s redid that room to make it more spacious and easier to see the cakes on display. Photo albums also are available to help with choices.

Cakes, of course, come in all sizes, which suggests a question: what’s the tallest one the bakery ever made? It had six tiers and measured almost three feet, Myers says. Just right to help 400 guests celebrate the start of a couple’s wedded journey.

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 6:00 PM with the headline "2018 People’s Choice: Food and Drink."