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A take-out or dine-out Thanksgiving

UPDATE: As promised in this week's food pages, here is the Valley's ultimate guide for the lazy Thanksgiving dinner. These supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and delis allow you to dine out -- or take out the entire meal. Check out...Read more →

New Mexican eatery, local fruit store open

New restaurant Pico de Gallo has opened at Chestnut Avenue near Shepherd Avenue.

Modeled after the chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, the restaurant sells burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, salads and the Mexican sandwiches known as tortas. Each dish costs $5.99 or less. Read more →

Kids need nutritious school lunches

As the season for holiday food begins, I can't help but think about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act.

Every five years, this act sets the standards for national school lunch and breakfast programs that serve more than 31 million children. Read more →

Valley gardens feed Hmong food traditions

Quick question: Can you name three Hmong dishes?

If you can't, that's no surprise. For even in the San Joaquin Valley, home to one of the country's largest Hmong populations, the cuisine of this Southeast Asian group largely remains a mystery. Read more →

Who will fill Bentley's spot?

As Bentley's Fresh Market shuts down, speculation over its successor begins.

The shop -- in the RiverView Shopping Center at Friant and Fort Washington roads -- is selling off merchandise this week. The sale comes as RiverView developer Harold Zinkin Jr. is talking with two potential retailers to take over the space. Read more →

Food retailers turn to social networks to build business

Stung by a shrinking economy, local food retailers are using technology to draw diners.

There are varying degrees to this trend. Some struggle to engage customers via Twitter and Facebook. Others, who are more tech savvy, create tools for the smaller screens of mobile devices. They compete against chain restaurants that can afford more innovative technologies, such as the iPhone apps that allow easy ordering at Pizza Hut and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Read more →