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Fresno's Pacific Seafood is closing its doors
Posted at 12:48 PM on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
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After more than 30 years in business, Pacific Seafood is shutting down. Its last day is Nov. 21, says co-founder Oot Tiyaamornwong.
"We're getting old," Tiyaamornwong says. "And we need to be with the grandkids." She's 66; husband and co-owner Kamol Tiyaamornwong is 73.
Rough economic times also were a factor in the decision, she says.
The closure is bad news for longtime fans of Pacific Seafood's cioppino, steamed Manila clams, sanddabs and more. "I have a lot of customers who have been crying," Oot Tiyaamornwong says.
It's been a long ride for the restaurant that opened in 1980. Back then, Bee restaurant critic Woody Laughnan pointed out that Fresno didn't have a seafood restaurant. The Tiyaamornwongs took the bait.
That first year, their restaurant was across from California State University, Fresno. In 1981, it moved to its current location at First Street and Herndon Avenue.
"Thirty years ago, I didn't even know how to cook," Oot Tiyaamornwong says. "We got together to bring a chef down from San Francisco."
The gamble paid off. Throughout the years, guests have enjoyed everything from calamari (an exotic dish in the early 1980s) to Thai fire pot. And the restaurant turned into the type of place that attracts creatures of habit.
"We kept most of the menu the same, except for the special each week," Oot Tiyaamornwong says. "Believe it or not, if I put something new on the menu, it won't sell."
There are only nine days left to enjoy these standards. Pacific Seafood is open for lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Dinner is served 4-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 4-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Call (559) 439-2778 for reservations.
And thanks to The Bee's archives, fans can re-create a little of Pacific Seafood at home. I found the recipes for its house dressing and sauteed scallops. They're posted on my blog.
- For those who'd like to give a toast to Pacific Seafood -- or drown their sorrows over its demise -- there's the Madera Wine Trail's 2009 Holiday Spirit Weekend.
As usual, a dozen Madera County wineries will pour their wines, serve some nibbles, showcase the work of local artists, and invite musicians to entertain guests.
Drinks are served 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The $25 tickets (in the form of so-called "passport glasses") are available at any participating winery. Go to maderavintners.com for the full list. For more information, call (800) 613-0709.
For specially priced rides to the event, contact Vino 100 at (559) 434-1771 or Touch of Class Limousine Service at (888) 575-4667.
Several restaurants and shops also will offer deals for folks who show their passport glasses. On Saturday, The Vineyard Restaurant in Madera will waive corkage fees for bottles purchased on the trail.
Cold Stone Creamery shops in Fresno, Clovis, Hanford and Visalia will serve free waffle bowls.
And Wahoo's Fish Taco at Palm and Nees avenue will give out free tacos.
The columnist can be reached at jobra@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6365. Read her blog at fresnobeehive.com/author/ joan_obra.
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