FresYes vs the Anaconda Burrito

December 10, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

The Anaconda Burrito

In the wild, anacondas have been rumored to eat people. In Fresno, it’s the people who eat anacondas. Anaconda burritos, that is.

A couple of weeks ago, a video went viral on the internet. Shocker! In it, a five-tortillas-long burrito is being prepared by a taco shop employee. Within 24 hours of posting, the video was being shared like crazy and had millions of views. (It currently sits at 17 million views, 235,000 shares, and almost 100,000 reactions on Facebook.)

Eventually, it circled back around and caught the attention of the local news media in Fresno, who noticed that the taco shop in which this serpentine burrito was being prepared is in our own backyard. Anacondas in Fresno, who’d ever heard of such a thing? Turns out, many people. Taqueria Yarelis (429 N. Fresno Street) has been around for a while, with a loyal following of locals. But when the “Anaconda” burrito hit the internet, the shop’s popularity exploded. People from around the world started calling and even Jimmy Fallon mentioned the infamous burrito on The Tonight Show.

KSEE 24 on Nov. 22 and ABC 30 on Nov. 29

Naturally, the stomachs at FresYes had a serious case of FOMO, and decided to join the throngs flocking to this small taqueria to tango with the Anaconda.

If you didn’t watch FresYes vs. the Anaconda live on Facebook on Wednesday, you can check out a small “slice” of what the showdown was like in the video below.

Fresno + Etsy = Easy Online Local Shopping for Christmas

December 3, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

Santa isn’t the only one making a list this time of year. While he’s busy checking off who’s naughty and nice, everyone living outside of the North Pole is making lists of what to get their loved ones for Christmas — regardless of their good or bad behavior. Often, those lists include gifts from local shops around town. But for those who prefer shopping online, finding locally-made treasures on the internet is a little harder to do.

Handmade marketplace Etsy is a great first stop to find unique gifts made by individuals and small businesses. But it’s also a crowded marketplace. In the past, FresYes has featured several local makers with shops on Etsy — The Painted Press, Make Pie Not War, and most recently, Natasha Holland’s handmade maps. But in the spirit of lists, and hopefully helping you check a couple items off yours, here is a guide to shopping local on Etsy this holiday season.

CRAFTS AND HOME DECOR

The Rugged Heart – Fresno-based wood gifts and home decor shop. They even have a set of wood dinosaurs for the little guy in your life.

Project Wildflower – The local favorite for woven wall hangings and hand-made leather wall pockets is getting back up and running just in time for Christmas. Check out Instagram for updates on when the shop will be replenished, as items sell quick!

ART WORK AND PAPER GOODS

Paper Thin Studio – Clovis-made paper goods that are so, so good.

Rob Carey Original Artwork – Watercolor sketches of people, places and things from Fresno and around the world.

MOMS, DADS, AND COUPLES

Keep Life Simple Design – Mostly for engaged and married couples, this shop also has a little something for everyone when it comes to slogan t-shirts and gifts.

JEWELRY

BlueJboutique7 – Simple, delicate and customizable jewelry out of Fresno. How cute is the puzzle piece necklace?

Ciscos Kids – Any little girl would love to have one of these fun necklaces.

Pressed Rose Jewelry Co – Pretty jewelry out of Visalia. Your teenage daughter would probably love the cactus suede choker/bolo necklace.

FOR THE GUYS

Catkuma Patent Press – Can’t buy your guy a vintage motorcycle for Christmas? Then buy him one of these black and white patent prints of a vintage motorcycle. Or just about anything else.

FOR BABY

All Lovely Made – Lovely, hand-made and personalized gifts for the tiniest tots. Based in Fresno.

BATH AND BEAUTY

The Black Sheep Soap Co. – Clovis-made bath time goodies.

Friendsgiving Memories From Around the Valley

November 19, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

Friendsgiving. That non-holiday holiday that bridges the gap between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and allows friends to celebrate sans the family drama. No, it’s not officially recognized, but the number of people partaking seems to be growing. The Central Valley is home to countless Friendsgiving celebrations of its own. Here you’ll find just a few Friendsgiving musings from local people. I hope this collection inspires you to reflect on your own memories of that special day that’s not marked on any calendar. Or, if you’ve never participated in a Friendsgiving before, I hope this encourages you to start a new tradition.

* Me *

When I lived in Los Angeles, a residency that lasted from the latter half of my twenties until the day I turned 30, I longed to be a part of a Friendsgiving gathering. Being away from home, one tiny person in the vastness of a city like L.A., could get really lonely. Especially around the holidays. And though I always managed to make it back to Clovis for the big holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, I still longed for a celebration with the friends that had become like family to me as we all struggled to find our foothold in the movie biz metropolis. But one never materialized, for whatever reason. And it wasn’t until I moved home, that I experienced my first Friendsgiving.

I’d left behind good friends, and others I’d only started to get to know, when I moved away. Coming home began the process of getting to know them better. Our first Friendsgiving together in 2013 (pictured below) was the beginning of many opportunities to do that. Four years later, these strengthened bonds with this amazing group of people is one of the things I am most thankful for. This group is what I’d always hoped to find. Turns out, they’d been there all along.

On a less sentimental note, Friendsgiving is also an excuse to have two Thanksgiving dinners. Twice the turkey. Twice the stuffing. Twice the pie! What’s not to love about that?

* Ellie Koleen *

Friendsgiving is always one of my favorite days of the entire year. I consider my closest friends family and I couldn’t be more thankful for the richness they add to my life. Friendsgiving is a chance to show how grateful I am for them by taking the time to put together a beautiful evening of food, laughs and memories to last until the next year!

* Micah Qualle *

Friendsgiving for me has been a slow evolution since the early 2000’s. When I was going to Fresno City, my buddies and I got into smoking briskets. We ended up turning our ‘Meat Night’ into an annual thing, playing Risk and gorging ourselves on food. After I got married in 2005, the ‘Meat Night’ had to grow to accommodate the addition of a lady friend. Seeing as how meat nights had been a decidedly masculine affair prior to that point, it was at this time that Fallstravaganza was born. Not explicitly connected to Thanksgiving, we usually had Fallstravaganza in late October or early November, with an open house potluck and a community art project. After kids started getting born and what not, Fallstravaganza got toned down to Friendsgiving. For the past five years, we’ve gotten together five families who have been friends since high school the day before Thanksgiving to touch base, share stories from the year and enjoy good food.

I’ve been fortunate to have quality Thanksgiving traditions w/ my mom and dad, but Friendsgiving has been an extra dimension of community and thankfulness. There’s something about the choice of being together and the renewal of commitment to being together that makes a difference to me.

Riley’s Brew Pub has Good Beer, Good Food, and Good Word of Mouth

November 12, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

Riley’s Brew Pub

What do you get when a third-generation brewmaster teams up with a second-generation restaurateur? A first-class brew pub in Clovis called Riley’s. Open for about a month, Riley’s has been getting good word of mouth. Great beer…good food…friendly service. Some even calling it a family-friendly bar. It was about time FresYes checked it out first-hand.

Riley’s Brew Pub

Many people were already familiar with Madera-based Riley’s Brewing‘s craft beers and hard root beer — which they’ve been bottling and selling for a few years now — before the brew pub opened on October 10. With the new location, existing Riley’s fans now have a place to enjoy their favorite beverages on tap and sample new brews all in one place…with food! And Riley’s newbies like myself can come in and check out what this local brewery is all about…also with food! Here’s how it went when I did just that on Wednesday.

I went in around 11 a.m., right as the place was opening, with a friend and her four-year-old daughter (the relaxed, late morning atmosphere definitely lived up to the “family-friendly bar” reputation I’d heard about). My friend’s friend met us a few minutes later and, after getting drinks from the bar and ordering food at the counter up front (a two-step process which will hopefully be ironed out as time goes on) we settled in at a table on the back patio. The hard vanilla cream soda I ordered was dangerously delicious. Dangerous because I could easily drink about six of them. The Riley’s burger with cheese and side of fries that came out to the table a few minutes later, was simple, fresh, and exactly as I had ordered it. And, while I like deep-fried anything as much as the next person, the fact that Riley’s serves bar food without a side of grease is, well, refreshing!

But halfway through my burger, our “girl party,” as my friend’s daughter called it, was interrupted, by none other than Mike Shirinian, co-owner of Riley’s and the aforementioned second-generation restaurateur. Except he wasn’t there to see me because he knew I was writing a review. No, he came around the back corner of the restaurant, strode through the open patio gate and walked directly up to Violet, my friend’s daughter…completely out of the blue. Pulling out a business card, he handed it to her and asked how she liked the place. And then he offered her a free dessert. Anything she wanted from the two-item dessert menu, he joked. And she lost it! Check out the cute-overload video of the cake being delivered, and promptly eaten, below.

Only after the cake incident had mellowed, was I able to introduce myself to Shirinian and tell him why I was there. And he was as friendly to me as his staff had been throughout the whole visit. Other things to love about Riley’s are its hours (finally there’s a restaurant in Clovis open past 9 p.m.!), great music, sleek wood-and-metal interior, and ever-expanding drink list. The brew pub already has a full bar, but Riley’s recently added its own brand of vodka into the mix, and I hear whiskey, gin and tequila are in the works.

So, you can add this review to the rest of the good word-of-mouth. And you should definitely check out Riley’s and give it your own review. All the information you need to get you there is listed below.

Riley’s Brew Pub, 2674 Owens Mountain Parkway, Suite #104, Clovis; 559-862-2925. Open from 11 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. For awesome pictures of food and drinks, check out @rileysbrewpub on Instagram.

Candy, toys and conversation make new shop in Reedley a ‘Sweet Destination’

November 5, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

Move over Willy Wonka, there’s a new sweet shop in town. In downtown Reedley, to be exact. And its owners, a husband and wife whose sweet dispositions rival the candied confections they sell, hope you’ll make the trip — no golden ticket needed — to their very Sweet Destination. But, if the promise of candy and chocolate isn’t enough to get you to drive from Fresno to Reedley, there are countless other features about this new local shop that might.

For instance, coffee. And tea. This is Mike’s area. He serves up hot cups of Fresno-based Lanna Coffee and Hanford’s L.T. Sue Co. tea starting at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. Customers are encouraged to sit and enjoy their hot drinks at tables made from old street signs (part of the destination theme) clustered in the front of the shop.

The candy and chocolates make up only a portion of the treats sold at Sweet Destination. Hand-made pastries, locally-sourced nuts and granolas, and speciality popcorns are also for sale, displayed in vintage fixtures and props, making for a fun shopping experience, while showcasing a bit of history. And that’s still just half of Shelly’s — wife to Mike and Sweet Destination visionary — dream. The other half is toys: namely retro-inspired (and battery-free) American-made toys.

But, perhaps the sweetest part about Sweet Destination — and likely its most special feature, and the thing that will keep people coming to Reedley — are the conversations they’re bound to have with Mike and Shelly. Married for 39 years, the couple retired on the same day back in May so that they could finally make the dream of a candy and toy shop a reality. And the store is as much for the customer to enjoy as it is for the couple to meet and chat with the people who stop by.

Sweet Destination is also offering some seasonal sweetness right now in the form of custom Christmas wish lists, and by allowing children to drop off their letters to Santa for the chance to win a special treat.

Here, Mike and Shelly Henderson talk about what it’s like to finally open the shop after many years of dreaming and planning; why they are busier now in retirement than they were in their previous careers; and why a shop selling candy and toys was a no brainer.

Sweet Destination is located at 1115 G Street, Reedley, Calif.; 559-977-6600.

Kickball Grows Up: Adult League Expands in Central Valley

October 22, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

Kickball League of Central California

Remember kickball? That sport you were sometimes required to play during P.E. and either loved, or hated, depending on your athletic talents. Well, it’s not just for kids anymore. Adults can now relive their gym class glory days thanks to kickball leagues that are popping up all over the country. Even right here in the Central Valley. With a year of play under its belt, the Kickball League of Central California is growing up, hoping to expand from its South Valley origins north into Fresno and beyond.

Johnny Ford Jr. is the man responsible for bringing adult kickball to the Valley. Having gotten involved in the sport in 2010 on the East Coast, when Ford moved to Lemoore last year and found it devoid of kickball, he started his own league. Combining childhood nostalgia with athletic competition and good-natured camaraderie, Ford’s league found a following in the South Valley…despite some early skepticism. Now he’s hoping to start a division in Fresno that will play at the Regional Sports Complex.

On Friday, October 28, Ford’s league will hold an open kickball event in Fresno for those interested in joining. So, if you were first picked for the team as a kid, or just like to have a little fun, check out the league’s Facebook page and get in touch with Ford.

Here, Ford talks about how he got into kickball, what he loves most about it, and why the Central Valley is home to some of the best kickballers he’s ever played with.

Fun Factory: A Costume Shop for All Seasons

October 15, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

“Who do you want to be today?”

Everyone’s favorite time of year to slip on a new persona and participate in a collective identity crisis is fast approaching. That’s right, Halloween is just around the corner. While for most of us the holiday is a fun, one-time ticket to experiment with an alternate version of ourselves, downtown Fresno costume shop Fun Factory makes and sells wares for year-round reinvention. The owner herself, Jessica Qualls, is a fan of daily dress up and wants to help customers who enter her shop answer one question: “Who do you want to be today?”

Opened in August 2015, the shop is celebrating its second Halloween season. Featuring racks of eye-catching costumes in every shape and size, a smattering of vintage pieces, wigs, makeup and unique accessories, Fun Factory is the place to go to find something unique for Halloween. But what really sets the shop apart are the custom pieces Qualls makes year-round to fulfill her customers’ dress-up desires.

If you’ve put off picking out the perfect alter ego for All Hallows’ Eve, or have an upcoming event for which a costume is required, get down to Fun Factory right away.

1707 Fulton St
Fresno, California
(559) 283-8576

Here, Qualls talks about the joys of dressing up, her first memorable costume experience, and why owning a costume shop has always been her dream.

4 sisters celebrate birthdays by collecting pads and tampons for women in need

October 8, 2016 by Kendra Gilbert Leave a Comment

Collecting pads and tampons for women in need

Birthdays are that one special day a year when everyone celebrates you! You, the birthday boy or girl. For four sisters from Fresno, their special days this year were an opportunity to help women out during that time of the month. Instead of asking for presents, Socheath, Sorany, Sotheary and Sovanny decided to hold a collection drive for feminine hygiene products, hoping to give to women and girls in need the most simple gift of all: the ability to manage their menstrual cycles.

“People tend to think of food, water, and even clothes on their go-to donation list. Yes, those are incredibly important, but feminine hygiene products are usually nowhere near the top of that. For as common and normal as menstruation is, it’s sad to see how little it’s taken into consideration in donations.” – Sovanny

Although still very much a taboo topic of conversation, there’s been lot of talk recently about periods. The tampon tax has been debated in the news. And social media is full of posts about collection drives and menstrual inequality awareness campaigns going on around the world. After deciding they wanted to give instead of get for their birthdays, the sisters — being women, after all — resolved to bring Fresno’s focus to the feminine with their drive.

“Women’s periods don’t magically disappear just because we don’t talk about it. So let’s talk about it.” – Socheath

Spanning the five-week period from early September to mid October when the sisters were born, the collection drive aims to gather 111 packages of pads and tampons for girls and women at the Fresno Rescue Mission. Why 111? That is the sisters’ cumulative age (Sovanny turned 19 on Sept. 7, Sotheary turned 25 on Sept. 16, Sorany turned 32 on Sept. 30, and Socheath will turn 35 on Oct. 14). But after adding a second organization, the Renaissance Scholars program at Fresno State, to the recipient list, and receiving more donations than expected, they’ve tripled their goal. The deadline, however, remains the same. With less than a week to go, they’re hoping to reach their new goal of collecting 333 boxes of pads and tampons.

“I think that with every year that passes we realize that there are only so many different possessions that you can gift or trade with your sisters. You become more humble and understand that growing older changes you and what you find to be important. We are blessed to have all the things that we need and want, so what can we do to help others?” – Sorany

If you’d like to donate, you can send a message to any one of the sisters on Facebook: Sovanny Vorn, Sotheary Var, Sorany Var and Socheath Var.

Check out the video below to hear second youngest sis, Sotheary, talk about how the idea for the collection drive came together, the special bond the sisters have, and how not only women, but men, have supported their effort (i.e. gone to the store and bought tampons and pads)!