Natali Carrera, Author at FresYes!

Beloved Sunnyside Deli is Open Once Again!

September 17, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Sunnyside Deli has been a longtime, beloved institution in the Fresno area, offering classic, delicious sandwiches and service that always came with a smile. When it was announced that the owners would be retiring after 40 years of operating their business, it was very bittersweet for their many, many customers.

With so many Sunnyside and Fresno residents holding fond memories for the much beloved Deli, there was a nearly palpable sigh of relief when news broke that a new family would be purchasing the Deli and would re-opening it, preserving much of what was beloved from the past.

I was able to interview one of the new owners, Megan Husak of the Husak Family, in honor of Sunnyside Deli’s grand (re) opening last week. Read on to find out about what you can look forward to at the re-opened Sunnyside Deli located at 5691 E Kings Canyon Rd in Fresno.

FresYes: Megan, what made your family decide to take the plunge and purchase the business?

Megan Husak: We were long time customers and friends with the former owners. It was a place that we loved and we were shocked to hear about its closing, like so many others! My Mom was really the first one to push us towards it — we didn’t want to see the deli close, and as I was moving back to Fresno from Brooklyn, NY- it was the perfect time to buy the deli.

FresYes: What things will customers who were used to the old Sunnyside Deli be able to look forward to enjoying again? What new and exciting elements of the business do you think customers will particularly enjoy?

MH: We are using the same great menu that they had before, and we are doing our best to make the sandwiches and salads the way our customers remember it. We will be slowly rolling out the rest of the menu including the soups and other weekly specials. We have already started tri-tip Thursdays and have received some great feedback. We also added a fryer so we can offer fries, garlic fries, and cheese curds.

Tri-Tip Thursdays mean delicious tri-tip sandwiches! (Image credit: Sunnyside Deli)

The “TBA” Sandwich (Image credit: Sunnyside Deli)

FresYes: At the time of this interview, you’ve just opened your doors and we see some amazing food photos on your social media – how are things going so far?

MH: We have been overwhelmed by the turnout! People have been so excited that we are open, and they have been very kind and patient while we are learning and getting our systems in place. We are working on improving our wait times. One major change we just made was add a second sandwich prep station to the back of the house, which is going to help us with our call in and to go orders. We will have more information about when our drive-thru area will be open soon, too.

FresYes: Based on your experience preparing to open a local business – what’s the best piece of advice you could give to someone considering doing the same thing here in the Fresno area?

MH: It’s been quite a learning experience! We have learned to be really flexible, and to just stay on top of everything that needs to be done. The most frustrating part of this whole process has been waiting for the parts that I can’t control.

FresYes: And, you know we had to ask: What’s YOUR favorite thing on the menu?

MH: Oh man…that is a tricky one to answer! Possibly the TBA (Turkey Bacon Avocado) or the Ruben, but maybe even the tri-tip salad that we have on Friday and Saturday with any left-over tri-tip there might be! But, then there are the new cheese curds with our spicy ranch… I could go on!

FresYes: Anything else you’d like us to share with our readers that we didn’t ask about?

MH: Yes, please follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram) to learn about all of the new and exciting things we are doing! We have several events we are working on for the near future as well!

Here at FresYes, we’re thrilled to have Sunnyside Deli back in action, and we’re wishing the Husaks much success!

Local love: Romantic Staycation Ideas for Couples

September 15, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

When was the last time you and your partner enjoyed a romantic night away? If you’re having to think pretty hard right now to come up with an answer – odds are, you’re long overdue! How about this: just for you, we’ll do the planning and upfront research for you, and create an itinerary you’re sure to enjoy, plus your drive will be short and you’ll be supporting Valley businesses. Sound good? Of course, it does! Pack your bags and I’ll talk you through the plan. (P.S. If you book this trip for your partner as a surprise, they will probably be super impressed, and really happy. Just saying. 😉)

Let’s start with your accommodations: You’re going to hop on 99 South to 198 East, and head on over just an hour out of town to stay at the beautiful, historic, and recently opened art deco hotel, The Darling, in Downtown Visalia, CA.

What is now The Darling, was once Visalia’s Courthouse Annex Building and left unutilized and dilapidated for years due to the cost required to bring it up to today’s building standards. However, recently, a group of local families banded together to purchase the building and with a lot of heart and the hard work of many experts who collaborated on the restoration – The Darling is now a stunner of a boutique hotel with 1930’s art deco charm throughout.

Before you book your room reservation, though, you’ll also want to check available reservations for the Elderwood Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, located on the top floor of The Darling. Your perfect getaway evening begins with cocktails and appetizers at the bar and is followed up by an expertly prepared dinner of buttery Scallop Risotto, a perfectly cooked Filet Mignon or if you’d prefer a vegetarian dish, the flavorful Coconut Curry Tofu over Basmati Rice.

Freshly baked rosemary bread with baked camembert appetizer

The filet with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted broccolini

After dinner, if you have room for more (big if, as portions are generous), order a dessert or a nightcap to share and enjoy poolside before retiring to your well-appointed and comfortable room. After a refreshing rest, you can greet the morning with gorgeous views of the city, or the Sierras (depending on which way your room faces) then get ready to head a half a mile down the street to local coffee roastery & café, Component Coffee Lab.

Freshly based almond croissant from Component Coffee Lab

Savor a slow morning on the covered patio at Component while you enjoy a Sweet Latte and a house made pastry, breakfast burrito, salmon sando or avocado toast. Now, you’re ready to take on antique shopping in Downtown Visalia, a day hike in the nearby Sequoias, or simply head home to enjoy the rest of your day.

The Darling Hotel is located at 210 N. Court Street in Visalia, and you can make reservations online here.

For reservations at Elderwood, located on the top floor of The Darling, click here and for their current menu, click here. (They also serve breakfast!)

Component Coffee is located at 513 E. Center Street in Visalia, and their coffee is also served in Fresno at The Revue in the Tower District.

Pacific Fried Chicken – Now Open!

September 1, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

South East Fresno has a new restaurant you will want to try.

Are you one of the many people in pursuit of the perfect crispy chicken sandwich? Or, maybe you are a wing lover, like my 14-year-old son? Pacific Fried Chicken is the perfect place to satisfy your chicken cravings and they just opened near Fresno Pacific University.

Pacific Fried Chicken is located at 4821 E. Butler in the same shopping center as the Vallarta Grocery Store on the northeast corner of Butler and Chestnut – it can be slightly tricky to find, as they are brand new and don’t have permanent signage in place just yet – but if you look for the Izi Deli sign, you’re there.

Pacific Fried Chicken is located in the former Izi Deli spot near Vallarta on Butler and Chestnut

Pacific Fried Chicken’s menu consists of a variety of crispy chicken options including double-fried Asian style wings and boneless wings, Pacific fried chicken, crispy and spicy chicken sandwiches, and their Pacific Herb chicken. All menu items from their sauces to their sides are homemade. Some of our favorites are their garlic scallion rice, four-cheese mac-n-cheese, and homemade cornbread.

Regardless of which type of chicken you want to try, there are several well-priced meal options that include your chicken dish of choice plus sides and a drink, all are $13 or less. Homemade sauce and spice selections for wings and boneless wings include Honey-Mandarin, Sticky, Korean, Pepper Dip, and Togarashi (dry seasoning). Sticky is the chef’s favorite – and it’s a rich, umami-flavored sauce with sweetness and a bit of a spicy kick.

Asian style double-fried wings with Sticky sauce

My family and I visited last weekend, and I had the Rice Bowl with Boneless Wings with Honey Mandarin sauce, and my husband had wings with Sticky Sauce. My son had Korean-style wings and his friend tried the Spicy Chicken sandwich. All of our food was made to order and served piping hot.

Boneless Wings with Honey Mandarin sauce over Garlic Scallion Rice

The restaurant itself is really more for take-out, however, there are three tables if you want to eat there (we chose to). If South East Fresno isn’t easy for you to access, but I’m making your mouth water with this blog post and pictures – don’t worry, Pacific Fried Chicken has partnered with Door Dash, too, so you can have their delicious food brought right to your door!

If you love chicken and flavorful sauces, tasty sides, and great prices – you’ll definitely want to give Pacific Fried Chicken a try soon. Enjoy! (And don’t forget the napkins – you’ll need them!)

Quail State owners debut second Downtown Business

August 20, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Josh Islas and Hayley Islas-Wolf have done it again and despite the challenges of a global pandemic and the red tape associated with opening Fresno’s very first rooftop bar, the Islas-Wolf duo has not only successfully launched Quail State, but they’ve also been preparing to bring us a second Downtown hangout spot with all the coolest vibes… Saint Joaquin Natural Wine Bar!

Where to find and what to expect from St. Joaquin Natural Wine Bar

St. Joaquin is located at 1755 Broadway Street, #106 in the popular, red brick Peerless building Downtown. Inside, you’ll find the walls adorned with the work of talented local artists, fantastic vintage leather couches, a row of small tables along one side of the room, and rows of natural wines to peruse, learn about and enjoy. A small tasting menu of wine pairings such as charcuterie, local fruit, and salads are also available.

Image credit: St. Joaquin (follow for more! www.instagram.com/st.joaquin)

What makes them unique

St. Joaquin is the first natural wine bar in the Valley. What’s the difference between natural wine and conventional? According to Rawwine.com, “Natural Wine is farmed organically and made (or rather transformed) without adding or removing anything in the cellar. No additives or processing aids are used, and intervention in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum.”

According to Vinepair.com, natural wines are often cloudier and offer a wide range of funky and unique flavors, which come from the native yeasts in the fermentation process, and the lack of preservatives used.

When it comes to knowledge of the goods they specialize in, Josh and Hayley always dive in deep – so talking with them when you visit St. Joaquin is sure to grant you an experience that isn’t just an adventure for your taste buds, but an expansion of your viticulture knowledge as well. Want to celebrate with them? Read on…

St. Joaquin’s is celebrating its grand opening this weekend, and typical hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 12-11 pm. No reservations are required. To stay up to date on all things St. Joaquin, be sure to follow along on Instagram.

The Revue Celebrates a big day!

August 12, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

My Tower District Favorite is another year older! Happy 4th Birthday

Those who know me know that The Revue is not only my favorite coffee shop in town but likely my favorite place to go in town, period. I love the atmosphere, the super nice baristas, the made-from-scratch syrups created especially for Revue by partner Ampersand Ice Cream and I love the cozy seats and ideal-for-working booths in the back of the cafe.

The husband and I enjoying our first coffee indoors at our favorite place, Revue, after COVID closures lifted

This weekend marks The Revue’s 4th birthday in its current state as an updated, light, and bright coffee shop serving up delicious espresso drinks featuring Visalia’s own Component Coffee. The charming coffee shop is going all out to celebrate this Saturday, August 14th from 8 am-4 pm.

There will be live music, ice cream specials (featuring Ampersand ice cream!), local vendors, and exclusive merchandise featuring designs by well-known and beloved whimsical artist Elowyn Dickerson. Elowyn has created a special set of 3 custom stickers that will be given out with purchase during (and only during) Revue’s birthday celebration.

Exclusive stickers available with purchase during Revue’s birthday celebration, designed by Elowyn Dickerson

Revue has recently partnered with a new local bakery Palo Verde Bakery to offer seasonal and freshly made specialty pastries like cinnamon-y morning buns, beautiful danishes, giant cookies topped with just the right touch of flakey salt, and much more. The selection will be constantly changing, so you’ll always be in for a new treat!

Revue also continues to offer their deliciously tender on the inside, crisp around the edges liege Belgian waffles, as well as their ice cream-based coffee, treats like affogatos, coffee shakes, and cold brew floats. These refreshing treats are unique to Revue in our area and made with premium vanilla ice cream.

Be sure to mark your calendars and plan your Saturday to include a stop by Revue to wish them a happy birthday! The street in front of the shop has just been entirely re-done and construction is finally complete, too, after months of closures affecting many nearby businesses – so if you’ve dealt with parking issues recently due to the construction, rest assured it should no longer be a challenge.

The Revue is located at 620 E. Olive and they are open daily from 8 am to 4 pm (and later into the evenings on Art Hop nights, as they are an official Art Hop venue, too!).

FREE Back to School Resources for Local Families

August 4, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

It’s been a tough couple of school years, however, the year ahead offers the promise of the return to large scale in-person learning and many tastes of normalcy such as extra curriculars, after school programs and other much loved and needed educational opportunities.

To celebrate the start of the 2021-2022 school year, several community organizations and businesses are hosting special back to school events offering numerous free resources from backpacks to school supplies, free hair cuts, medical and dental services and food distributions.

Whether your family could benefit from these generous opportunities, or you know someone who could we wanted to be sure to pass them along, as we know COVID has made financial situations especially challenging for many families in recent months.

Much Anticipated Second Restaurant of Annex Kitchen’s Jimmy Pardini Now Open

August 4, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Annesso Pizzeria, located at 8484 N. Friant Road near Trader Joe’s in Northeast Fresno has officially opened for business. This much anticipated second restaurant for well-known local chef Jimmy Pardini features a pizza-focused menu accompanied with New Italian/California Cuisine inspired sides like crispy brussels sprouts with fried capers and super thin and crispy parmesan covered fries with aioli dipping sauce.

Parmesan fries, crispy brussels in the background

The restaurant’s exterior features an Instagrammable big ‘A’ in neon lights, just like the one at Annex Kitchen, Pardini’s other restaurant. The interior of the restaurant is spacious and modern, yet warm feeling, with wood accents, modern lighting and an expansive bar with seating. Curved wooden booths allow larger parties to gather, and an outdoor patio appears to be a potential site for future expansion of seating. (It was not in use when I visited the restaurant on July 30th, however, it was also very hot out.)

Annesso’s pizzas are made upon a crisp-on-the-outside chewy in the center crust with delightfully crisp tiny bubbles baked into it. Both red and white sauce pizza choices are available. On my first visit, our group ordered the traditional pepperoni pizza, which was generously topped with perfectly domed, slightly crisped pepperonis, and the Pineapple pizza, which was topped with thinly sliced fresh pineapple, prosciutto, and Fresno chilis. We also ordered the brussels sprouts appetizer and the parmesan fries. Every item we ordered was delicious, and we agreed we would 100% be happy to order them again.

The adults in our party each tried a drink from the bar. I went with the firecracker, which was vodka-based and included a habanero simple syrup and mint. It was just slightly spicy and very refreshing. The crushed ice made it extra cold and enjoyable on such a warm day. My friend ordered the Poolside Punch that featured watermelon, lemon and mint and she loved it as well. My husband was pleased to have a well-made Old Fashioned (his beverage of choice) garnished with a Luxardo cherry (the sign of a truly good Old Fashioned, he says).

Our visit to Annesso was during a busy Friday lunch hour. We had a reservation for 1pm, and we did wait a few minutes for our table, but not long. We heard the standby wait was around 1.5 hours, so a reservation would be in your best interest when you go. (You can make a reservation online here.)

Our server was very attentive throughout our visit, and the hostess was friendly and warm. Both flat and sparkling water were offered when we were seated, and the carafes were left on the table so that we didn’t have to wait for refills. (Though with how attentive our server was, I don’t think that would have been an issue.) Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert, as the soft serve ice cream topped with salted caramel on the menu did sound enticing. Next time!

Overall, our visit to Annesso Pizzeria was excellent, and I very much look forward to returning soon!

Is it time to find your fur-ever friend?

July 22, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Those that know my family know that we LOVE animals. Especially dogs. We’re dog people. Our three dogs think they’re people too, and freak out when their monthly Bark Box arrives like we do when we get a package. It’s fun for all of us, really. Our dogs make our lives better. That said, they’re also a lot of work, their care can get costly at times, and the occasional death of a throw pillow or edge of a piece of furniture can get aggravating – but we have accepted that through the good times and the not-so-good, our dogs are a part of our family.

What’s tough right now though, is that unfortunately, that isn’t the case for all the dogs, cats, and other domesticated creatures out there. While adoption rates soared during the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (so much so that numerous shelters across the country were actually left empty for the first time with NO adoptable animals!), the reverse is, unfortunately, taking place now. Calls to shelters from people who’ve adopted pets, but no longer feel they are able to keep them have more than doubled in the last two months. Many adopters are returning to regular workplaces, finding they have less time for training as their calendars begin to refill with social engagements and travel, or are needing to make significant life changes and moves due to the effects of the pandemic. Sadly, this means many pets who thought they’d seen the last of shelter walls will be returning.

Here’s where we can come together and help as a community! The Fresno area has a number of great places from which you can adopt a furry friend – and even if you can’t adopt, there are numerous simple and practical ways you can support these organization’s efforts.

Check out this great list of local adoption centers, along with key details to know about each and every way you can support them and their animals. You can click on the links to go directly to any of these organization’s websites for additional information as well.

ARF – Animal Rescue of Fresno (Dogs)

Location: 4545 E Dakota Ave, Fresno, CA 93726 (Near Cedar & Dakota)
Offerings: Adoption center & shelter for dogs
Online adoptables listing: Yes
Adoption application online: Yes
Ways to volunteer: Socializing and caring for the dogs. With over 50 pups in the shelter as most times, ARF is always happy to have extra help.
Ways to support: Purchasing items from their Chewy.com or Amazon wish lists, or setting ARF as your Amazon Smile charity of choice

Valley Animal Center

Location: 3934 N Hayston Ave, Fresno, CA 93726 (Near Cedar & Dakota, behind ARF)
Offerings: Adoption center, mobile adoptions, low-cost veterinary clinic, shelter that can house up to 500 dogs and cats, membership based dog park with water features and camps for kids
Online adoptables listing: Yes
Adoption application online: Yes
Ways to volunteer: a wide range of volunteer opportunities from helping with administrative, marketing and grounds keeping tasks to socializing, cleaning and reading to the animals
Ways to support: individual shelter pet sponsorships , monthly giving, wish list fulfillment, and more.

Animal Compassion Team

Location: 2789 S Orange Ave, Fresno, CA 93725 (Orange Ave & Golden State)
Offerings: Adoption & education center, shelter for many pets that would otherwise have nowhere to go based upon their rural locations and lack of shelter system access
Online adoptables listing: Yes
Adoption application online: Yes
Ways to volunteer: foster a pet (provide temporary housing, care, socialization and training while they await permanent adoption), help build shy dog’s confidence on Wednesday nights with the Wallflower Group, help exercise playful pups with the Dogs Playing for Life group, take dogs on a 2-mile Boss Walk, be a cat cuddler, and adoption event helper and much more. Additional info here. (Note: some/all volunteer opportunities subject to availability during the COVID-19 pandemic)
Ways to support: Financial support, which can be provided easily online here.

Fresno Humane Services

Location: 760 W Nielsen Ave, Fresno, CA 93706 (Major cross streets are Whitesbridge and Marks)
Offerings: Shelter, education and adoption center, low-cost spay and neuter, vaccinations and microchipping, holding place for found pets
Online adoptables listing: Yes
Adoption application online: Yes
Ways to volunteer: Join their cleaning crew, behavior team (provide enrichment and training to animals), adoption counselor crew, assist with community outreach, administrative tasks and rescue pet transporting, foster an animal
Ways to support: Financial support, purchase apparel and merchandise, fulfil wish list needs

Central California SPCA

Location: 103 S Hughes Ave, Fresno, CA 93706 (Near Hughes and 180)
Offerings: Shelter, education and adoption center, low-cost spay and neuter, vaccinations, dog licensing and microchipping, holding place for found pets, dog training, gift shop, investigations into animal cruelty reports/cases – adoptables include dogs, cats, barnyard, exotic, and small and furry animals
Online adoptables listing: Yes
Adoption application online: Yes
Ways to volunteer: Wide variety of volunteer opportunities from ages 8 to 100. $15 volunteer fee provides a volunteer t-shirt and basic volunteer supplies. Volunteers must commit to 36 hours of service within a 6 month period. Those under 17 will be volunteering in ways other than handling animals. Youth volunteer programs require permission from parents, however, parents do not need to remain on the premises during volunteering.
Ways to support: Financial support, vehicle donation, animal medical bill sponsorship, wish list fulfillment, shopping through Chewy or Amazon and choosing the Central CA SPCA as your beneficiary

Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center (Clovis)

Location: 85 N Temperance Ave, Clovis, CA 93611 (Near Temperance and Sierra)
Offerings: State-of-the-art adoption center and shelter for up to 150 animals
Online adoptables listing: Yes
Adoption application online: Yes
Ways to volunteer: Various ways to volunteer – volunteerism begins with an application and interview, followed by placement. Foster families also needed.
Ways to support: Wide variety of ways to support the shelter’s work financially, as well as wish list fulfillment and gift card donation.

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