Natali Carrera, Author at FresYes!

Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Brings Sushi Back to the Tower District

May 17, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

This weekend, I was excited to enjoy my first indoor dining experience since Covid at a brand-new, locally-owned restaurant in the Tower District. Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen opened in the former Casa de Tamales location on N. Olive between Palm & Fulton just a couple doors down from the Lincoln Pub & Grub. The Lincoln Pub made a name for itself by offering craft cocktails and tasty appetizers, like their signature Tempura Green Beans with Spicy Aioli dipping sauce for just $5. Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Brings Sushi Back to the Tower District

You may be wondering why the Lincoln Pub is so relevant to the opening of a new sushi and Japanese restaurant. The exciting thing about both businesses is that they share common co-owners in David Rasavong and his wife, Anna Nguyen. I can’t help but proudly cheer for local business owners who have found a way to make it through the extreme challenges of owning an eatery through a pandemic including shifting their business model to include offering affordable and tasty family-style dinners by co-owner Chef Andy, and cocktails to-go. I also proudly cheer for the fact that they kept going, kept prices affordable and then went on the bring even more options to Fresno restaurant-goers by opening a second business and a totally different cuisine.

Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen is a table service restaurant that offers a wide variety of sushi rolls and other Japanese specialties like a fresh seafood salad, spicy garlic edamame, teriyaki beef, katsu pork, and crispy tofu bento box meals for those who aren’t big sushi fans. Their menu also includes fusion dishes like their new Sumo Fries (which are fries topped with steak, spicy masago, and avocado), their crispy, giant breaded and stuffed Mushroom Bombs, and fan-favorite Poke Nachos.

Sumo Fries at Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen — Banzai’s new Sumo Fries (image credit: Banzai)

Banzai’s interior has undergone a complete makeover since Rasavong took over and the interior of the restaurant now features an open floor plan with a u-shaped, blue-light lit bar centered in the dining area. Murals by local artists make for great dining and Instagram backdrops. The full bar offers a wide variety of cocktails including specialty drinks featuring Japanese whiskies, and if you like pineapple I highly recommend the Tokyo-lada.

My friends and I visited for a birthday on a busy Saturday evening and were able to be seated quickly, the service was friendly, efficient, and attentive despite the restaurant being busy. Tables are spaced for distancing between parties and condiments, menus, and other items were thoughtfully prepared to be single-use to reduce risk as we wane out the later end of the pandemic.

If you’re ready to head to the restaurants whether you eat indoors or out, I would definitely recommend adding Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen to your list of places to visit very soon. I think you’ll really enjoy it!

For more FresYes blog posts – CLICK HERE!
Banzai Japanese Bar & Kitchen Brings Sushi Back to the Tower District

Crave Opens Cookie Drive-Thru in NW Fresno

May 11, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

This is the business’ first brick & mortar shop.

Crave cookie has opened a new drive-thru in Fresno! I first wrote about Crave Cookie when it began offering giant, piping hot cookies via delivery right to your doorstep back in 2019. It started with a small number of zip codes in its delivery radius, and recently expanded significantly to include many more (My home zip code included – happy dance!). Having a growing business during any economic climate is worth celebrating, but an expanding business through a pandemic is amazing. Crave Cookie has not only survived the past year but thrived and has now opened its first brick and mortar location complete with a cookie drive-thru in NW Fresno’s Marketplace at El Paseo Shopping Center on Herndon and 99.

There are many factors that I believe have contributed to Crave’s success. It might be the flavor, crispy edges, and doughy centers of their perfectly baked, giant cookies. Perhaps their quick and friendly service, or the fact that cookies are such a comfort food and we’ve all needed some comfort during the past year. Most likely it’s a combination of all the aforementioned factors. I am thrilled for Crave and excited to be able to stop in for cookies in person now when I need the pick-me-up only their cinnamon and sugary Churro Cookie can provide.

In addition to their warm cookies, Crave’s storefront location is also offering local favorite, Rosa Brothers glass-bottled milk in chocolate, strawberry, and regular varieties. They also offer custom-made flavored sodas and energy drinks such as the Top Knot which is made with Dr. Pepper, coconut, and lime flavorings, the Lizard Queen, a concoction of Mountain Dew, strawberry, and mango flavors or the Big Head Ted which is a Red Bull swirled with blue raspberry and watermelon syrups and served on ice. Soon, Crave also plans to offer a limited selection of Kuppa Joy Coffee beverages. Kuppa Joy is currently a partner with Crave, offering their cookies to coffee drinkers who visit their local cafes and “joy-thrus”.

So, next time you’re out and about and your sweet tooth starts demanding your attention – consider a drive through Crave’s new location at Herndon and 99 in NW Fresno! Home and business delivery remain available as well via Crave’s website.

For more FresYes blog posts – CLICK HERE!

crave cookie has opened a new drive-thru in fresno

Full Circle Brewery Welcomes You Back!

May 4, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

They have planned all sorts of Beertainment in their new location

Full Circle Brewery has been known not just for great beer but great entertainment for years at its Downtown Chinatown and Olympic locations. That was, until COVID-19 hit and forced the team to completely shift gears and adapt to keep the business alive through a global pandemic.

In a recent video interview (which you can view here), Full Circle CEO Arthur Moye shares that the brewery had to make major changes to get through the past 12 months and continue bringing its beer to consumers. With great sadness, the team closed the Olympic location. They also converted its Chinatown location production-only moving in new equipment to maximize brewing capacity.

Sadly, these changes left no room for the former stage and event venue space that had long been home to live bands, performers, events like Swedefest and Cumbiatron!. On the bright side, the increased production capacity and the pressure to find a way to sell product without the ability to sell direct to consumers ended up working in their favour. This led to Full Circle focusing its energy on updating their packaging and marketing their beer to new carriers from the North Bay to LA, and even as far away as Ohio!

With the reach of Full Circle’s product footprint now spanning multiple states and a much larger swath of its home state of California, an opportunity to occupy the former Zack’s Brewing Co location in the Brewery District in Downtown arose. The Full Circle team knew it was time to once again create their entertainment space and prepare to serve their guests again.

An overhead view of the patio at Full Circle’s New Location: 712 Fulton Street (Image credit: Full Circle Brewery)

The new, state-of-the-art venue and brewery offers an expansive outdoor seating area featuring well-spaced picnic tables so those starting to socialize again (now that COVID rates are on the decline) can enjoy a Full Circle Brew or two and some great live music with friends.

A new and very welcome addition to Full Circle is Smushburgers from Grumpy Burger Lady, Des Washington. Grumpy Burger Lady’s Smushburgers are made with your choice of toppings. The whole burger including bun is smashed into the grill surface for extra delicious caramelization and flavor. It’s served with her signature pink slaw and fries.

Full Circle Brews and Grumpy Burger Lady Smushburgers, Fries and Pink Slaw (Image credit Grumpy Burger Lady)

Full Circle began its soft opening week last weekend, and will officially celebrate the opening of its new space with cold brews, live music and Smushburgers this weekend (May 7th and 8th). So if you’re ready to get out and have some fun again – mark your calendars and celebrate the return of live entertainment with the Full Circle crew!

Full Circle Brewery New Location – 712 Fulton Street

For more FresYes blog posts – CLICK HERE!

Quail State’s Groundbreaking Rooftop Bar is Open!

April 23, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Quail State owners Josh and Hayley Islas-Wolf have worked long and hard for this moment since announcing their plans to open a rooftop bar in Downtown Fresno over three years ago with their first post on Instagram. They’ve faced challenges in many arenas including working to get permissions in place with the City to open a first-of-its-kind rooftop bar in Fresno, as well as dealing with the trials that come with renovating an historic building and then, to top it off – a global pandemic.

This week’s official opening of Quail State’s rooftop is a true testament to Josh and Hayley’s grit and commitment to bringing their exciting and unique vision to life in Downtown Fresno.

While Quail State has been serving delicious cocktails, natural wines and most recently gourmet meals prepared by local Chef Matthew Lee on it’s ground floor patio for the past few months, this Wednesday marked Quail State’s first official opening of their rooftop bar including both indoor and outdoor seating areas.

COVID precautions and guidelines remain in place, however, thanks to all of Josh and Hayley’s work there is an expansive patio and well-spaced tables for guests to enjoy the view from as they sip top-quality cocktails in small groups.

My husband and I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a first date night out in over a year and we chose to visit Quail State. We experienced excellent and attentive service, fantastic drinks and delicious and unique food. My personal favorite cocktail was the bright and effervescent Pixie (which is made with tequila, grapefruit, lemon, elderflower, honey and champagne) and my husband’s favorite was the Smooth Move (made with bourbon, blood orange and maraschino cherry heering).

We also really liked the unique appetizer we tried, which was a flavored popcorn duo featuring both savory (nori butter) and sweet (spicy caramel) sides. For dinner we ordered the Quail Egg Burger which was perfectly prepared and juicy and the Braised Beef Short Rib that was incredibly tender and tasted like it had been slow-braised all day.

We are very much looking forward to our next opportunity to return to Quail State and to officially enjoy the roof top! We highly recommend you add it to your list of activities to enjoy soon as well. You can make a reservation online here.

Congratulations to Josh and Hayley Islas-Wolf on reaching this major achievement and thank you for bringing something so unique to Fresno!

Beloved Neighborhood Pharmacy & Post Office Here to Stay – And now, with coffee!

April 8, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Allen and Lynn Taylor opened their northwest Fresno-based Bullard Pharmacy more than 50 years ago, and the combination neighborhood pharmacy, gift shop and postal counter has been a beloved staple for those in the area for just as long. The Taylors and their staff have always been known for their exceptional customer service, and many northwest Fresno residents go to the postal counter within the Bullard Pharmacy almost exclusively, thanks to their very helpful staff who will take the time to advise you on how to ship things economically and in the best possible packages.

Lynn and Allen Taylor, Bullard Pharmacy founders and beloved royalty as far as customer service goes!

Living near Bullard Pharmacy, I was one of many who has used their postal counter for almost all of my USPS needs for more than ten years now, and I was saddened to hear that the Taylors were planning to retire his past December and so far had not found a buyer for the store. The pharmacy portion of the business was sold, however the gift shop and postal counter remained with an uncertain future, as did their staff.

Along with so many others, I was thrilled to learn that Bullard Pharmacy had been purchased and would remain open complete with postal counter and the addition of a new highly sought-after feature – a Peet’s Coffee counter! Since early 2021, the store, now known as “The Post” has been undergoing remodeling inside, with a clearance of older merchandise and new displays featuring boutique and local goods taking their places.

The Post with its new signage located on the NW corner of Bullard and West

The postal counter moved from its smaller, former location along the store’s back wall to the larger and more open former pharmacy counter (a much needed shift too, as the holiday influx of packages would often leave the post office workers with little room to stand in the hours just before the postman came for his late afternoon pick up). Peet’s Coffee has now been setup in the former postal area and is expected to begin serving this month!

The new, expanded postal counter inside The Post

Peet’s Coffee Counter inside The Post, prepared to open this month!

Whether you’ve been a long time customer who was concerned Bullard Pharmacy and its postal counter would close, or if you’ve never been but like to buy local, love a postal counter with great service or Peet’s Coffee, you’ll definitely want to stop by The Post soon! Keep up with all the changes as well as their awesome selection of incoming, ever-changing products via their Facebook page.

Fresno’s Newest Swap Meet is Booming Sunday Mornings

April 1, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

The Fresno Swap Meet. which launched within the past month has gone from non-existent to bustling in the blink of an eye thanks to hosts Fresno Street Eats & The Island Waterpark. The new weekly Fresno Swap Meet takes place on Sundays from 7am to 3pm on the South end of the parking lot. Food trucks line up along the furthest Southern border and rows of vendor booths form a maze of merchandise directly in front of them.

Tacos, Raspados, Pretzels, Dippin’ Dots and More to be enjoyed at the Fresno Swap Meet

Entrance to the Fresno Swap Meet is free, however there is a $3 parking fee, which you pay upon arrival and receive a ticket to display on your dash. Since the event takes place in the parking lot, I would recommend arriving early during the warmer months, to enjoy browsing before the mercury rises too much.

I visited the Fresno Swap Meet this past weekend with a friend, and saw all kinds of things on display for purchase. We arrived around 10:30am, and the parking lot was 3/4 of the way full (and that’s a large lot!).

I’ve seen these cute little mood indicating reversible octopuses all over TikTok! Snag your own at the Fresno Swap Meet

Some of the booth highlights for me were succulents, air pants and other houseplants, handmade jewelry, antique glassware and custom Easter baskets. My friend enjoyed searching through a collection of vintage video games and consoles, and was on the hunt for rare fruits and imported candies.

My amazing, delicious mangonada – sweet, spicy, refreshing!

If there are churros, a churro you must enjoy. It’s just a rule. Don’t try to fight it.

We both enjoyed a warm churro and she found a crispy, jumbo corndog and I had the perfect mangonada. If you’d like to know which food trucks will be present each week, you can stay up to date on the Fresno Swap Meet Facebook Page. Notes: Masks and social distancing protocols are in place. This week, due to the Easter holiday, the Fresno Swap Meet will be held on Saturday, April 3rd, and it will return to Sundays the following week, Sunday, April 11th.

For directions, click here.

Celebrate Spring with a Visit to Evergreen Nursery

March 23, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

If you’re a planty-person, or know and love a planty-person Evergreen Nursery may already be one of your favorite spots to shop for all things green. If you are new to the houseplant and gardening game (like so many who found sparks of joy developing their green thumbs during the Covid quarantine) and you’ve not yet visited Evergreen – you’re going to love this photo-filled mini tour (and you’ll love your impending visit to the nursery even more).

Create your own lush, partial-shade jungle with some of these beauties

Evergreen (located on Alluvial just East of Peach Ave. in Clovis) is a very large nursery that offers everything from houseplants to succulents, fruit trees, garden shrubs, drought-tolerant plants and pond-plants to pottery and then some. There is so much to see, you’ll want to give yourself some time to take it all in.

When you first arrive, you’ll be able to pull into their small parking lot and get a preview of all the goodness that awaits you. If the parking lot is full, don’t fret – there’s plenty of additional parking on the curb and behind the nursery. Outside, you’ll find double decker shopping carts that make it easy to load up on outdoor plants (though you won’t be able to bring your cart inside, as the aisles are a bit more narrow, so consider doing your indoor plant and accessory shopping first).

Every plant in the nursery is hand-labeled with directions on proper light/care making it easy to choose the best plant for your particular needs. There are a number of employees present and ready to help – and they’re knowledgeable and friendly, too. Evergreen is a great place to go if you’re looking to gain some knowledge with your purchases. On my most recent visit, I was in need of a gentle, natural plant food for indoor plants that would not burn my more sensitive plants – the cashier was super helpful and able to guide me toward a great, gentle, organic option that my plants are loving so far!

Houseplants, pots and plant care items can be found inside

If you like beautiful or fun and unique pottery, Evergreen can definitely take care of your needs there. They offer so many different types of ceramic and ornate planters, as well as less-costly plastic planters and beautiful handmade baskets. I was able to find a saucer for a plant pot that I’ve struggled to find the right size saucer for at local hardware stores – and it was under $1!

So many fun and unique pots to choose from at Evergreen!

If you’re not so green-thumbed, but would like to surprise a plant-lover in your life with a gift from Evergreen, I would suggest a beautiful Monstera Deliciosa, a Fiddle Leaf Fig or Peperomia Pilea. Each of these beautiful, popular and unique looking plants is a joy to display and watch pop out new leaves and Evergreen offers a range of sizes at varying price points of all three plants. If you are brand new to plants and would like to give it a go, Evergreen’s selection of Sansevierias (snake plants) is impressive and they are very low-maintenance and lovely to look at.

These Snake Plants are very beginner friendly.

Happy plant shopping and gardening friends, and happy Spring as well!

New Family-Owned Event Venue Casa De Phlorez Opens Its (Big Barn) Doors

March 8, 2021 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

Casa de Phlorez is a brand new outdoor event venue that started welcoming guests for the first time this year. I was able to interview owners Art and Melinda Flores about their vision for their new business, and what locals can expect from their beautiful and newly finished site.

FresYes: Tell us about Casa de Phlorez – what was the vision behind the business and how did it come to be?

Melinda Flores: Casa de Phlorez is a small event venue that my husband and I own and built along with our two sons. I have a master’s degree in Organizational Management with a specialization in project management and my husband, Art Flores, has a bachelor’s degree in Operational Management. We both work full-time jobs and have been working on building our dream venue for the last two years on our days off.

The idea to build an event venue came from a desire I had to write a book about how couples meet and how special that first butterfly feeling is between two people. I know it sounds so cheesy but I’m a total romantic. I mentioned this goal of mine to my husband a few years back and I didn’t realize that he kept that in the back of his mind. One day we were driving around Fresno County’s countryside and we stopped to take a scenic picture, and he said, “Let’s build on your dream and open a wedding venue.” That weekend we put our house up for sale and began our search for the perfect location. As we searched for our new chapter in life everything fell into place as if it was meant to be.

Art & Melinda, and the photo they took on the day they made the decision to bring their dream venue to life

My passion comes from wanting to give people a place where they can live out their dream weddings. I’ve met several couples who are excited to get married and I love it! I have to hold back tears of happiness when I am giving a tour of our dream venue because I have heard them say what we have built is literally their dream wedding location. It’s not a big venue but it’s just right for those looking for an intimate gathering.

We held an open house to kick off the start of our venue on February 6^th and look forward to filling our calendar for this year and next.

The spelling for Casa de Phlorez is a play on our last name, Flores.

FY: What makes Casa de Phlorez unique?

MF: Our unique features are barn doors on our black barn. We were looking for a little more of a modern look and took a chance by going with a black barn instead of the traditional red barn.

We are designed for events that are smaller in size — we designed our venue for people who want a more intimate feel to their events.

FY: What types of events are you most looking forward to hosting?

MF: Funny you should ask, my husband and I each have our own ideas of what we envision. I am looking forward to hosting weddings and special occasions. My husband has his own spin on hosting events, and he is looking forward to hosting events where people can come out and have a date night or just a place to hang out. His first event will be on April 10^th, he is collaborating with Mega Texas BBQ and will be hosting a ticketed event where people can come out have BBQ under the stars and listen to the Bearded Ukulele play live music.

FY: What can those who book an event look forward to when they choose Casa de Phlorez?

MF: People who book an event at Casa de Phlorez can look forward to a private event surrounded by almond and orange trees. We have beautiful sunsets, and we try our best to provide a safe and clean environment.

Beautiful sunsets can be enjoyed at Casa de Phlorez

FY: While we wait for life to get back to a new normal, what types of precautions will you be taking/recommending for events taking place in the near future? Can guests book events happening soon?

MF: Last year and going into this year have been very difficult for so many due to Covid-19. We understand that people are ready to move forward but may still be cautious so, we are glad that we can provide an outdoor venue that has plenty of space for clients to social distance. We added additional space at the back of the barn to offer an additional seating area to ensure our clients feel safe.

Yes, we are booking events that can take place soon. We are offering micro-events for 50 guests or less for the next few months and booking larger events later in the year.

FY: Are their accommodations for bad weather available?

MF: We are currently working with vendors that can provide clients with canopies for bad weather conditions.

FY: Anything else you’d like FresYes readers to know?

MF: As small business owner’s, we are strong supporters of our community and other local small businesses. We look forward to meeting new people and sharing our space with others.