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Tower’s new Bocca Taqueria satisfies your cravings for flavorful tacos

September 5, 2018 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

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Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her twelve-year-old son, husband of 17 years and bargain hunting at Target. She works in the field of education and is also a freelance writer and YouTube vlogger (as a hobby). She's been told "bubbly" is the best descriptor of her personality, though she wonders if what people really mean is that she talks too much. Natali is a lifelong Fresno resident and Fresno State grad.

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Living in the Taco Capital, Fresnans are lucky to have tacos available on numerous street corners throughout the city. Sometimes, however, you want to go out for tacos and have a place to sit and relax while you eat, as well as a wide variety of meat and filling options to choose from—like those you enjoy from your favorite taco truck.

Bocca Taqueria, a newly opened Tower District restaurant, satisfies both of those needs!

Bocca Taqueria is located on E. Olive in the Tower District

Menu options are plentiful

Bocca Taqueria is located at 568 E. Olive Avenue in the former Castillo’s location. Their menu offers a whopping 16 different meat choices for taco lovers to enjoy. From popular favorites like asada and al pastor, to less common, specialty choices like suadero (aka “rose meat,” a flavorful cut of beef neck) and cachete (beef cheek), there are options for all.

Bocca offers waited service in two dining areas with updated, modern décor. The environment is casual and family friendly.

Bocca offers a variety of meats for taco lovers to enjoy (pictured clockwise from top: asada, saudero, al pastor)

Bocca’s interior is updated and inviting

Bocca’s taco selfie wall is ‘Gram-worthy on purpose

Menu highlights

My husband and I recently visited Bocca for the first time, and really enjoyed the food and experience. Here are some of the highlights from our visit:

Salsa Flights for $3.99. You can try six different types of super flavorful and fresh, house-made salsa. On the day we went, we were served pineapple habanero, fresh red tomato, crushed peanut, molcajete, green tomatillo, and pumpkin seed salsa. Every single one of them was good; however, I enjoyed the molcajete best and my husband loved the peanut salsa. Chip refills were provided at no additional cost.

Bocca’s salsa flight and chips

Mulitas, a cross between a street taco and a cheese quesadilla. These tasty, melty stacks of deliciousness are available with al pastor (pork), chuleta (pork chop), bistec (steak), ribeye, arrachera (skirt steak) or pollo (chicken). I had an arrachera mulita and have been craving another since the moment I finished eating it.

My skirt steak mulita (on the left)

Choriqueso, another hybrid dish, is a hearty appetizer featuring melted cheese and crumbled chorizo, and is served with corn or flour tortillas.
Pricing. All menu prices are fairly reasonable, especially given the quality and selection of ingredients. Depending on how hungry you are, you’ll likely want to piece together 2-4 items to create a full meal, but at $2.75-$4 a pop, the total cost is very inline with, if not slightly below, most casual, sit-down restaurants.

Bocca’s current menu

Where to find Bocca Taqueria

Though it’s been open just over a month, Bocca has already garnered a solid 4-star average on Yelp and 4.4 star average on Facebook. Reviewers point out how much they enjoyed the multitude of salsa and meat choices, and how good the asada and ribeye are.

If you’re looking for some tasty tacos in a pleasant, sit-down atmosphere and friendly customer service, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Bocca Taqueria. I recommend putting them on your “to try” list and visiting soon!

Bocca Taqueria

568 E. Olive Ave.
Fresno, CA 93728
(559) 374-5100

Hours: Closed Sun and Mon. Open Tues-Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Find them on Facebook here

The Revue celebrates one-year anniversary with new mural

August 22, 2018 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

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Natali Carrera

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Locally owned and operated coffee house, The Revue, located at 620 E. Olive in the heart of Fresno’s Tower District, will be celebrating its one-year anniversary this Saturday, Aug. 25, with a special celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

I caught up with one of their awesome owners, Bryan Feil, to learn more about the event and what’s new at Revue. A lot has changed in just a year!

FresYes: Tell us what you love about your location and about having been a part of the Tower community for the last year.

The Revue: We honestly just love engaging and connecting with our community through coffee and delicious products. Having the ability to offer products that are locally sourced and thoughtfully prepared is what gets us excited.

When you opened, you offered something no other local coffeehouse could—Ampersand ice cream! Since then, you’ve added new and unique offerings to your menu. Tell us about what’s new.

We have seasonal menu changes which bring about great excitement, from our soda offerings to house-made syrups or the crowd favorite, our Horchatte (a cinnamon-infused horchata-inspired latte). It’s been fun to keep people fueled with products that are unique to the Central Valley.

It seems like your back room has been hopping with cool, community events lately! Tell us a little about that.

Our desire to connect the community through beverages is exciting but, just as much, are the events that bring everyone together. We do Vendor Fairs every two months which showcase craft makers from around the valley.

We have partnered with Tower Yoga to do a Sunday Yoga Reads session and incredible weekly yoga events that bring health and connectivity together. We also offer kombucha workshops, coffee cuppings, open mic nights (every Monday night), and other regular music events.

It’s also been an event space community members can rent for their own events, which is another neat community engagement opportunity for us.

Cozy interior invites you to pull up a seat

The Revue’s back room is home to yoga, music, and more!

You guys recently commissioned an awesome mural for the side of your building, can you tell us more about it?

It was created by two incredible artists, Quinn Bowman and Julia Woli Scott, who have really pulled out all the stops to put together this 90-foot, five panel mural that is incredible, beautiful, and unique. We are doing a celebration of this on Aug. 25 as well.

What else would you like readers to know about your upcoming event or The Revue in general?

Come on the 25th ready to celebrate our community and great beverages, and enjoy a unique, one-time opportunity to enjoy a “steal the glass” nitro float drink. We are so thankful for our city and the Tower for allowing us to serve this year, and hope to continue bringing our best daily. If you haven’t had the opportunity to come down, please come and visit with us and the community this Saturday, it will be fun!

Come see The Revue’s wall mural at their anniversary party this weekend!

Want to buy a home in the Tower District? Here’s what you need to know

July 19, 2018 by FresYes Realty Leave a Comment

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FresYes Realty

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Known for its lively arts and entertainment scene, the Tower District is both a historic part of Fresno’s past as well as its thriving present!

Named for the beautiful Tower Theatre, which sees local as well as national acts, this district is where you’ll find cafés, art galleries, vintage shops, and great dining—all within walking distance.

The Tower Theatre, found at Olive and Wishon avenues, is a main attraction in the heart of this district

About the neighborhood

It’s not unusual to find residents in this neighborhood enjoying an early morning walk to Irene’s Restaurant for breakfast, or biking to the Revue for a Whiskey Caramel Latte and a muffin. Walking one’s dog (or dogs!) down Olive Avenue is a favorite Tower District past-time.

In the evening, you’ll see people heading to Sequoia Brewing Company or Oggi Cosi Si Mangia for dinner, Roger Rocka’s or Second Space Theatre for a performance, and then to Goldstein’s Mortuary and Delicatessen or Strummer’s for a post-show drink. Every year, residents look forward to the Rogue fringe festival in the spring, the Pride Parade in the summer, and Swede Fest in the winter. Independent and foreign films are shown at the Tower Theatre monthly thanks to Fresno Filmworks, and car shows and vintage fairs are held throughout the year.

Those looking to enrich their spiritual lives can find books, crystals, and guidance at The Brass Unicorn. Health foods and supplements can be found at Tower Health & Diet Foods. Piemonte’s is where you can find one of the city’s best sandwiches.

The Revue coffee shop hosts local events as well as serving up delicious coffee!

Real estate market in the Tower District

The homes in this area are unique in their charm and personality. Many were built in the early 20th century, so you’ll see features and styles reminiscent of a different era. Built-in shelves, Craftsman-style architecture, and large patios are all very common in the Tower District.

In 2017, 54 single-family homes were sold (per Fresno Multiple Listing Service). The least expensive was $77,000—a two bedroom, one bath home at 963 square feet. The most expensive was $315,000. This was a three bedroom, two bath, 2,127-square-foot home on a 12,750-square-foot lot.

If you’re looking for a home with a pool, you may want to install your own or head a bit north to the Historic Fresno High area, as only three homes sold in this area had pools.

Average price per square foot was $130.56 (low $57.67; high $191.30). Average days on the market was 20, with homes selling for 99.13% of asking price.

As of the writing of this article, 26 homes have been sold in 2018. Prices ranged from $100,000 to $325,000, and the average price per square foot was $140.83 (low $80.39; high $198.77). Average days on market is 32 ,with homes selling for 97.65% of asking.

An example of the charm found in Tower District homes

Find a home in the Tower District

To search for a home in this area, visit our Tower District page (link here). Or, feel free to give us a call at (559) 795-7995 or stop by the FresYes office at 7785 N. Palm Ave. #108, Fresno, CA 93711.

Learn more about the Tower District

If a robust arts scene and great people-watching is what you’re looking for in a neighborhood, the Tower District may just be the perfect Fresno fit for you.

Get to know the Tower District better by browsing these posts, or check out these featured articles:

The 17th annual Rogue Festival starts this week (link here)
Tower District’s Hi-Top launches line of branded coffee (link here)
Celebrate Fresno Rainbow Pride this weekend in the Tower District (link here)
10 reasons to check out the Tower District’s all-new Revue coffee house (link here)
Dapper Stroll & Soiree is your chance to get dolled up for a night on the town (link here)
The New Year presents new productions from Good Company Players (link here)

El Patio is the best Mexican restaurant you haven’t tried yet

October 18, 2017 by Natali Carrera 1 Comment

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Natali Carrera

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Living in Fresno, there’s no shortage of delicious Mexican restaurants to be enjoyed. Often, when out-of-state guests visit, we ask, “Where would you like to eat?” and a common request is to go somewhere with great Mexican food, since so many other places in the country aren’t as lucky as we are.

Sometimes, however, it can be hard for a restaurant to differentiate itself from the crowd. When choices are this plentiful, restaurant owners have to do something a bit different, or a bit better, to establish themselves as a destination for Fresno restaurant-goers. This week, my coworkers and I stumbled across a place that does just that.

El Patio: perfectly named

Set back from the street in the former Meze Grill location on Olive Ave., El Patio‘s colorful flags beckon you in towards the entry. The restaurant looks small from the street, but once inside the courtyard, a large, colorful and shady patio instantly entices you to take a seat, and take in the scenery. I think my coworkers and I all audibly “wowed” when we walked in.

The colorful and amazing patio at the perfectly named El Patio.

We stepped inside and were greeted quickly and told we could sit wherever we liked; of course, we selected a table in the center of the patio.

Our server was friendly and helpful, and shared with us that the owner, Benjamin Torralva, is a successful local entrepreneur who also owns Passions Boutiques and Jalisco Jewelers. Passions Boutiques is known for stylish interiors and a selection of clothing that is on-trend, which makes perfect sense, as the interior and exterior of El Patio is clearly designed down to the smallest details to be visually attractive and enjoyable.

The small but perfectly color coordinated interior of El Patio is also meticulously designed and decorated.

Gorgeous and inviting colors are everywhere at El Patio.

The patio covering is lined with rows and rows of colorful flags and the fence is adorned with beautiful, vibrant Mexican art pieces and historical photographs. The brightly hued table cloths and hanging fabrics make you feel as though you’re on a vacation rather than a lunch break.

The food is the star here

As fantastic as the atmosphere at El Patio is, it can’t steal the spotlight from the food, which was also stellar. The menu had traditional Mexican cuisine, some lightened up and healthier dishes, and some really neat family-favorite items that my coworkers thought were truly special, like Café de Olla con Piloncillo y Panela (a delicious coffee sweetened with a deep, brown sugar) and Bionico with cream (seasonal fruit with house sweet cream, yogurt, and sweetened grains). Our table enjoyed multiple glasses of a refreshing house-made Agua Fresca made with mango and pineapple.

When it came to the main course, I ordered the Red Enchiladas Estila Tonala with cheese and they were delicious queso fresco, hand-rolled enchiladas topped with potatoes and an amazing, smoky red sauce. I enjoyed them more than any enchilada I’ve had in years.

My coworkers tried a torta and the flautas, and both hit the nail on the head for both freshness and flavor. The house-made salsa served with chips for the table was really good, too—spicy, but not too spicy, just right.

My amazing enchiladas in red sauce.

My coworker’s torta. His review: “Tortas are all about the bread, and this bread is awesome.”

The flautas at El Patio are delicious.

Throughout lunch, the service was very attentive and friendly, the food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was just perfect.

If you don’t have a current favorite Mexican restaurant, I highly encourage you to check out El Patio in the Tower District. And—even if you do have a tried-and true-favorite—I still suggest you give El Patio a try. It’s been one of my favorite Fresno dining experiences to date!

More information

El Patio Mexican Restaurant is located at 552 E. Olive Ave. in Fresno. It’s open Mon-Thurs from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Fri-Sat from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Follow the restaurant on Facebook or call (559) 721-7757 for details.

Hi-Top Coffee sets up shop in the Tower District

September 27, 2017 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

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Natali Carrera

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Hi. I’m Natali, and I’m a coffee addict.

There, now that that fact has been made abundantly clear, I am happy to share with you that Fresno now has one more awesome place to grab a really great cup o’ Joe. Everyone, please welcome Hi-Top Coffee to Wishon Ave. in the Tower District.

I stopped by Hi-Top for the first time last Friday morning on my way to work and for having been open just eight days, it sure seemed like a popular place to be already! The whole place was filled with people enjoying the beautifully redecorated space, but despite that, the service was fast, friendly, and attentive. Long story short: my mocha was phenomenal, and it kept me energized until late in the afternoon, which was awesome.

Hi-Top Coffee’s owners at work [photo: Hi-Top Coffee]

Hi-Top origins

Hi-Top Coffee is the product of a friendship formed originally at MetalMark climbing gym in Fresno. Hi-Top co-founders Aaron Bagato, Spencer Suvanto, and Karsyn Suvanto have a passion for coffee, from picking the beans to pouring a cup to every drink they serve.

Bagato started as a barista in Montana, and after moving back to his hometown, worked for Raizana Tea and helped Kuppa Joy open their Fresno location. Most recently, Bagato worked at Lanna Coffee Co. He traveled to Thailand and learned the full circle of third wave coffee, from sourcing to roasting, brewing, and serving.

Hi-Top offers an open, friendly, and inviting space [photo: Hi-Top Coffee]

A Commitment to craft coffee

The Suvantos purchased a La Marzocco Strada EP, a rare, custom espresso machine that provided a catalyst for their coffee shop plans. Construction on the shop began in May with the help of Karsyn’s father, Joe Parker, owner of Karsyn Construction. The shop, formerly Café Corazon, was remodeled into a comfortable space with natural concrete floors, wooden tabletops, hexagonal tiles, large windows, and a custom mural by local artist Quinn Bowman.

“Our goal with Hi-Top Coffee is to create a quality experience from beginning to end; from the moment it is picked all the way to the final product served,” says Bagato, who considers himself a barista above a business owner. “Although we are providing a top-quality experience, we are not pretentious about the end cup of coffee, mainly because we realize there are so many hands along the way that helped create that single cup.”

Hi-Top Coffee sells and serves craft coffee from primary roasters Cat & Cloud, a shop based in Santa Cruz that was started by a team of national barista champions whose values and mission mirror those of Hi-Top’s founders. Hi-Top will feature Cat & Cloud’s flagship blend “The Answer” for espresso drinks, and will rotate in single origin coffees as they become seasonally available. Hi-Top Coffee also plans to be a multi-roaster shop, bringing in guest roasters on its pour-over menu each month.

Artisan teas will be offered from Kilogram Tea, an offshoot of Intelligentsia, and gourmet toasts will feature local, fresh-baked bread. A Hi-Top Coffee mobile cart is also in the works, which will be available for private event catering.

“We are intentionally hiring friendly people and are eager to share our love and knowledge of coffee to any customers who want to learn,” says Bagato. “Above all else, we want to create a place that offers people a great cup of coffee, a smile, and hopefully a better day.”

What to try if you go

Hi-Top Coffee’s specialty drink, the “Low-Top”: a one-and-one split shot of espresso, one half plain and one shaken with almond milk, honey, cinnamon, and cardamom
A Flat Churro: toast with cinnamon and sugar, like you had when you were a kid… oh nostalgia…
Sweet Greens: avocado toast topped with lemon basil pesto, micro greens, and olive oil

Hours and location

Shop hours are Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Hi-Top Coffee is located at 1306 N. Wishon Ave. For more information, visit www.hi-topcoffee.com or follow them on Facebook.

10 reasons to check out the Tower District’s all-new Revue coffee house

August 16, 2017 by Natali Carrera Leave a Comment

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Natali Carrera

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Fresno coffee lovers, the time has come to rejoice. Not only is one of your favorite coffee houses open again, it has a whole new business model that adds something extra no one else offers locally—Ampersand Ice Cream paired with Lanna Coffee.

That’s right: at The Revue, located at 620 E. Olive in the Tower District, you can now order a delicious vanilla bean affogato (that’s ice cream drowned in coffee) along with other awesome coffee-and-ice-cream offerings and, of course great coffee sans ice cream.

In honor of The Revue’s opening this week, I paid a visit to capture some photos, taste the coffee, and gather intel just for you, FresYes readers. (Okay, let’s be honest: I would have gone anyway. But, hey, I did take photos and ask questions on your behalf.)

Here are 10 reasons to visit the new Revue.

Updated store front view of The Revue

1. Location

The Revue is located in the same building as its prior iteration, but is now under new ownership. Lanna Coffee Co. and Ampersand owners came together to offer a unique and (I fear, addictive) combination of both of their great products: coffee and ice cream.

2. Interior

The interior of The Revue got an awesome facelift with lots of natural light streaming in, unique and eye-catching light fixtures, and a beautiful custom coffee bar that allows you to watch all the magic being made at the espresso bar.

I love this light fixture!

Order a drink at the beautifully remodeled counter

Watch coffee magic being made

3. Signature drink

Their signature espresso drink is a Whiskey Caramel Latte (which I ordered, hot) and it was fantastic. Like, really, really fantastic. The whiskey caramel added a smokiness and richness of flavor compared to the typical caramel latte, and the foam was just thick enough without being too much. I typically order coffee drinks with nonfat milk, which they didn’t have, but they did have reduced fat milk, which they used. Maybe that added to why it seemed so delicious to me!

My insanely tasty Whiskey Caramel Latte

4. Diverse menu

The Revue also offers more than the typical espresso bar offerings, such as Nitro Cold Brew Floats (coffee brewed with nitrogen for a smooth taste and slightly greater caffeine kick, topped with vanilla bean ice cream), Cold Brew Milkshakes, Affogatos (espresso shots topped with ice cream), and they even have kombucha on tap.

5. More than coffee

Other drinks you can enjoy include teas (including chai and matcha tea lattes), coffee pour overs, and house-made sodas.

Pour over anyone?

Specialty drink options

6. Cold brew in bulk

Love cold brewed coffee? You can buy it by the growler for $12 or $20, and just $8 or $16 for a refill.

7. Plenty of indoor seating

The Revue has two indoor seating spaces. The front room surrounds the espresso bar, which is bright and light, filled with plants and modern-looking, smaller wooden tables. The back room has three larger custom-built booth tables and a pair of upholstered chairs for lounging and sipping in. Soon, I was told, there will be a large, wooden community table added to this room as well.

Comfy chairs welcome you in the back room

8. Patio seating

In addition to the indoor seating areas, there are two outside patio seating areas in front and directly east of the entrance.

One of the two outdoor seating areas

9. Take-home coffee for purchase

Lanna Coffee, loose leaf teas, and pastries are also available for purchase.

Coffee and tea, available for home brewing

A few of the pastries for sale during my visit.

10. Great atmosphere

Service was very friendly, and hot drinks come with Instagram-able latte art. Did I mention how fantastic the Whiskey Caramel Latte was? Please order one soon.

The Revue is officially open for business from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

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This Weekend’s Tower District Mardi Gras Parade Might Be the Last One

February 20, 2017 by Jason Farris Leave a Comment

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Jason Farris

Head YES man at FresYes.com

I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES