by Terrance Mc Arthur

As we tiptoe into March and spring, the next holiday on my calendar is St. Patrick’s Day, when everyone gets a chance to be temporarily Irish. What delectable fare should the Great Food Search seek to celebrate the Emerald Isle? How about corned beef?

Corned beef is salt-cured brisket, named for the large grains of rock salt (“corns”) used in the preparation. Since the early days of tinning meat, corned beef has been a staple of military rations. Irish immigrants to America found corned beef plentiful and inexpensive, while most of the product in their homeland was a luxury item or exported. Some restaurants and delis don’t roll out the corned beef until March for St. Patrick’s Day, but The Great Food Search located some places that serve corned beef year-round.

Blossom Trail Café—864 N. Academy Ave., Sanger—Only two miles from my home, it’s a great place for breakfast and lunch. Corned beef hash is one of my favorites on the menu, and I like to pair it with eggs over easy, country potatoes, and a biscuit with gravy. The hash featured fine-cut meat with bits of onion. The potatoes were cooked with onion and bell pepper, the egg yolks blended nicely into the meat and potatoes, and the biscuit hid beneath a thick blanket of gravy. A hearty breakfast that disappeared rapidly.

Piemonte’s Italian Delicatessen—616 E. Olive Ave., Fresno—It’s been feeding Fresno since 1929, and it has a new infusion of life with its recent purchase by Madison “Maddie” Lindsey Martinez, the deli’s manager, and her mother, Julie “Jules” Lindsey Catanzarite. The corned beef sandwich consists of a sesame seed bun packed with thin slices of corned beef, rolling around Swiss cheese and mustard. The pink meat has a hearty tang to it, and outdoor tables on a chilly afternoon can be a counterpoint to the spicy warmth the sandwich generates. The Piemonte’s tradition is in good hands.

Red Caboose Café—5054 N. Academy, Ste. E, Clovis—Where Sanger meets Clovis (or vice versa), Red Caboose offers good food, good service, and good prices. Their corned beef hash is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The hash is minced to a spoonable level, cooked with a thin crispiness on the outside. Throw in some big eggs, lots of well-seasoned potatoes with green bell peppers, and two biscuits in an oo-la-la spicy gravy, and you have a serious meal.

Yosemite Falls Café—1455 Shaw Ave., Clovis—Go east past Sierra Vista Mall and Hobby Lobby, and there’s a Yosemite Falls Café to entice you with its menu. The Rueben sandwich has loose pulled corned brisket and Swiss cheese slathered inside slices of toasted two-toned rye bread, slathered with Thousand Island dressing. A thin slab of pickle sits on the side, and I took the cole slaw option. The pile of meat keeps jumping out of the bun, but you won’t want to miss a bite.

Verdict—Corned beef hash, Rueben, or corned beef sandwich, you’d be happy with any of these meals, but my choice is Piemonte’s. That home-style, old-time atmosphere just adds so much to the food. You’ll love it!

Happy eating!

You can find all of the Great Food Search columns here.

Check out more food articles and more of Terrance’s Great Food Search column in our Food Fun section. And check out a KRL staff profile this week on Terrance!

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.