by Terrance Mc Arthur

When Fresno’s Rogue Festival comes to the Tower District in February and March, I am there, to review shows . . . and to eat. Over the years, I have written many Great Food Search articles in March about restaurants in the area. I have been asked, “Haven’t you eaten at every place in the Tower that serves food?” and my answer is, “Not yet.”

And so, the search continues.

Banzai Japanese Bar and Kitchen—609 E. Olive Ave., Fresno—A colorful mural dominates a wall, there’s a choice of inside and outside dining, and it’s on Olive Avenue in Fresno’s Tower District—what more could you want from a Japanese/Sushi restaurant? Oh, yeah—Food. It definitely has that, too. The appetizer menu looked interesting, especially the Mushroom Bombs—mushrooms stuffed with a crab mix, deep-fried, with an eel sauce (Don’t wrinkle your nose at me!) on the side—crispy outside, butter-soft inside. To go with it, I chose Grilled Chicken Udon Noodles—super-fat noodles, swimming with fish cake, seaweed, paper-thin slices of tomato, sprouts, green onions. and Ajitsuke Tamago (marinated soft-boiled eggs). It was warm and comforting, On another visit, I’d like to try the sushi.

Carniceria y Taqueria Michoacan Market—508 N. Van Ness Ave., Fresno—I’ve passed this place many times, headed north into the Tower District from Highway 180. You can get meat for your cooking, and you can get cooked food for your eating. It’s not fancy, like an old drive-up restaurant/market, but the food is pretty good. I bought Adobada Tacos (chili-marinated pork), and I asked for the mild green sauce. Even with the mild sauce, my taste buds shouted, “What’s that!?!” Tasty!

El Patio Restaurant—552 E. Olive Ave., Fresno—The message under the name on the building reads “Muy Bueno Mexican Food.” Truth in advertising, I’d say. Because the name is El Patio, patio seating is to be expected. When the temperature drops, heaters around the roofed area flame on. What about rain? Roll-down walls lower into place, complete with clear window areas for rain-watchers. The starting salvo of salsa and chips sported pockets of spiciness on the chips. Empanada Playa Dorado translates as Golden Beach Pastry. but it has nothing to do with sandcastles. Empanadas are a lot like turnovers and mega-sized Chinese Potstickers, but with a corn/masa base. It’s filled with shrimp, cheese, and cilantro, served with a chipotle cream and sides of Spanish Rice and a Mexican-cheese-topped salad. Oh Boy!

Mama Mia Pizzeria—737 E. Olive Ave., Fresno—Between Irene’s Café and Bobby Salazar’s Taqueria, you’ll find Mama Mia Pizzeria squeezed into the block. In fact, it shares space with Lucy’s Lounge. You can walk through from Mama Mia to order drinks at Lucy’s, or leave Lucy’s area to enter Mama Mia for Italian fare. Mama Mia can be a sit-down experience or order-and-take-out. For our first visit, we ordered Meat Tortellini and Lasagna. Each arrived in a foil tray that could be domed with a plastic cover for leftover carry-out, with large, fluffy rolls that swallowed up the butter we slathered on them. The tortellini’s black-pepper Alfredo sauce made quite an impression, covering the meat-packed pasta packets. The lasagna in a rich tomato sauce went home for seconds . . . and thirds! The menu includes salads, sandwiches, and pizzas that we intend to try on future visits. (The Stromboli is calling my wife’s name!)

The Verdict—Olive Avenue in the Tower District is a Murderer’s Row of fantastic places to eat, and there are still restaurants for me to try and recommend. For this round of tasting, my favorite is Mama Mia Pizzeria for putting new life into foods I’ve known for ages.

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.