by Terrance Mc Arthur

Sure, I call myself “a vegetarian who appreciates a good steak,” but there are times I want to say, “Go Fish.” I admit there are times I’ve had strange seafood-dining experiences, including a plate of little more than bones, a few bits of flesh, and a head. This time around, The Great Food Search has found some tasty offerings to share.

Black Bear Diner—3602 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno—It’s a chain that is known for its woodsy ambience, cabin-chic, and its large portions. I’d fallen for branches in Tulare and Madera before one finally opened in Fresno. On Mother’s Day, I tried their Blackened Salmon. It was Cajun seasoned, and grilled—spicy, but not obnoxiously so. It came on a bed of spinach and cherry tomatoes, with a side of Onion Rings. For me, the spinach was the star on the plate, and the onion rings avoided the Curse of the Cardboard Crunch.

Golden Restaurant—1135 N. Fulton St., Fresno—I’ve been going to this Chinese restaurant, a short walk from Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater and the Good Company Players’ 2nd Space theatre, for decades, and my Fresno-born wife grew up eating here from the Fifties. Normally, I choose plates from the chicken and pork sections of the menu, but my theme of seafood prompted me to try something different: Shrimp Canton. Imagine round wheels of jumbo shrimp—my favorite oxymoron––seasoned within an inch of heaven. Partner them with carrots, onions, bell peppers, black beans, and a sauce that’s ooey-gooey good.

Huckleberry’s Breakfast & Lunch—2100 Clovis Avenue, Clovis—This place is across a parking lot from a Costco, so it’s my stoke-up-with-energy before I trek down the bulk-store’s aisles. My go-to dish: Louisiana Catfish, Bayou Style. Planks of catfish laid over oh-so-good rice, with a blanket of mushrooms, green onions, and tomato spread over the fish. The catfish brings me back again and again.

Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse—7006 N. Cedar Ave., Fresno—Usually, I order the hard-to-resist 6-ounce Joe’s Steak, rolled in cracked black pepper after slow roasting for 19 hours before it is wood-grilled (There’s usually a pile of wood behind the building.), but I decided to try other dishes this month. My wife suggested the Bacon-Wrapped Bourbon Shrimp—Oh, boy! These stretched-out sea-dwellers were cuddled in strips of applewood-smoked bacon, wood-grilled with a Knob Creek glaze, in a row next to a formerly-skewered line of grilled veggies—mushroom, squash, tomato, and onion. Fluffy pilaf cushioned the shrimp, and I couldn’t think of anything better—until my next visit when, on a whim, I ordered Sierra Nevada Fish & Chips. As a rule, I don’t expect much of fish and chips, but this was an eye-opener! I received three logs of Sierra Nevada beer-battered cod. The batter had a satisfactory crunch to it, and the fish all-but-dripped across my tongue, it was so soft and smooth. The creamy tartar sauce and finely-chopped coleslaw added to the tasty experience, and the chips—OK, cabin fries—must have come from a killer-size potato. I kept eating them, but there were so many of them that my wife had to help finish off the mound/pile/mountain of fries. Maybe they should change the name from Famous Steakhouse to Famous Fishhouse … forget that idea.

Yosemite Falls Cafe—1455 Shaw Ave., Clovis—Recently, my wife introduced me to the delectable Blacken Chicken Pasta at this two-restaurant chain (I have fond memories of the Ashlan & 99 eatery that didn’t survive the pandemic closures.), but my favorite dish is the Pan-Seared Salmon with Dill Butter. Once it is seared, the fish is oven-baked on a clock timer (I once begged them to tell me the secret of how they made it so buttery-smooth) until it is ready to fall apart into salmon-colored slabs at the touch of a fork. The dill sauce adds to the taste bud joy, and the Soup of the Day (or salad) and sides like steamed veggies and potatoes (baked potato after 4 p.m., the rest of the time I go for mashed with gravy) add up to a meal that you won’t forget. In fact, it’s one to treasure!

The Verdict—If I hadn’t established a tradition of one top restaurant for each monthly article, I would crown multiple champions this month. Black Bear wowed me with that mass of spinach with split cherry tomatoes on top. Golden’s huge shrimp was a surprise I intend to repeat. The veggie blanket over Huckleberry’s Bayou catfish has been a staple of mine for a long time. Tahoe Joe’s one-two punch of bacon-wrapped shrimp and melt-in-your-mouth fish and chips—make that a Triple Play for those amazing fries—may get me to stop ordering the Joe’s Steak. (Ehhh—maybe not. I love that steak!) Yosemite Falls—that oh-so-smooth Pan-Seared Salmon—That has to be my winner for the month of May.

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.