by Terrance Mc Arthur

Our roving food critic Terrance Mc Arthur continues his search for great food in Sanger and the surrounding communities. Check out more Great Food Search here!

Autumn in the San Joaquin Valley. The weather is trying to get cooler. The leaves are trying to turn color and fall. The fog is getting ready to come in “on little cat feet”…or land like a giant pancake. Best of all, there is a hint of turkey in the air. Of course, we will try to wait patiently for Turkey Day, but you can warm up with these sandwich findings from the Great Food Search.

Deli Delicious—602 Academy Ave., Sanger—I found turkey lurking on the menu. Turkey, Bacon, & Jack (#39) with the works, you get Mayo, Mustard, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles, Wax Peppers, Red Onions, Black Pepper, Oil & Vinegar. I go without the lettuce. Nice tomatoes. It was a bit slippery, but it was a good bite.

Dickey’s BBQ Pit—1610 Herndon Ave Ste 106, Clovis—Usually, I go for a big Baker (potato) or a handful of meat with some sides, but for the sake of science, I tried a Turkey Sandwich. A bountiful bun held thick slabs of turkey cut from the breast, hula hoops of onion, and one slice of pickle (I like pickles…a little, so I ask for “one sacrificial pickle”). I added mustard and mayo, and I generously ladled on the Dickey’s BBQ Sauce (a trick I learned at the downtown Visalia branch—mix one ladle of Regular and one ladle of Sweet. It is so-o go-ood!”). Watching the turkey breast being cleaved into half-inch layers—magical!

Sam’s Italian Deli & Market—2415 N. First St., Fresno—It’s been around for ages, and the food keeps people coming back for more. Their turkey sandwich puts pieces of turkey on a loaf, and tops the bird with mustard, mayo, tomato, and sweet peppers. It’s a hearty sandwich that stays with you.

Sunnyside Delicatessen—5691 E Kings Canyon Rd, Fresno—My wife has touted this place for a long time, and it’s less than half a mile from the Sunnyside Library, so I decided to give it a try. On a sourdough base, delicate slices of turkey cradled mayo, avocado, and tomato. It makes a person happy to work in the Sunnyside area.

Yosemite Falls Grill—4278 W Ashlan Ave, Fresno—This isn’t a sandwich, it’s a meal! The Hot Turkey is an open-faced sandwich on a choice of breads (I chose wheat) with slices of turkey smothered in gravy, with sides of mashed potatoes (with more gravy), cranberry, and happily cooked veggies. There is also a choice of soup or salad, and I went with my favorite, the albondigas soup filled with veggies and mammoth meatballs.

The Verdict
I admit to a fondness for Yosemite Falls Grill’s Hot Turkey Sandwich for the sheer bounty of its harvest, but my favorite is the Turkey Sandwich at Dickey’s because of the thickness of the meat, and that tangy mix of sweet and spice you can get with a mixture of sauces.

So…Keep eating the good stuff!

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 is a Librarian in Fresno County, California. He is also a storyteller, puppeteer, magician, and maker of pine needle baskets. On top of that he writes stories that range from rhymed children’s tales to splatterpunk horror. He’s an odd bird, but he’s nice to have around.