by Terrance Mc Arthur

You know how sometimes you have really good food, but you don’t finish it, so you have a refrigerator full of leftovers? Food reviewers can have a version of that. Maybe you come across a great restaurant, but it doesn’t fit the theme you had planned for that month, so the pictures sit in your phone until you can’t quite remember what you ate or where it was. That happened to me this year, so I present—LEFTOVERS 2023!

Cool Hand Luke’s Steakhouse—955 Shaw Ave, Clovis—Across Shaw from the Sierra Vista Mall and Target, this is a place I’d often thought of trying, and once arrived on a cold evening with a large line outside the doors. Finally, my group tried again on a less-busy day, and we were soon seated in a Wild West Wonderland.

The name of the chain might evoke Paul Newman and prison work gangs, but the décor and food are down-home steak-and-potatoes. Our group ordered Chicken-Fried Steak, Sizzling Steak Bites, Steak and Shrimp (a Cool Hand Combo), and Tombstone Chicken Pasta (Yeah, I had to be different.). The steaks were generous and properly cooked (My wife loved how juicy the Steak Bites were, and all the mushrooms that joined them in the cast-iron pan. My daughter’s Chicken-Fried Steak was buried in thick gravy. The Combo looked like heaven on a plate.). As for my pasta purchase, how could I resist fettuccini, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, green onions, and grilled chicken? Solid menu, solid service, and solid dining pleasure.

Noah’s Ark Restaurant & Bakery—783 E Barstow Ave Ste C, Fresno— In the shopping center cattycorner (diagonally across the intersection) from Hoover High School, Noah’s offers excellent Mediterranean fare in a spacious venue with lots of room between tables. We love borscht, and their Russian Borscht had a delicate, tomato-ey aftertaste, featured finely-shredded cabbage, and the potato chunks didn’t disappoint. My Lentil Soup nearly reached lentil-stew status, with bits of carrot vying for space. The kabob plates showcased chunks of meat that kept us fed for three days—the beef and the chicken cut with a fork! When we saw wraps pass our table, we knew we had to return and try them! Mega-sized, they fed us for another two days—stuffed with vegetables and meat (I had lamb!). Desserts? How could I refuse—there was a display of them next to our table!

The cheesecake was the tallest one I’ve ever seen…or eaten. The “Snickers,” topped with nuts and caramel and…it was not to be believed! The scratch-made food takes time to be served, but it’s time well-spent in conversation. Noah’s Ark opened a few months before Covid hit, and the family-run restaurant was too new to get federal help, but they managed to keep going with catering. Recently, a vandal broke windows and left an anti-Jewish message, not realizing these were Armenian owners. Nevertheless, Noah’s Ark Restaurant & Bakery is still afloat!

True Teriyaki—2644 Jensen Ave, Sanger—In the shopping center across Jensen from Walmart, True Teriyaki replaced one of my old favorites, Toap Garden. Going from Chinese food to Japanese and Sushi menus makes a difference. The wall art of graceful koi in a sea of black induces serenity. Teriyaki, tempura, sushi, noodles, rice bowls, and gyoza (Japan’s version of potstickers)—there’s a lot of choices to explore. The sauteed noodles with chicken was my first try, and I was impressed with the flavor and tenderness. The tuna sushi was light and tasty. The Salmon Teriyaki Rice Bowl was flaky, rich, and anchored with a fluffy bed of rice. It’s just across the street from Sanger’s Casa Oinari, and you can have a Battle Royale comparing the two—even though they both serve Japanese food, they are quite different.

The Verdict—Cool Hand Luke’s is a carnivore’s heaven. True Teriyaki has much to offer. Noah’s Ark floats my boat, and it is my choice of the month. I am glad I finally was able to put these restaurants in print—my leftovers are no longer left out.

Happy Eating!

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.