by Terrance Mc Arthur

Valentine’s Day is over, but echoes of romance remain, so The Great Food Search is here to share a pair of places that reach the heart by way of the stomach. What could be more romantic than a dinner for two?

Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse—7006 N. Cedar Ave., Fresno—Going to a medical office for an MRI isn’t usually considered a romantic evening, but a look at the map showed the location was around the corner from Tahoe Joe’s. Why not? A search of the online menu showed an eye-catching panel: DINNER for TWO. For $77.50, you could order an appetizer, two entrees with sides, and finish off with a slice of Baker’s Square Pie. It sounded like a good deal.

The restaurant sprawls along the north side of Herndon Avenue, east of Cedar Avenue. Inside, it is a place of logs and rustic charm, where a massive moose head dominates one wall, many comfortable booths invite close conversation, and a large bar stretches between the main dining room and an area dedicated to drinking patrons. The staff is friendly and well-trained in the menu selections.

The rolls were crusty and tasty. The appetizer offerings included wings, Ahi tuna, crab cakes, onion straws, a dip, and calamari. We considered the spinach & artichoke dip, but we decided on jumbo lump crab cakes. They were pan-seared and chunky, and loaded with seasonings, complemented with a little tub of house-made avocado cream. Tasty, they were.

After the appetizer, the options included steak, prime rib, and roasted chicken. My wife opted for the slow-roasted 10 oz. Joe’s Steak, while I went for the 10 oz. hand-carved prime rib (no offense meant to the chicken.). Soup or salad? We never say no to clam chowder, and were presented with generous bowls of creamy chowder studded with potatoes, veggies, and goodly-sized clam pieces. We are fond of baked potatoes, which we chose over pilaf, mashers, or cottage fries. For the big spuds, the server brought a carousel of toppings like butter, sour cream, onion, and bacon. Oh boyoboyoboy!

Her steak was the thickest cut of meat we’d ever seen, slow-roasted for 19 hours before being rolled in cracked pepper and wood-grilled (It was almost as thick as it was wide!). My prime rib spread out on the plate before me, saying “Take me, I’m yours.” (metaphorically, of course. We all know that steaks don’t talk.). The meat was flavorful, tasty, delicious, and the fat ratio was magnificent.

After gorging ourselves, we decided to pack up the dessert for home consumption. It was a single slice of chocolate silk pie, but half a piece proved to be more than enough for each of us. That was quite a night.

Richard’s Prime Rib & Seafood—1609 E. Belmont Ave., Fresno—Richard’s is a windowless box just off the 180 freeway. The sign glows in the night as you speed along. It’s been in the same location since the Stockle family opened it in 1969, so it was about time to go there, but it took an extra day— I needed to make reservations.

There’s plenty of parking out back, a long hallway past the kitchens and the bar to the restaurant proper, and low lighting, with tasteful nude paintings framed on the walls. At the bottom of the menu, elaborate lettering announces the “Deluxe Dinner for 2.” For $79.95, you get garlic bread, shrimp cocktail, soup or salad, then a choice of cottage fries, pilaf, mashed potatoes, or a baked potato. The entrees are a 10 oz. prime rib, a 10 oz. New York steak, or a grilled salmon (filet mignon or halibut could be had for an extra fee.), along with a choice of fresh vegetables, green beans, or brown beans. Each of the diners receives a glass of wine (non-alcoholic soft drink may be substituted).

The garlic bread was crunchy, and the shrimp cocktail looked like a little man in a kiddie pool with his legs hanging over the side. I do like baked potatoes, and mine was loaded with so much sour cream, green onions, and bacon, that you could barely see any potato inside its foil jacket. My wife went for the mashed potatoes, which were pleasantly lumpy (the way Mother Nature meant them to be).

My wife’s steak was grill-marked enough to play Tic-Tac-Toe on it, and was seriously juicy. My prime rib (it’s part of the restaurant’s name!) was happily rare (which is great when you microwave the leftovers, so they still have some pink left) and crowding everything else off the plate. We don’t drink alcohol, so we ended up with well-blended soda pop.

After everything was packed away to go home, we decided to splurge with a slice of chocolate bread pudding, studded with chocolate morsels. Imagine our surprise when we opened the box at home to find a hefty scoop of chocolate-dripping vanilla ice cream to top it! How a la mode can you get?

Through the evening, staff and boss stopped by our booth to see how we were doing and to ask if we needed more water or anything else.

The Verdict—Both Dinners for Two could have fed four, and we had wonderful leftovers. Both were amazing, but one must be chosen. For its intimate atmosphere, fantastic food, and the attentive kindness of Ben Stockle (grandson of the original Richard of Richard’s), the Top O’ the Month award goes to Richard’s.

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.