I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to write this article – speaking truthfully. A new restaurant has opened, and it is everything I could want in a casual eatery. Everything.
I love food that incorporates as much local, seasonal produce as possible. I love bold flavors, food with lots of texture and spice, unique dishes that make me excited to eat, and even excited to cook with new ingredients – this is exactly what I received when I stumbled into Heirloom last week, on their second day of business.
Heirloom is located on Fresno and Friant in North Fresno near the newly relocated Trader Joe’s. Heirloom’s motto is “slow food fast” and its menu is chock full of food that tastes like it took quite some time to prepare, but it is served to you fast enough that you can easily enjoy a trip on your lunch hour.
Heirloom has been open just under a full week at the time I am writing this, and I’ve already been three times. Yes, it’s really that good.
Heirloom’s menu features:
- Small plates like their 1,000 layer crisped potatoes with parmesan, Buffalo cauliflower and grilled artichokes
- Farm-stand salads highlighting seasonally grown vegetables like their current featured one, “Drop the Beet” and more staple options like the Hipster Caesar
- Soups – currently a posole and “Lentil Bourguignon”
- Plates (my personal favorite) in which you select a grilled meat like the Mediterranean chicken with garlic sauce, ancho-crusted tri-tip, salmon with tzatziki or garlic shrimp and pair it with your choice of two sides (hot or cold). I HIGHLY recommend the teppanyaki-style fried rice (which, one of the owners told me is heated in a super-hot wok but has very little butter added, making it a full-flavored yet healthier version of the beloved dish)
- Heirloom Eats – signature dishes that frequently change as the chefs create new recipes using seasonal ingredients (the Prime Strip Steak served with the mini-wedge salad, and 1,000 layer potatoes have been calling my name)
- Garden-fresh handcrafted cocktails that’s right, this casual restaurant offers an exceptional selection of handmade drinks featuring fresh fruit infusions and modern twists on classic drinks (the drink menu is shaped by the genius behind local legend Garden Cocktails)
In addition, Heirloom also offers kombucha, soda made without chemicals and with organic cane sugar, shaken teas and frozen Greek yogurt as a healthy yet delicious alternative to sugary desserts.
My husband and I spoke with Rema Koligian, one of the restaurant’s co-founders (also one of the brains behind the local phenomenon, Butterfish) about the restaurant and the catalyst for its creation. She shared that she and her husband and their partners wanted to bring something new to Fresno – something that allowed their team to be a bit more creative with flavors and ingredients. They incorporate many of the amazing foods that are produced and grown right here in the Valley, while also offering healthy options in a beautiful and modern environment.
The interior of Heirloom is the epitome of both beautiful and modern with its rainbow-colored mural, bright, well-lit dining area featuring eye-catching light fixtures and the warm wood of the communal center table and bar. Heirloom is a fast-casual restaurant in which you order at the counter, and your food is brought to you at your table. Take out is available, and soon, a mobile app will allow you to pre-order and pick up your meal at their Heirloom’s, extremely convenient, pickup window (that doesn’t even require you to go inside the restaurant – a feature Butterfish fans are likely used to as well).
During my three trips to Heirloom so far, I’ve been with my husband, mother-in-law, and two dear friends, and everyone agreed that what they ordered, and their experience was exceptional. I give Heirloom my highest thumbs up and encourage you to visit as soon as possible. I’m confident you’ll be glad you did!
Happy eating!
-Natali
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