Well, FresYes friends, it’s like Guri himself read your survey results and created a restaurant just for you: local, fresh, seasonal and pro-Fresno.
Located in the old Fajita Fiesta building on Shaw near Fresno State, Guri’s GrubHouse & Taps will be opening the week of September 8, with 24 craft beers on tap and a menu that features house-cured meats and locally-sourced produce. Plus, they’re providing 70 local jobs to the community. Bravo!
Last week, I met with Guri – the business man, Michael – the restaurant man, and Andy – the chef. They were elated to share their tasty food made with several items from our area. The menu features Enzo Olive Oil, KMK Farms, Dairy Goddess, Max’s Artisan Breads, Burroughs Family Farms, Mary’s chicken (for the chicken and waffles), Tioga Sequoia beer and more. They’re serving salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and even an assortment of pickled produce. Plus a few desserts with house-made bourbon whipped cream!
Plans for the future include farm to table dinners, infusing seasonal items into vodka for hand-crafted cocktails and partnering with Fresno State to grow items specifically for the restaurant.
But let’s get real for a second. THEY’RE SERVING TACHOS.
What are “tachos”? Only two of my favorite things! Tater tots and nachos. OMG. Imagine potato goodness, hand-formed and fried, covered with house-made Mexican crema, chipotle cheddar, and pickled jalapeños. Chef Andy perfected this recipe after much trial and error. He said that if you come and order one thing, order the tachos. They’ve been made with love.
Chef Andy’s first job at age 16 was making gallons of fruit salad for Harris Ranch. He made his way to an array of high-end restaurants in San Francisco, where he also went to culinary school. After coming back to the Central Valley, working at Harris Ranch again, then Parma in Fresno, he went out on his own and eventually met Michael Jew, owner of Swiggs.
Michael was looking for a chef for a new restaurant (Guri’s), and the two of them began working out details for the restaurant concept. Chef Andy’s background in agriculture growing up in Avenal, along with his impressive culinary skill was the perfect match for a gastropub that could serve Fresno State alumni, staff, and all locals interested in quality ingredients served simply, with a twist (hence, tachos!). There’s a lava cake that tastes like s’mores, house-made potato chips with a special dipping sauce made with mascarpone cheese and bacon, and of course, killer burgers.
Michael’s favorite dish on the menu? The tri-tip sandwich, made with a Béarnaise sauce on Max’s bread.
One last thing: a new Fresno restaurant can’t get away without serving bread pudding. Naturally, Chef Andy has a secret recipe of his own with his version of “bread.” Hint: sprinkles, maple bars…are you getting warmer?
It looks good, right?
Visit Guri’s GrubHouse & Taps on Facebook to see more of their delicious treats. If you go next week, please tell me what you get!
In midst of all this, a girl has gotta eat, right? Alisa is loves chatting with chefs behind the scenes and exploring the rich food culture of the Central Valley.
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This is exactly what Fresno needs! Local chef and locally grown grub and beer. I’m rooting for tremendous success for Guri’s!