The Fresno State sweet corn is back! Did that sentence really need an exclamation point? Do all mentions of Fresno State sweet corn require this level of excitement?
The famous yellow (and white) stuff went on sale this Monday, at $.37 cents an ear, less than half the price it was two years ago. I guess I can understand if people are sick of the level of breathless news coverage Fresno State sweet corn seems to get every year. And I can’t really disagree with those who think that Fresno State sweet corn isn’t that much better than regular sweet corn. But at the end of the day, I can’t hate on any cheap, tasty, local food; or on anyone getting overly excited about cheap local food. Fresno State sweet corn dates back to 1981, and as we’ve noted, makes a great agnolotti filling.
Speaking of corn, I spent most of this week tasting tamales for our latest Showdown. Boy, was that a delicious bit of research. Fresno State sweet corn tamale when? You’re leaving money on the table here, people.
— Vince Mancini, Contributing Editor, Food
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This week’s local food news
Fresno State sweet corn is back on the menu, boys! (Yes, you were supposed to read that in the voice of a Lord of the Rings orc). Is Fresno State sweet corn overhyped? Perhaps. Is it still delicious (and cheap)? Definitely. I ain’t mad at it. Get it at Gibson Market on Chestnut and Barstow. [ABC30 on Instagram]
Could we soon have outdoor drinking downtown? The City Council approved allowing alcoholic drinks on the street in certain zones in the downtown Brewery District during certain events. I say do it. The idea that you can’t enforce rules against drunkenness without penalizing people having fun outside seems silly to me. [Fresno Bee]
Hummus Republic’s Fresno locations now “closed until further notice.” Following last week’s news that the Visalia location closed, now all three Fresno locations have signs that say “closed until further notice.” I visited a few months ago for our shawarma ranking, and the food wasn’t terrible, but everything about the business model was obnoxious. [Fresno Bee]
RIP to the Honey Man. A long-time honey vendor who could usually be found on Temperance Avenue for the last 18 years died recently. Richard Sanchez was 91. [KSEE 24]
Yo’ville Community Garden is expanding. The seven-acre patch in southwest Fresno is open to anyone to farm, and recently got a grant from the US Dept of Ag. The market will open the first and third Sundays every month, from 8 a.m. to noon at 709 W. California Ave. [Instagram]
Fresno Unified offering free summer meals. “Meals will be served from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at all campuses operating summer school and will be available Monday through Friday at participating sites.” [KMJ]
Did you know you can make a torta with pupusas as the bun? The idea never occurred to me, but then again, I never thought to ask. (“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” -Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park).
Also, I just invented this description. This is actually the “burrita” from Keidy’s. It’s a sandwich that has avocado, sweet plantains, bean spread, chicharrones, cheese, and an egg, all for $8. How did I miss this when we were making our cheap lunch guide??
Anyway, burrita probably isn’t new to everyone, but it was new to me.
— Vince Mancini, Contributing Editor, Food
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