Best Produce in Fresno?
I just bought some amazing tomatoes from the Golden Bowl Asian market on Olive and First. They're the best tomatoes I've bought from a store in years -- meaty and deep red all the way through, and very reasonably priced. Golden Bowl actually has quite a good selection of produce, particularly greens. Nothing is labeled and very little of it is marked with a price, but I bought 2 bags of groceries and the total cost was $12. Needless to say, I was impressed. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the Vietnamese Mint that came bundled with my spearmint leaves.
I haven't been living in Fresno long, and imagine there are all sorts of places that specialize in different types of great produce. I live in the Tower District near a Save Mart, which is overpriced and sells the same under-ripe crap you can get anywhere, which seems ridiculous in the Central Valley. Anyone have any better suggestions for great produce?
By BananaBirkLarsen
on Jul 19, 2011 04:28 PM
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Haven't been to Fresno for a couple years, but when I've been there on Saturdays, I make a point to shop at the Vineyard Farmers Market. Checked out Kristina's Natural Ranch and found a good selection of local produce from small farms there at the time.
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Vineyard Farmers Market
Blackstone and Shaw Streets, Fresno, CA
Kristina's Natural Ranch
761 E Barstow Ave, Fresno, CA
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Melanie beat me to it; I was also going to suggest the Vineyard Farmers Market. Nice shade makes it appealing even in summer, particularly if you go early (and/or the weather stays as nice as it has been the past week or so).
At least in Merced, Save Mart has the worst produce of the major chains, in my experience.
Another place you might want to try is the Vallarta Supermarket. There are two in Fresno. I haven't been to either of the Fresno locations, but I have shopped several times at the Vallarta in North Hills, CA (it is a fairly large chain) near my daughter's home, and the produce has always been great and very reasonably priced. Lots of Mexican specialties; check out their pre-made salads and such (love their nopales).
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Vallarta Supermarket
3850 N Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93726
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going to try (for the second time!) to add the link to Vallarta Supermarket that I entered in the database. If that doesn't work, I give up, very frustrating. Just in case, here is the website:
www.vallartasupermarket.com
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Vallarta Supermarket
3850 N Cedar Ave, Fresno, CA 93726
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When I first moved here, I actually lived right by a Vallarta and it was, indeed, wonderful! They had some of the best limes I've ever eaten, and their fresh-off-the-press tortillas were also amazing.
Sadly, I now live on the other side of town and do not have a car (which is, apparently, a necessity here).
I'll also have to check out the Vinyard Farmers Market. The only market I've been to so far is the little one-booth one a few blocks away on Olive and Van Ness. It's actually pretty good, considering that it isn't a market so much as a stand.
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Vallarta Restaurant
563 W Ventura St, Fillmore, CA 93015
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