Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Dreams of New York, New York
Las Vegas
an Echo of its former self.

Echo was an ambitious little restaurant in Fresno's Tower District. It had a small yet carefully thought out menu, and a peek through the front window promised a cozy and warm art deco ambience. It soon made a name for itself, but in the last few years the owners decided they would move north to where the money and clientele were.

It didn't work out. Instead, they closed for good last month. A lot of the blame was put on location, in a shopping center that was somewhat hidden and out of the way. Even though I never had a chance to eat at the restaurant, I felt they should have stayed in the Tower. It just seemed to fit there.

This photo was taken when it was still in the Tower.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Whenever we go to visit the in-laws it also means a chance to partake in the things we don't have at home.

Like Jimboy's.

It's another one of those fast food places like Del Taco or Taco Bell, but so much better. More authentic and a heck of a lot greasier. I love their ground beef tacos. They're cheesy with a nice additional dusting of grated cheese, and they drip sauce grease like a punctured radiator, but I love it. The husband gets the burritos, which have a fantastically cripsy grilled flour tortilla crust. Whenever we come up this way we have to make a stop at Jimboy's.

I found out that they're building one in town. It's way out of the way, on the other side of town. I've decided that even when it opens I'm not going to go there -- it would lost its cachet. Instead, Jimboy's will remain a special treat. Even when it's so bad it's good. And that's what makes it worth it.