THE FRESNAN

Focused On Fresno: Termite Smoothies

A large portion of Fig Garden Village was tented off Sunday for something.  Either Termites or maybe Gonorrhea. Our Fig favorites too, like Haute Dave's, Hungry Bear Cookies, Jamba Juice, Deli Delicious and Cold Stone. All covered and gassed in.

Think maybe we'll wait a couple days for the fumes to settle down before we get a "Cookie Doughn't Wantsum" ... ahhh who are we kidding, we'd totally walk THROUGH the tent and get Gonorrhea if that's what it would take to get some of their cookie dough goodness.

BATTLES!: Christmas Tree Lane vs. Fresno State Game

It's kinda one of those You're Not A Fresnan Until you do these things: walking Christmas Tree Lane and going to a Fresno State game. Well Friday night they will be going head to head.

Christmas Tree Lane opens Friday with the first of two walking-only nights. There's little Fresno tradition that compares to going down old Van Ness during Christmas. And walking it is undoubtedly a step above driving it.

Maybe slightly underrated in its Fresnoness is a Fresno State football game - maybe not a game on FRIDAY night, but still. And after the perfect storm of reasons to not go to last Saturday night's Idaho game, it's time to get back and support the Dogs against the Big Ten's fightin' Illinois somethings.

So, you've got the last chance to see a football game at Bulldog Stadium and the first chance to walk down Christmas Tree Lane this year. *beard stroke* What's a good Fresnan to do here.... hummm...

Askin' You: Where In The Fresno Is This House?

Do you know where this house is? Here is what's currently known: It's in Fig Garden (well, that would be OLD Fig Garden to us now). It's probably between 1910 and 1920 when this Pop Laval pic was taken. It may have been build for a W.F. Jennings.

That's the info so far on the Pop Laval Foundation's Facebook Page. Last time we did this, Joe Moore figured out the question in, like, 20 seconds. So, do you know this house?

Habit Burger Grill Opens Its Fresno Doors

Did ya go Monday? Some other bloggers have already. The Habit Burger Grill in Fig Garden Village is now fully operational. Here's the full menu.

It's counter order style...

Fresgeek Weekend: Fig Garden Metal and Pud Pulling

Yep, the big ol Fresno Fair is in full swing, Fresno Filmworks has a funnyass movie showing tonight and Monster hockey is happening at Selland Arena Friday and Saturday (awesome). And yeah, you may still have a re:fuse hangover, but what better way to cure a hangover than a some hair of the local music dog that bit ya.

Now, Fresno music lovers, let's FrezGeek!:

FRIDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Being billed as a Lybra Birthday Bash, this one is saying "Screw bands!" and going all DJ with ones like Mykal Powell, F-Plus and more. [Starts: 9 Cost: Free]

STARLINE: Surely something must be happening. It's a major Fresno club and it's the weekend. But, as this post is being written, we don't know what the hell is going on over there - we know what was happening last month, just not tonight. [Doors: Maybe never. Cost: It could be video game tokens for all we know.]

KUPPAJOES: A lot of all ages music tonight with Sing The Body, Coolfield, The Radiance Effect, Troubled By Insects and Amanda Hammitt. [Doors: 7 Cost: 7]

SEQUOIA BREW: The Tower District brewhouse will be hosting a HR7 CD release party - let the Motto Brew flow! [Time 8:30 Cost: Free?]

BELANA: What's goin on with this Belana place anyway!? It's in Fig Garden Village and it's got all these rock and metal shows going on there; just seems like a weird crowd mix is all. Tonight, Fresno rock vets, Six Ounce Gloves will mix it up with the Village folks. Subdue will be there too, along with re:FUSE Fest breakout hit: Down Word. [Doors: 9 Cost: 8]

SATURDAY

We heard that Buffalo Guns will be at Tokyo Garden - pretty sweet. Tesla's Dave Rude will be at Starline. And downtown at the Crest... we think the flier says it all:

So that's what we found, but if you've got something else or just wanna talk about what's happening, leave a comment. Enjoy Fresno this weekend!

Fresno Douchebag Spot?: The Elbow Room

For an extended period of time Fig Garden's top place to be is restaurant/bar: The Elbow Room. Large patio, plush booths, nice big long bar, it truly is the Cheers of Fresno. Sounds good, right?

Sure. Sometimes.

Then, other times, it feels like a big hangout for douchebags and North Fresnan cougars. We are confused. Is the Elbow Room a place for douches or just a good place to eat and have a drink? And if it is douchey, are we douches for going there?

Monday Morning Hangover: Nothing starts a week off like a bigass bowl of ice cream

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour in Fig Garden Village. This was THE place in Fresno to have your birthday party in the late seventies; right before Blackbeard's, Chuck-E-Cheese (at Blackstone and Barstow) and Festival Game Palace. Sadly, only Blackbeards remains (and it still looks the same).

But, thankfully, there is YouTube to remind us of these places. Places my inner Fresno Child's imagination still goes to from time to time. The candy shoppe, the drum (still at Applebee's Fig Garden), the siren and the insanity when it was someone's birthday (birthday singing in restaurants was less annoying then). And, just look at how this Farrell's girl goes total apeshit describing the Farrell's Zoo Sunday:

Thank you to the Wild Williams blog for unknowingly letting me steal inspiring this post. Christi shares some more memories of Farrell's in her post. Check it out! If you need more Fresno memories, there is always the greatest Fresno thread of all time.

Tomodachi - A review...sorta

The Fresnan isn't the best at reviewing stuff...yet, here we are. Went to a semi-new place in Fig Garden Village called Tomodachi. It's a kinda Japanese fast food place.

Several dishes on the menu, mostly involving chicken and rice bowls. Mine was perfect and you can see it in the video. But, apparently, they've just changed the menu and that particular bowl is gone. That sucks, you Tomodachi sons-a-bitches.

Ahh well, check out the video anyways. (Told ya we suck at reviewing)