Fresno Famous

Good Burger

Speaking of good burgers, there was a hamburger place on Shields Ave, by McLain HS called Ken’s Coral (had one by Fresno State also). A great place to eat lunch while going to McLane. It was there long before the Burger King opened up on the corner

stadium french burger!!!!!!

yummy...I worked there when I was 15...we used to prepare in
advance for the relays....tons of milkshakes...
here goes......
about l/4 lb. pattie (rectangular shape)
french roll..split
cheese (american or cheddar)
chili.....mustard..onions grilled optional...

grill pattie....toast roll on grill while cooking meat....
top meat with cheese to melt....dip toasted roll into chili-heated...
top roll with cooked meat w/melted cheese..add mustard...add a little extra chili...top with other half of roll also dipped in chili....
enjoy....my husband of 46 years picked me up after work and I would
bring him a "french burger"...

lesterburger

longs in fig garden village has a photo of lesterburger on the back wall

Karsh's Bakery

An no one makes a bagel like Mrs. Karsh either. Maybe we can convince Andy to break out the family recipes.

Best French Burgers Cafai Madie Maroa & Shaw

The best French Burgers I ever ate were at the CAFAI MADIE it was a spot for manny Fresno state students to study -meet & eat I was 11 years old & my Mother & Brother would go ther every fri day Back then we would see manny HIPPIES hanging their ahh 1971 what a year!!!!!!!!!!!

Rainbow ballroom

The Rainbow Ballroom was located on Broadway on the west side of the street somewhere between Divisadero and Tuolomne. I went to many concerts there and was also at the Big Brother with Janis Joplin concert. I also remember Paul Revere and the Raiders, Dick and DeeDee and I think possibly Santana played there or possibly the Marigold before they were famous?? My first concert was when the Doors played at the Fresno Fairgrounds. That was an incredible concert. Jim Morrison was so drunk he could hardly stand up. I sat in a crowd of people smoking pot and got pretty stoned. I didn't even know what pot was yet but the concentrated smoke really got me high so I really enjoyed the concert! LOL

Crest theater at night

This is a picture of the Crest theater taken at night in 1951 by my grandfather. He designed and built the marquee and sign at a cost of $12,000 in 1949. He also designed and built the Warnors, Wilsons and Tower theater signs and marquees along with many other famous neon signs throughout the valley. These signs were spectacular at night and really lit up the city!

http://www.krcenterprises.com/Fresno/

Karsh's Bakery

THE BEST Banana Nut cake ever & their Paklava was darned tasty, too!

lost jingle

I used to work in the little coffee shop at the Mayfair market in Manchester Center. Terrible place with absolutely insane workers. I used to shop at the Mayfair on Olive in front of Drug Fair. Loved that store!!

lost jingle

Radio ad jingle from the 60's

Get more, get more, get more for your money at Mayfair Market.

Consumers was it!!

Thanks!! That was it. Yea, I got a lot of great stuff as well but the sale didn't last very long. Everything really went fast. I got two killer talking scales that told you how much you weighed and if you were getting fat! I loved that store!!

re: Help with name of store

I think you might be thinking of Consumers. They were a small catalog store I believe where either Tuesday Morning or Trader Joes is at Blackstone and Barstow. I remember when they closed down they couldnt mark down their inventory fast enough. I picked up a full set of weights and a nice weight bench for like 10 bucks brand new in the box.

Re: Help with name of store

Was it Jewell's? (I tried searching the web, but there is no mention of them. So I am just guessing.)

That is the only one I can think of besides the S&H Green Stamps store. There was a lot of cool things they offered by turning in books of their stamps. The Savemart at Cedar and Ashlan Avenues would give out stamps each time you bought groceries from them.

First transistor radio

I was only 6 or 7 years old. My grandfather was very wealthy. We lived down the street from the mayor of Fresno. We used to listen to the huge black Transoceanic radio that used tubes and had big batteries to make it portable. One day my grandfather bought me a small pink and white Arvin transistor radio. I couldn't believe this little box could play radio stations! I took it down the street and all the people started coming out from their houses wondering how such a tiny little box could be playing music. I stopped at the mayors house. He had a teenage daughter. She ran out and was blown away and wanted one immediately. A couple of years later, I sat in front of her house again with another little box. I put an Elvis Presley 45 on this little blue box and started playing "You ain't nothin but a houndog." The mayors daughter came running out again totally amazed I could play a record on such a tiny box. Oh how life was so simple back in those days!! My brother, best friend and I would walk down the street to Mrs. Elee's house. We thought her dead husband was Robert E. Lee! She baked cookies for us every day and we'd sit on her front porch and talk. Does anyone remember the ice cream trucks that had a flying saucer ice cream or something like that? It had either a stick or a spoon and when you got down to it, if it had the number 7 on it, you'd get a free ice cream.

Help with name of store

I was on or just off Blackstone. It was sort of a catalog store and had lots of jewelry and small appliances and stuff. It was not Ardans or Best Products or Whitefront or Zody's. My wife and I are going nuts trying to remember the name of it. I bought a lot of stuff when it went out of business. I do remember that Best Products would not take credit cards but when you wrote a check to them, they demanded to see a credit card and wrote down the account information in case your check wasn't any good. What kind of sense did that make??

I rememberLucky Burgers!

I was just a kid. We lived on Wilson just down the street from Arthur Selland who was the mayor of Fresno sometime around that time. Lucky Burger made the best "real" milkshakes in the world!! I still remember the strawberry! The corner of Wilson and Olive had McManns department store. I remember a new supermarket that went in on Olive and Palm called Black's I think. I remember it because you could walk up to the doors and cross a beam of light and the doors would open automatically. We thought that was so cool!

Does anybody remember Sonny Boy drinks??
My grandfather owned Kaden Signs and designed and built all the neon signs for all the theaters in Fresno. My uncle helped design the Tower theater sign. As a kid, I got to go under all the theaters where the dressing rooms and other mysterious rooms were. Under the Warner's, there was a maze of rooms for the famous stars that used to perform there and also it connected to the underground tunnel system connecting most of downtown Fresno. I heard it was for businessmen to go from their stores to the banks safely. My grandfather also made the sign for Nidas which was a Mexican restaurant (or Italian??) on Olive and Blackstone in that V type area, or at least I think that is where it was. I can't remember exactly bu it later became a smorgasboard that made people sick. If anyone remembers the Nidas sign, it had a lady with a fan going across her face in neon. That lady was my mother!!

The pet store was Munger/Hansons. They supposedly had a falling out and each had their own stores. I used to go to Carnation restaurant on Olive for Halloween and they'd give me a huge ice cream cone with the best lemon custard ice cream I've ever had!

Nostalgic!

I remember Authurs Toys, The Cadillac Club, Wilikers Nightclub. Was it Strypers or Stryders (?) across from Fashion Fair. You'd buy a sandwhich and get a free sample of their homemade ice cream. The ice cream shop at Fig Garden. Wienstocks Dept store. The old original layout of Fashion Fair. Remember when you had to walk down the stairs in the middle of the mall to get to the bathrooms? I remember the Metropolis Club. I loved Fulton Mall. I miss the drive in at Herndon and Blackstone. :( Did they really need to tear it down for a Costco??? I use to shop at Millers Outpost. I miss Manchester Theaters $2 movies.

And I just remembered...

How cool H&H Hardware/Craft store was. Especially at Christmas when they had all the decorated trees out. I remember Showbiz Pizza on West Shaw. Thrifty's Drug Store. I use to LOVE to eat at Grandys. And this might be a bit off topic but God I miss the chili cheese burritos at Taco Bell and their Cinnamon Crispas.

Ross' Ballroom

I don't remember Ross' Ballroom, but I sure remember The Rainbow Ballroom. Somewhere around 1967 or 68 I went to a concert featuring Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin was the lead singer) I can't recall where it was located. I moved away from Fresno in 1970.

let us

Lettuce eat it!

Lesterburger

One of the coolest things about Lesterburger was that they wrapped their burgers in this yellow-orange paper, very exotic!

Does anybody remember a chicken takeout place called Chicken Delight ('60s/'70s)? They actually delivered...and when you're a kid, having someone bring a chicken dinner to your door is VERY exciting! Our fam hardly ever indulged in such extravagances, which made it all the more special.

See if anyone remembers.

the bakery was Karsh's Great everything!

Mr Keesling

My brother and I had Floyd Keesling as our 5th grade teacher at Jackson Elementary in the 70s. He was a WWII vet that served in Pearl Harbor. Lots of great memories - my favorite teacher of all time. He used to host a luau every year with a model volcano that would explode with some sort of fireworks in it. He would also break out the shalalee (a paddle) and use it when the boys acted up (I only got it once -:) He also let us use power tools like sabre saws and power drills to build planter boxes with scrap lumber he would bring in. His wife would come in on fridays with a carton of ice cream and cones. Today they would probably arrest him or send him to some re-education camp. Definitely a member of the Greatest Generation - God rest his soul.

Guarantee Savings bank

Somewhere I still have a Guarantee Savings coin bank. It was heavy and shaped like an antique car. When you filled it with coins you had to take it to Guarantee Savings where they had a special key that would unlock it so you could make a deposit.

Guarentee Savings

Who remembers that Guarentee Savings used to have a car from about 1910 parked in their parking lot for promotional purposes.

French Fries

Took a tour of that Carl's. The crinkly fries were pellets they dropped in oil.

Harpain's Dairy Chocolate Milk.

My Sister used to hate me drinking that, It would give me Super Extra Farting Power with all the Stink!

I haven't found nothing like that since!

Dick's Drive In, Angelo's and Lesterburger

Does anyone remember Dick's Drive In on Blackstone? Decent, cheap burgers. My favorite burger ever was Angelo's double cheeseburger with just mustard, pickle and onions. Angelo's has new owners now and its not the same, but I still hold the (old) Angelo's burger as the yardstick for the small, tasty burger.

I'm looking for a photo of any of the Lesterburger locations. I've tried the Fresno Bee, Doug Hansen and the library. Does anyone out there have one or can point me in the right direction?

picking grapes

Havent seen anyone talking about Fresno grapes. Used to pick grapes as a kid in the summer time. There was always a job somewhere, just have to drive around and look for signs. Would get six cents a tray, a tray was a square sheet of paper you would put between the rows and stack the grapes you were picking on. This would allow the grapes to dry out in the hot summer heat. A typical row of grapes you could get about 100 trays, and a typical days work would be about a row and a half. So you would make about $9.00 for a full days work, not bad for a kid in those days. Also used to pick cotton, harder work dragging big bag of cotton down the rows, but this is another story.

Fresno Bee Delivery

I remember quite well. The news used to be read in the evening. I delivered papers out of the Bee House on Mc Kinley, between Blackstone and Thesta. Lots of good times within the Bee House, great place to learn responsibility.
Thoughtful
Jack

hospital

I was born in 1955 in Fresno, at a hospital at that time called Sequoia, on Fulton st. south of Belmont ave. anyone else born there back in the day. The building is still standing. you can see it off the 180 freeway going south at the Fulton Exit. It was once used as a Halloween Screem in the dark attraction. after they closed down for the night, they let me walk into the room that i was born in. neat feeling. steve

harpain's dairy

what year are you refuring to for the dairy. As i recall, the dairy was on the corner of Dakota and Cedar, back in the 60's untill they closed it down around the lats 70's.As far as i can remember i believe that was the only location for it. what i remember being at shields and maple was Hank Swanks first driving golf range.

Harpains dairy

Don't forget their Chocolate milk,the very best I've ever tasted!

French Burgers @ Stadium drivein on blackstone ave. in Fresno

I and many others share your feelings about that sandwich.I have searched all over for the receipe.If anyone has it,PLEASE SHARE!

Anyone remember Balian's?

They were at the southeast corner of First and Shaw, where I think the Thai restaurant is now, next to DiCicco's. My sister-in-law worked for Mrs. Balian through high school and college. When SIL got married, Mrs. Balian catered the entire event and wouldn't hear of taking any money for it. She also gave her the recipe for her Armenian pilaf which we still make (yum!!).

Shock Theaater

Sabastian used to say:in a voice like count choulkla :Ok BOYS & GIRLS VER GOING TO SEE A REAL SCARRY MOVIE AH HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!

hughes and weber

Anyone remember a fruit packing plant on the triangle of Hughes and Weber avenues? We us to hang out there in the mid 60's before we grew up a little and graduated to Mid State Bowl. I also remember a abandoned winery on Dakota just west of Hughes, I believe the name of it was the Golden State Winery.

CRUZZZZZZE

YA I used to park at the little stop n go market at belmont& san pablow I had a plymohh baracuda n my freind had a doge charger n every sat night you could find us their AAAAA !!! 1972-74 the good years!!!!!!!!!

pool

was it Blakleys or Airways pool you are speaking of?

grocery store at first & ashlan

As far back as that was ,I think it was called "FOOD BANKS". Any other guesses out there?

I was born in Fresno in 1951

I was born in Fresno in 1951 and lived there until 1997.

I remember Tent City very well. During the 1940s it used to be a ballroom type place and Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys played there a lot. A lot of early Country & Western groups played there....before they headed down to play in Bakerfield.

If you research Bakersfield+country western bands....you might find some info on your gamily ballroom. There was a C&W singer from Bakersfield (Buck Williams?) who died about 4 years back. His website website is still running though and I think might mention your family's ballroom and some C&W bands that played there.

Harpain's Dairy

OH MY GOD! If I didn't know better, I would think you were my best friend growing up.(But she passed away a few years ago.) But what she & I used to do was ditch school(also Sierra..."GO EAGLES!"), & we would hang out at Harpain's all day petting the calves, & also stuffing ourselves with Hostess berry pies. Boy! Have you taken me back. I miss Rosemary soooo much! Thanks!!!!

I'll never get anything done again

The burger place by Winchell's Donuts was "Burger Chef." I remember when they first opened. I was attending Sierra Jr. High(now a vocational school at Cedar & Garland.) And I remember watching the construction of Ashlan Park Shopping Center. I grew up just down the street(Buckingham.) And I also remember going to Triple J's & stashing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" behind a completely different style of album, until I got my allowance to go buy it. And it was still there.

Stadium Drive-Inn on Blackstone Ane.

NOW YOU'RE TALKIN'! The only french burgers I've ever had in my life. I think about that place & those burgers now & then. Nothing else comes close to those. I can still taste them, & it's been many many moons ago that I ate my last one. This site sure does take me back to the "Good Old Days."

Movies delivered to your house

Murphy's Express was the name of the video delivery company.

Groundstar album

I was working at Tower Records in Fresno when that Groundstar album came out and it was one of the best-selling albums in the store at the time. It sold better than many major-label releases and I remember re-stocking over and over again to keep up with the demand.

re: Groundstar

I remember them, Lost a battle of the bands to them at Fresno State once. The album was called Forced Landing and it listed no musicians as I had heard so many different people played on the album it was hard to keep track who was who on what track. But it wasnt a bad LP. They had one minor hit on local radio I think called "Its all the same". it came out in 1980 and I think they moved to LA shortly after that.

Groundstar

Does any body remember a band called Groundstar? I belive they where a local band from about 1980. I remember seeing them at a Halloween concernt at the Selland Arena about that same year. I also believe they put out an alblum.

Gemco

You are right about Gemco burning...this happened in 1969 or 1970, just before it opened.

Was originally Lucky Burgers

The Lesterburger at Chestnut and Belmont was originally built by a couple named Walt and Elenor and named Lucky Burger. The original Lucky Burger was on Olive between Wilson and Roosevelt. It was not much more than a shack, but had the most awesome hamburgers.

In the late 60s, the Fresno Bee district 1 circulation house was in a metal quanset hut on Wilson just behind the Mohawk gas station. This is where the carriers would get their papers, fold and pack them for delivery. I had route 36, the east side of Wilson and west side of Roosevelt from Olive to McKinley. We used to get coupons for free burgers, etc from Lucky Burgers as incentives.

Walt and Elenor were in the process of building the new Lucky Burger on Chestnut when Walt died of a heart attack. Elenor couldn't keep both places going, so she moved into the new store and shut down the shack on Olive Ave.

There was also a great Italian/Greek deli on Olive by the pet store at San Pablo Ave. I can't remember the name, but my nose still remembers the great aroma that would hit you as soon as you opened the front door. The Tower district was like its own little city, you could buy almost anything in about a 10-12 block area.