Palmdon Drive? Palm. don. Can we agree it’s the worst street name in Fresno? I get it, I get it, it’s a blend of Palm & Herndon. Yeah well it’s terrible.
I don’t think it’s a legit street name. When you look it up in Google Maps, it will show where Palmdon Drive is but it won’t place the name on the street. I think the street sign holds as much validity as an “Only Bulldog Fans Can Park Here” novelty sign.
This block used to be a fig orchard. NW Fresno used to be filled with fig orchards. They are all but gone now. I lived in the neighborhood behind it when I was a kid and that fig orchard was our park.
I used to hit golf balls, play wiffleball, let my dogs run around and attempt to catch jack rabbits, and even hide from tween life. In later years it became a place to have “fig parties” but that’s a story for another time.
Now it’s just offices, car dealerships, Starbucks and of course, the Univison Tower:
Back in 2009 we dubbed it: “El Torre Chingon” (That Fucking Tower).
Not really sure why I feel like it would be better if there were still fig orchards around. It just feels wrong that they are all gone. Particularly this one.
Don’t be frightened. Farooq is not here to harm you. Their brand of sincere hardcore Fresno metal, is here to make you feel pumped and awesome.
They have a new EP/album-promo out on Bandcamp called “Heel”. Here is an odd BUT TOTALLY METAL, BRO review:
BIGGEST HEADBANGING POINT: The 2:13 to 2:31 mark of “Hoarders”.
STRONGEST MOMENT FOR THE F-WORD: Three seconds into “Ask Me”.
SECTION THAT SOUNDED THE MOST LIKE SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: The :45 Second to :55 second mark of “Ask Me”.
OH SHIT, THAT WAS COOL: When “Write Up” stops and he says “Are you mad ’cause I’m stylin’ on you?” At least I really fucking hope he says “stylin’ on you” because it’s rad and I will be saying “Are you mad ’cause I’m stylin’ on you?” to people all day today and forevermore.
THE PART WHERE YOUR MOM OVERHEARS WHAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO AND SAYS “WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU LISTENING TO, SON?”: The first minute of “Write Up”.
You may think that you can’t handle hardcore style stuff but really, I find Farooq more accessible than you think. Give it a shot. I love these dudes.
How does this new play area at Holman Park in Fresno, not have some sort of awning built into the budget?
Has anyone in the parks department tried putting their kid down a slide in Fresno in the summer? It burns. It sticks. I’m pretty sure it’s child abuse.
IT GETS FREAKING HOT!
In the Summer, you basically won’t be able to use it during the day. Just so you know – in case kids weird you out and you don’t know much about them – children like playing in the day. Sorta key for a play area to useful when the sun is out.
I’m speaking up for the kids…yeah that’s the ticket, for the kids. I, an adult male, would never want to play on this. Because I’m an adult and that would be silly. That slide doesn’t look inviting at all:
FIXABLE
Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe it’s going to be the last thing they install, since they are not quite done with the project. But I see no evidence of it.
Come on, guys, I want to slide-it-up in the shade… I mean my kid. My kid really wants to slide it up.
Years ago, doing this blog, there wasn’t much Fresno video content out there to talk about. Any time somebody shot a video at all Fresno-ish that wasn’t horrendous, it became post worthy.
Thanks, Terry. Please don’t fly over my pool at 10 o’clock at night – you will not like the footage that comes back. And by the way, did NOT see that as a video that would be possible 10-years ago.
This is megaplex beer. A beer you can have while watching a Marvel, DC or Star Wars movie. That sounds pretty damn rad to me.
If things go as planned, Fresno’s Manchester and Clovis’s Sierra Vista, will be serving beer (and wine too but, whatev) starting in August or September.
Since I am part of a craft beer show, I feel a beer obligation, a ‘beerglation’ if you will, to help out with the tap-list. I assume they will have draft beer served in plastic cups of some sort.
Here is what I think the tap list should be and I’m choosing ALL LOCAL, baby! Because #drinklocal. I am going to guess and say there will be ten taps, so I picked ten.
This is not MY dream list, but the most accessable list matching with the best local beer.
REGAL MANCHESTER 16 CENTER TAP LIST
99 Golden Ale – Tioga Sequoia Brewing. This is the kind of beer every beer drinker can enjoy on one level or another. The most universal you can put on tap. It’s a BEER.
Bog Man Brown – House Of Pendragon Brewing. Browns don’t get enough attention, which is odd since most people are OK with them. There needs to be one on tap.
Hard Root Beer – Riley’s Brewing. If you like your sodas hard, this one is that, plus it’s super tasty.
Mt. Whitney Extra Pale Ale – Tioga Sequoia. Best pale in town (if you like them on the hoppy side) and won’t get ya to messed up – aka: you can drink more.
Pacific Porter – Pine & Palm Brewing. Fresno’s newest brewer and showing a lot of potential. This one is getting good buzz too.
Tenaya Red– Southgate Brewing. Everything is super nice from these guys, this red is no exception.
Lancelot IPA – House Of Pendragon Brewing. At times it is the best IPA in the Valley, hands down.
Hobo Pilsner – Dust Bowl Brewing. Excellent pilsner and it’s another universal beer that would sell well.
Slauncher Imperial IPA – Kaweah Brewing. You gotta have at least one beer that’s going to kick ya hard… plus I have yet (I hear it’s pretty damn tasty) to try it and I just want to have it available in town somewhere.
Is this realistic? No. It’s probably going to be Bud Light and Shock Top or something with similar crapness. But a dude can hope.
LETS NOT EFF THIS UP, GUYS
Hopefully, no matter what beer it is, this brings Fresno one step closer to getting one of those kick-ass Alamo Drafthouses:
Pretty rad. They do have about 22 of those Alamo places spread out through the Southwest and one in SF, so it’s a possibility for Fresno.
We must mind our manners though and show people, like Alamo Drafthouse, that we deserve good beer in our movie theaters. Do you think we can do that, kids?
Let me know what beer you would want to have “on” in a movie theater or if you think Fresno can handle beer & wine at the movies! Leave a comment or Tweet me – @thefresnan.
Of course we waited for a table. It’s new and this is Fresno, dammit! Even if it’s an old-new place, we are packing it. The re-birthed place that we (and a lot of Fresnans) waited for is Popolo’s Pizza.
Hey, I know I know, I just reviewed another old-new pizza and beer place in Fresno, but we cried when the old Pops closed so I had to follow up and bring everything full pizza circle.
The Walk In
They still have the box car. There are booths! They seem to have transferred some of the wood paneling from the old place. The paneling looks a bit out-of-place if you had never been in the old one, but it felt good seeing as a veteran of the Blackstone one.
A bar! There’s a bar! You can see the taps now (they were hidden at the old place). Plus more beer! There is also much more seating! And an outside patio! I have not been on the patio yet but it looks cool and I hear it is dog friendly.
Salad Bar Disappointment
It just does not measure up to the old one, does it? Nope. Sad little trays instead of pretty bowls amongst ice. BUT WAIT! A quote from Popolo’s themselves (on The Fresnan’s Instagram page) about the salad bar:
“The salad bar is ‘under construction’ still at the moment. Keep an eye out for the improvement one it. It won’t disappoint.”
YES! Somebody listens to bloggers in this town.
Let The Mourning Begin
I was surprised to feel something after going to the new Pops. I felt a sense of loss. The closing of the old place finally hit me. It’s never coming back. I will never set foot in there again.
No matter how nice and cool they make the new one. No matter how many nods to the original and no matter how smart a move it was (and I can’t blame them a bit for it), I miss the old place and always will.
Thank you Popolo’s for keeping the place alive, even in another form. And thank you old Popolo’s for giving me all the tube TV, icy salads, beer, big booths and pizza feels for all those years.
How does this new play area at 
