The husband-and-wife team behind the Press Box Sports Grill has a soft opening date for a restaurant they say will offer a fine dining experience unlike any other in Fresno.

Davita Miller told GV Wire that Bulle at Marks and Herndon avenues will open March 24. She and husband Tom plan the grand opening for April. The opening comes after several years of preparation.

“We wanted to bring something amazing here. A lot of people go out of town to enjoy good food, to be spoiled, and we have nothing like this in the Central Valley, so that’s the reason why we decided, ‘Hey, let’s do this,’ ” Miller said.

Bulle will feature a chef’s table, where a couple can spend hours and get personal treatment from the chef and cooks. There also will be a whiskey room.

With the furniture in place, decorations nearly all set, and the kitchen equipment installed, only the final touches are needed, Miller said.

And while it may be some time before they can pursue a Michelin star, the Millers brought on a chef who has a lengthy resume of helping restaurants do that.

Chef Max McCarthy Has Acquired Michelin Stars

Bulle’s chef is Max McCarthy, who says the region’s fresh vegetables and herbs give him plenty to work with year round. He designed the menu to be fresh, sustainable, California cuisine rotating  with the seasons.

Opening in spring means a wide variety of produce to choose from, McCarthy said.

“Central Valley, opening up a restaurant, the product is best in spring. Spring is my favorite season, too. All my favorite little veggies and product from the sea, it’s all at its peak.”

Staples includes dry-aged duck, beef, and seafood, and  produce sourced straight from the farm.

“It’s going to be very fun, approachable, but also very formally plated and very elegant,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy got into the restaurant business during high school, he said. At 16, he helped establish Sessions West Coast Deli before a scholarship got him into the Culinary Institute of America.  Traveling across the country, McCarthy has worked at ultra fine-dining restaurants Alinea in Chicago and Quince in San Francisco.

He learned desserts and pastries after the COVID shutdown led him to Nobu in Newport Beach, where he became lead pastry chef. That dessert experience will make its way into the menu at Bulle, he said.

His work in Miami especially set him apart. In 2023, as chef de cuisine at Le Jardinier, he helped helped the restaurant retain its Michelin star two years in a row.

That breadth of experience has laid the foundation for the challenge of making Bulle a success, McCarthy said.

Chef’s Table Gives Guest a Personal Experience

One of Bulle’s hallmarks will be the chef’s table, where a couple can reserve a seat directly adjacent to the kitchen. There, the couple can decide whether they want a few courses or 20. Cooks plate everything before the two guests and talk about the food.

“If you want to have fun and you want to sit there and eat snacks all night … we’re more than willing to do that for you,” McCarthy said. “But if you want to get a really serious 10-course menu and learn about the philosophy of the cooking and the restaurant, we’ll show you everything there is.”

Drinks and desserts will also be main features. The Millers hired Conner Jessop as the beverage director and mixologist. He said he’s working closely with McCarthy to develop a drink menu to complement the dishes.

Overseeing the restaurant is general manager Devon Carabajal, He says he wants to create a place where people feel like they’re on vacation.

“I want them to just take their time eating, explore the food menu, try all these new things that maybe they haven’t experienced,” Carabajal said. “Explore new wines, explore new cocktails, and just enjoy themselves, get lost in the moment.”