Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

52 minutes ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

54 minutes ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

17 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

17 hours ago

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

19 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

20 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

23 hours ago
Restaurant Week Offers Something New, Something Daring
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
September 24, 2021

Share

One classic Fresno eatery is using Restaurant Week to test new items on its menu. One new restaurant run by a familiar name hopes to use the promotional event to get the word out.

Restaurant Week is back, and for the first time it is being organized by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce (past events have been run by the local chapter of the California Restaurant Association). Eighteen restaurants are offering special menus or special prices for the promotion that runs through Sept. 29.

“It’s something that local consumers really have been asking for. And also, it’s a great way to support the restaurant industry right now. We all know that last 18 months have been incredibly hard on restaurants. And so this is our way of trying to help,” said Rebecca Johnson, development director for the chamber.

Customers can watch pizzas bake in the 610 degree ovens at Annesso Pizzeria (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)

An Old Favorite Tries a New Menu

Max’s Bistro & Bar (northeast corner of Bullard and West avenues; 1784 W. Bullard Avenue) has long participated in Restaurant Week. Executive chef McKinzie Bridges says she uses it to try new things on the menu. They wanted to give back to the customers who kept Max’s open during the pandemic.

“It’s just been really great for us to be able to do something creative and to put something out there. It’s such a fun menu for those regulars that kept us afloat during the COVID time,” Bridges said. “We wanted to put together some really strong flavors and kick off Fall with a really great strong menu with Restaurant Week.”

One of the specials for the Max’s Restaurant Week menu is Duck Confit — a King Cole duck leg on top parmesan risotto, French beans and red wine sauce.

“It’s something that we like to put on the menu in the fall in the wintertime. It’s a great holiday dish. We decided to debut it Restaurant Week,” Bridges said. “You eat a little a little hardier coming up on hopefully the colder season here. It’s definitely rich and delectable. And the confit is always a great way to go,” Bridges said.

Other specials include Mary’s Chicken Marsala, romesco (a zucchini and yellow squash pasta), and a lemon olive oil Bundt cake.

The duck confit special dish Max’s offers for Restaurant Week.

Why Max’s is in on Restaurant Week

“If they’re going to work or if they are not going to work, you have a nine day period of time to put it on the plate, see what the responses from the public.”Max’s owner J.J. Wettstead

Prior to purchasing Max’s five years ago, J.J. Wettstead worked as the general manager for 15 years. He enjoys participating in Restaurant Week.

“I love trying to get something new out in front of the general public and to create a reason to come back into the restaurants. It’s just a fun way to give back to the customers that have kept us so supported over the last year and a half,” Wettstead said.

He agreed with his head chef that the promotion is a great way to test new items on the menu.

“If they’re going to work or if they are not going to work, you have a nine day period of time to put it on the plate, see what the responses are from the public. If it’s not good, it doesn’t ever make the menu. If it’s good, we have places on the menu for it,” Wettstead said.

Like most restaurants, Max’s fought for its survival during the pandemic. It offered takeout and set up dining tents before being able to fully reopen indoors during the summer.

He credits his loyal customers.

“Our guests that come in here have been coming in here for a long time. This is an old established neighborhood. And we have three, four generations of guests now that are coming into the bistro. And we do a great job with them and try to make the connection with our guests that come in,” Wettstead said.

Max’s has lost some servers, but Wettstead has been able to keep his core group of kitchen and wait staff. He’s had to adapt to train multiple new servers at once, as opposed to one or two at a time.

“(Service) has to be perfect,” Wettstead said.

A look inside Max’s Bistro & Bar (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)

Annesso is New, But Owner is Third Generation

Jimmy Pardini joined the same profession as his grandfather and father — operating a Fresno restaurant. The Pardini name is best associated with the catering hall.

The younger Pardini opened The Annex Kitchen in the same building at Shaw and Van Ness/Sequoia Drive. In July, he opened Annesso Pizzeria (8484 N. Friant Road, at Fresno Street). The name is Italian for Annex.

The menu offers pizzas, salads and sandwiches. For restaurant Week, Annesso is offering a discount to try new pies.

“We wanted people to be able to choose and just go for it, try something new and have fun,” Pardini said. “Restaurant Week is great because it helps us get our name out there as a new restaurant in town.”

Annesso Pizzeria owner Jimmy Pardini prepares the Americano pizza. (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)

Pizza Inspiration

“Our pizza could be simply thought of as a hybrid between an Italian pizza similar to the wood fired pizzas we make at the Annex and a New York pizza. We don’t use a wood fired oven here (as the Annex does), we use a deck oven. It gives us a little crisper result than a traditional Neapolitan style pizza,” Pardini said.

Pardini says its about the dough.

“Dough is a living organism, and I’ve been in a relationship with it for many years now. The recipe comes from what the results that I’ve tinkered with over the years and what I found that I like and what would fit for this concept in this restaurant,” Pardini said.

Customers have already established the Americano as the signature pizza — a pink (vodka) sauce, pepperoncini, onion, fontina, mozzarella and sausage, drizzled with ranch sauce.

“That pizza is a very good tell of what Annesso is like. Annesso is Italian rooted, but we like to have fun with our pizzas and kind of strike those nostalgic American chords as well,” Pardini says.

The pizza bakes in a 610 degree oven for about five minutes, giving it a crispy, yet chewy crust.

As far as the controversial topic of pineapple on pizza, Pardini is in favor of it.

“We’re going to do things that we wouldn’t normally do. And so we’re doing our take on a on a pineapple pizza with very thinly sliced pineapple. And then when it comes out of the oven, we finish it with thin slices of prosciutto. So it’s a little different than your typical Canadian bacon,” Pardini said.

Pineapple on pizza? Annesso Pizzeria says yes. (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)

Max’s Owner Shares Favorite Burger Picks

Max’s is known for some of the best hamburgers in town, although they are not on the special Restaurant Week menu.

But what are bistro owner J.J. Wettstead top picks in the the Non-Max’s category?

He picks Colorado Grill, 5 Five and Vino Grille.

Max’s Bistro & Bar in northwest Fresno. (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)
Annesso Pizzeria in northeast Fresno. (GV Wire/Jahz Tello)

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

DON'T MISS

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

DON'T MISS

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

DON'T MISS

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

DON'T MISS

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

DON'T MISS

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

DON'T MISS

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

DON'T MISS

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

DON'T MISS

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

UP NEXT

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

UP NEXT

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor

UP NEXT

Dyer’s Lobbying Works. Fresno Gets $100M for Downtown From State

UP NEXT

Fresno Fire Destroys Home Under Construction, Displaces Six

UP NEXT

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

UP NEXT

Immigration Raids Leave Crops Unharvested, California Farms at Risk

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Anthony Michael Caldwell

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Powell Reiterates Fed Will Wait for More Data Before Cutting Rates

20 minutes ago

Visalia Police Investigate Morning Shooting Outside Bethlehem Center

34 minutes ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

52 minutes ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

54 minutes ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

57 minutes ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

16 hours ago

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

16 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

17 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

17 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

17 hours ago

Dollar Gains Ground Against Major Peers After Better-Than-Expected US Jobs Data

NEW YORK – The U.S. dollar gained ground against major currencies including the yen and Swiss franc on Tuesday after data showed a bet...

10 minutes ago

U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 19, 2025. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
10 minutes ago

Dollar Gains Ground Against Major Peers After Better-Than-Expected US Jobs Data

11 minutes ago

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

A tourist cools off in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel Tower as an early summer heatwave hits Paris, France, July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Tom Nicholson)
12 minutes ago

France Shuts Schools, Italy Limits Outdoor Work as Heatwave Grips Europe

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress," on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 24, 2025. (Reuters File)
20 minutes ago

Powell Reiterates Fed Will Wait for More Data Before Cutting Rates

A man was shot Tuesday, July 1, 2025, morning outside the Bethlehem Center in Visalia, and police are investigating the incident. (Visalia PD)
34 minutes ago

Visalia Police Investigate Morning Shooting Outside Bethlehem Center

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house that took place on Monday, in Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip, July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Ramadan Abed)
52 minutes ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

Documents tracking Senate votes are seen at the U.S. Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
54 minutes ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
57 minutes ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend