The Central Valley Restaurants

Fast-food and chain restaurants are omnipresent, but homegrown bistros and fine restaurants take advantage of the local produce and meats. Superb Mexican food abounds, and Chinese, Italian, Armenian, and Basque cuisines are amply represented.

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  • 1. Guantanio's

    $$

    It seems as if everybody in Lodi loves bright and chipper Guantonio's, and, after tasting the family-style restaurant's wood-fired pizzas, it's easy to see why. Placing the area's pristine seasonal produce atop naturally leavened dough from "organic non-GMO flour," the chefs turn out cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), pesto and sausage, and a dozen more tour de force pies.

    600 W. Lockeford St., Lodi, California, 95240, USA
    209-263–7152

    Known For

    • Pepperoni pizza "Nick's way" with ricotta and hot honey
    • Craft beers and boutique wines
    • Soft-serve ice cream and cannolis for dessert

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch, Reservations not accepted
  • 2. Five Ten Bistro

    $$ | Modern American

    Elegant yet unpretentious Five Ten serves upscale bistro-style meals at reasonable prices. Sit at candlelit tables and watch the cooks in the open kitchen craft dishes on a seasonal menu that always includes soups (try the mushroom bisque), salads, pastas (among them chicken penne with bacon and tomato), and chicken marsala and other bistro staples. Local vintages and bottlings from around the globe grace the impressive wine list. The on-site After 5 Bar & Lounge lures locals with craft-beer flights and creative martinis. In fair weather, ask for a table outside under the stars.

    510 W. Main St., Merced, California, 95340, USA
    209-381–0280

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 3. French 25

    $$ | Cajun

    California meets New Orleans with farm-to-fork ingredients and Cajun-Creole flavors at French 25, an upscale restaurant near downtown Stockton's waterfront. Opened by the owners of Le Bistro, a local favorite for two decades, the restaurant evokes the character of New Orleans' French Quarter. Fried foods being a Crescent City staple, it should come as no surprise that menu favorites include the fried creole calamari and the fried-chicken entrée with malted waffles. Pan-Southern influences crop up everywhere, most notably in dishes such as barbecue shrimp and cheesy grits, jambalaya, and the zesty Cajun-chicken tortellini. F25's oyster bar, Bourbon Street–inspired cocktails, and desserts—among them sugar-dusted beignets and bread pudding—complete the Big Easy theme.

    110 N. El Dorado St., Stockton, California, 95202, USA
    209-451–0617

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
  • 4. The Lunch Box

    $ | American

    A casual downtown café and bakery, the Lunch Box serves healthful meals at reasonable prices. Choose from nearly 50 types of hot and cold sandwiches and wraps, more than 20 different salads, and soups such as chicken noodle and Tuscan tomato. Tandoori-seasoned salmon fillet and chicken verde enchiladas are typical daily specials. This is good place for a quick bite or to pick up picnic items before or after a visit to Sequoia National Park.

    112 N. Court St., at Main St., Visalia, California, 93291, USA
    559-635–8624

    Known For

    • Fresh, healthful local ingredients
    • Quick service
    • Many menu option and combinations

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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