History
Remembering a Few Favorite Past Restaurants in Visalia Story & Photos provided by Terry Ommen
S
ince its beginning, Visalia has had an interesting collection of restaurants serving a wide variety of fare. And the eateries took
pride in the food they served. As far back as 1859, for example, the Jenny Lind Restaurant boasted that they served meals “all hours of the day or night” with the best food the “market affords.” When my wife and I moved to Visalia in the fall of 1972, we found a wide variety of eating places to experience. So after a half-century of living here, we occasionally reminisce about restaurants we enjoyed. Mearle’s College Drive-In (604 S. Mooney Blvd.) stands out as a family favorite. We remember watching the food preparation taking place in the center of the restaurant behind the horseshoe counter. Then there were the delicious hot roast beef sandwiches and hamburgers and a strawberry malt for dessert. And who can forget Mearle Heitzman, the owner in his business attire quietly watching over operations? He seemed to always be there. Hagopian’s International Delicatessen (409 N. Willis St.) helped give the town a worldly flair. Gerry and Richard Hagopian opened in 1970 featuring Armenian, Greek, and a variety of Middle Eastern foods. For us, it was our first time eating lamb shish kabob, and baklava, a tasty Middle Eastern dessert. Talk about opening up new gastronomic experiences! Then of course there was Yuet Sue’s Tea House (2332 S. Mooney Blvd). Opened by Yuet Sue and his wife Elsie, they timed their grand opening to coincide with Chinese New Year’s Day, January 28, 1960. The spacious restaurant had Chinese décor and featured delicious Chinese, Mandarin and South Seas food. Their Mandarin Cocktail Lounge offered a wide variety of adult beverages and a piano bar. The restaurant and its big sign out front was a Mooney Blvd. landmark for many years.
44
