Trelio Restaurant - Clovis, CA

[ronnie_suburban]

The name's the same but Treilo Restaurant in Clovis has been under new ownership for about 6 months. What lay ahead promises to be exciting as the new team is knowledgable and extremely well-seasoned. Brothers Chris and Mike Shackelford run the front and back of the house respectively, bringing their vast experience and enthusiasm to the party. Chris was formerly the sommelier at Erna's Elderberry House in Oakhurst, CA. Mike has cooked all over the country and has spent time working not only for some well-known Certified Master Chefs but also in some of the top kitchens in NYC.

About 2 weeks ago, I had one of the best lunches I've had in a long, long time at Trelio. I cannot stop thinking about it. I even get a bit melancholy when I think about the 2,000 miles between my door and Trelio's. Getting back there will be a bit difficult for me.

Despite it's comfortably-cozy and airy space, a fine dining aesthetic permeates Trelio -- not so much as to hinder the casual vibe which is intended -- but enough to let you know that you are in extremely capable hands. Preparations are thoughtful and presentations are beautiful. The wine selection is world-class. Service is thorough and personal. No detail is overlooked as the Trelio team takes every opportunity to let their food show you how much they care . . .

We started with an assortment of house-baked breads and delicious condiments. From left to right the condiments are Fromage Blanc with Roasted Garlic, Roasted Red Pepper puree with Kalamata Olive and local Butter blended with Fleur de Sel. I don't remember all the breads but the 2 types of breadsticks on the right were filled with parmesan cheese and anchovy puree.

A close-up look at the Bacon and Cheese bread.

Crab, avocado, otoro, etc.

Pate de Campagne with truffled green beans, fried onion rings, grainy mustard and zucchini bread.

Marinated beets with goat cheese cream.

Butternut squash soup with tortellini, black truffles, crispy potato nugget (filled with truffle) and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Caesar salad with coddled egg dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano and ficelle croutons.

Heirloom tomato salad with basil and scallops. The stripes on the plate are saffron emulsion, garlic-cilantro cream and pureed Kalamata olive.

Grilled chicken sandwich with tomato, avocado and crispy pancetta, etc.

Croque Monsieur on sourdough toast -- smoked ham, gruyere cheese, pomery mustard -- with mixed greens.

'Club' sandwich with seared tuna steak, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, etc.

Deep-fried Sloppy Joe, which was absolutely inspired. Alongside are portabello mushroom fries and a delicious dipping sauce.

Close-up look at the most decadant Sloppy Joe of all time.

Not pictured are a couple of great desserts we tried, including a creamy-licious New York-style Cheesecake and an even more enjoyable Gorgonzola Cheesecake. Unfortunately, the 3 bottles of wine finally caught up with me and I forgot to snap pics of the desserts.

Everything we tasted was delicious and immaculately fresh. It was one of those meals where the food -- and the manner in which it was prepared -- seemed to signify the region in which it was served. And on that note, we enjoyed some stellar wines -- more than one, locally-produced and -- of such limited release, I doubt I'll ever see any of them again. I don't remember the details but I'm hopeful that one of my companions will remind me so that I can report back.

Trelio's lunch menu is undoubtedly playful but it's clear that the plates are being turned out by a crew with a world of experience and some serious cooking chops. The little touches were innumerable. They were reminiscent of a more formal experience, yet presented in such a disarming and capricious way, that they made me smile. And even now, in spite of the 2,000 miles between Trelio and me, I'm still smiling about them.

Trelio Restaurant

Old Town

438 Clovis Avenue

Clovis, California 93612

559 297-0783

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[maggiethecat]

That is a stunning lunch, ronnie -- beautiful and such a wide selection. Where is Clovis, in miles from LA? (Inland Empire?)

[ronnie_suburban]

That is a stunning lunch, ronnie -- beautiful and such a wide selection. Where is Clovis, in miles from LA? (Inland Empire?)

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Clovis is just outside of Fresno and pretty much in the middle of the state. It's about 230 miles from Los Angeles, about 200 miles from San Francisco and about 150 miles east of Salinas.

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[molto e]

Great looking lunch and nice shots...they really offer an eclectic selection. The initial courses are refined and the deep fried sloppy joe on the other end of the spectrum, yet delicious.

Edited October 2, 2006 by molto e (log)

[Misplaced_Texan]

My goodness, how many people were at the table?!

And maybe it's just me, but some of the Heirloom tomato chunks look like pieces of sashimi. I'm going to have to try this place out next time I'm in that area.

[Trishiad]

Having grown up in the area, I am shocked and thrilled at the idea of a delicious meal next time I visit.

Clovis is roughly the belly button of California. Many miles from anything.

[ronnie_suburban]

My goodness, how many people were at the table?!

And maybe it's just me, but some of the Heirloom tomato chunks look like pieces of sashimi.  I'm going to have to try this place out next time I'm in that area.

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There were 4 of us and I basically took pics of everything (except the desserts . . . DOH!). And yeah, I loved how much the tomato salad resembled sashimi. When it first hit the table, I could have sworn it was sashimi. Very playful and seriously delicious.

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[rjwong]

Ron, what a great find!!

How did you find out about this place?

And what were you all doin' in Clovis, California??!!

What's next, Ron? A Thai restaurant in Modoc County, California?

And there is one ...

[ronnie_suburban]

Ron, what a great find!!

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Yeah, it certainly was, although I can take no credit for having found it.

How did you find out about this place?

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The friends with whom we were traveling knew about it. They'd eaten at the aforementioned Erna's Elderberry House many times and became friendly with Chris Shackelford while he was the sommelier there. When he left to take over Trelio, he let them know about it.

And what were you all doin' in Clovis, California??!!

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We were visiting Yosemite National Park. Fresno is the nearest airport and our friends planned our schedule so that we'd be passing through Clovis right around lunch time . . . talk about great friends!

What's next, Ron? A Thai restaurant in Modoc County, California?

And there is one ...

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LOL! Nothing surprises me anymore.

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[syrah girl]

Gorgeous photos! I have a mini review of our dinner under the Fresno Eats heading on Aug. 23. We also got to know Chris from Erna's when we took in some of our homemade Syrah for him to sample. We were very pleased that he was opening a restaurant in Clovis. We had been to Trelio's many, many times over the years with the previous owners, it remained stellar and wonderful through the changes over the years.

We have not been for lunch but will soon, my husband also informed me that it's time for another dinner there soon. I also have a review on Tripadvisor titled "A Bit of the Elderberry in Clovis" under Clovis restaurants there with a couple of photos from our meal. Cheers!

[syrah girl]

They have a website also for those interested, www.treliorestaurant.com!

[syrah girl]

We ended up at Trelio for lunch yesterday, it's great having this place about 5 minutes from our home. We started with the Squash Soup, very similar to what Ron described, but we had some thin slices of bacon on our soup. It was excellent, my husband and daughter also shared this.

Next was the Chopped Salad with Romaine, Avacado, Serrano Ham, Fennel, Parmesan and a nice Truffle Creme Fraiche dressing. The salad was quite large but very good, we took some home with us since the portions were so large.

My entree was the Sloppy Joe, I had it with the Portabella Mushroom Fries and a nice Aioli Dipping Sauce and a couple of Pickled Okra. Very good but filing and very rich. I took half of this home to eat, also.

My husband had the Croque Monsieur which he said was excellent. French Fries were the sides with this. We did not have wine or drinks, our billl was around $30 for 3. Next we will be back for the Crab Cakes and Field Greens and a nice glass of Viognier that I will ask Chris to hand-pick for us.

We have yet to try desserts since Chris took over, but will make a special outing for coffee and desserts soon. This is a great lunch spot, not too crowded and service was very attentive and efficient.

[syrah girl]

Correction to the previous post, we did have a chocolate lava cake when we had dinner here. It was excellent, no desserts for lunch yet tho, I'm assuming they may be different than ones offered on the dinner menu. It's all good here!