It seems out-of-towners got the hot tip about a kitschy-fabulous
local spot. On any given day
– particularly in the summer – Casa de Fruta is overflowing with
tourists exclaiming about the food, entertainment and activities at
the roadside stop. But many locals seem to assume if they’ve been
once, they never need to go again. Or, locals think of Casa de
Fruta as the place to park for t
he Renaissance Faire.
It seems out-of-towners got the hot tip about a kitschy-fabulous local spot. On any given day – particularly in the summer – Casa de Fruta is overflowing with tourists exclaiming about the food, entertainment and activities at the roadside stop. But many locals seem to assume if they’ve been once, they never need to go again. Or, locals think of Casa de Fruta as the place to park for the Renaissance Faire.
Clearly, it’s time to take a new look at an old friend.
The Zanger family ancestors planted the first orchards in the Pacheco Valley 99 years ago. In the early 1940s, three teenage Zanger brothers – George, Joseph and Eugene – opened a cherry stand on the Pacheco Pass Highway. Putting their keen business sense and entrepreneurial spirit to work, the brothers created the mini-roadside paradise that exists today. Joseph and Eugene, the two remaining brothers, still run Case de Fruta, along with the next generation of family members.
The new generation of Zangers hasn’t been resting on the family laurels. Instead, they’ve added new features to Casa de Fruta, such as the double-decker carousel made in Venice, Italy, which was installed about a year ago.
“The carousel is one of my favorite things, because it has cups on it that you can spin in and they aren’t hard to spin,” said Katrina Zanger, 14. “One of my other favorite things is the strawberry waffles at the restaurant.”
The novelty of having a “top floor” on a carousel was an obvious hit with Jacob Dehoyos, 7, of Fresno, who rode his horse like he was at the rodeo – one hand gripped tightly on the reins of his second-story bronco and the other hand raised high in the air.
The nearby Casa de Sweets is a Wonka-like wonderland for kids, with shelves packed tight with everything from Jujubes, giant jaw-breakers and salt water taffy to bonbons, candy apples and peanut butter cups the size of cupcakes.
Here, kids rule, tugging parents from one table’s smorgasbord of sugary treats to another.
“I would like a vanilla ice cream with sprinkles on it, please – the colorful ones,” said Spencer Simoes 7, of Visalia, as he ordered from the vast selection of ice creams.
Just across the way is Casa de Wine, the adult wonderland where circular displays show off a dizzying array of wines and high ceilings accented by wrought iron chandeliers add a touch of romance. The non-drivers can take advantage of the wine tasting bar, as Bernadette Anaya and Carol Guillen of Madera did on a recent weekend. The women oohed and aaahed over several selections, but decided the Black Muscat Blush champagne ($14.99) and Blackberry wine ($13.99) were their favorites, respectively.
“You can add club soda to some of the wines for a twist or pour the blackberry wine over ice cream,” said Tom Johnson, who works behind the wine tasting bar.
Carousels, candy shops and wine tasting not eclectic enough for you? Then board Casa de Choo-Choo, a scale model narrow-gauge train that takes you on a 15-minute ride around the 20-acre property. On the way, visitors see antique farm equipment, reminiscent of the fruit stand’s early days, along with live buffalo, a rare white peacock or several regular peacocks and peahens, Texas longhorn cattle, white European fallow deer and the kid-favorite spooky haunted tunnel.
“He loves trains, so the train ride is a big hit,” said Hollister resident Lupe Muniz of her 4-year-old son, Frankie Hernandez. “We come out here a lot to ride the train.”
Other visitors to Casa de Fruta eschew the indoor facilities and train rides to simply stroll the grounds, dotted with ponds – one that’s home to a giant catfish – and waterwheels, as well as shady patches under large tree canopies.
But the die-hard traditionalists zero in on Casa de Fruta for one reason, and one reason only: the fruit stand.
“I’ve been coming here over the years, and this place just gets better and better,” said Lancaster resident Laurie Fary, who has been coming to Casa de Fruta since she was a child. “They have so much here – not only the things to do, but the food. You could never find all this stuff in one place anywhere else. It’s great. Every time I come here there’s something new.”
Kari Humble, who stopped at the stand on the way from Modesto to Aptos, said she’s been coming to Casa de Fruta since she was a child, too, primarily to buy fresh fruit from the wide selection.
The fruit stand sells everything from grapes, nectarines, apples and figs to cantaloupe already halved and cling-wrapped with a fork and knife so it’s ready to eat. There are also huge tables covered with every dried fruit imaginable, including kiwi, papaya, pineapple, pear and banana, as well as displays full of sweets, such as chocolate-covered coconut haystacks, yogurt-covered malt balls, chocolate caramels and peanut brittle.
As if that wasn’t enough for any mortal food junkie, Casa de Fruta is home to prunes rolled in chili powder, dried and salted peas, flavored pumpkin and squash seeds and a wide variety of nuts flavored in any way imaginable, including glazed or sesame walnuts and orange honey almonds.
“I’ve been passing by here for years and I’ve never stopped,” said Mojave resident Miranda Montoya. “I’m really glad we did.”
