Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008

Hazel's gets updated look, fresh flavors

For more than three decades, Hazel's Elegant Dining in downtown Modesto set the standard for upscale restaurant cuisine in the area. Known for its seven-course meals and refined interior design, Hazel's attracted those who wanted the best in fine dining for everything from anniversaries and birthdays to business lunches and conferences. Located near E.&J. Gallo Winery, it regularly attracted a crowd from those executive suites and offices long before the downtown dining scene took off.

The restaurant's new owners, Jeffrey Stogsdill and Mark Barley Jr., hope to put their own stamp on Hazel's, 431 12th St., by offering top-notch cuisine in a setting that's approachable to the largest possible audience. They have replaced the lace tablecloths with linen, updated the interior with a more contemporary look and cut the number of courses of Hazel's signature dinners from seven to four: soup, salad, intermezzo (something to cleanse the palate) and entree. Lunches range in price from $12 to $17 and dinners from $28 to $45.

Having formally trained at the California Culinary Institute in San Francisco, Stogsdill and Barley promise to offer the highest quality food with the freshest ingredients. They want to create dishes with refreshingly new flavors, from honey-glazed salmon and blackened pork tenderloin to orange-glazed duck and whole wheat linguini with sun-dried tomatoes. They've added appetizers, including garlic shrimp and panko-breaded calamari strips.

Hazel's also has a revamped lunch menu that features items that are in keeping with the new culinary theme but can be turned around quickly to accommodate the downtown business crowd. Lunch choices include Oriental panko-crusted chicken salad, a pesto turkey sandwich and a blackened halibut sandwich. The extensive wine list and full bar remain, as does the banquet room with seating for 150.

Highlighting the changes is the dropping of "elegant dining" from the name. Stogsdill and Barley now call the restaurant just Hazel's. But in Modesto, Hazel's will always stand for something special. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5:30 to

9 p.m. for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant is available for special events on Sunday and Monday. For more information, call 578-3463 or go to www.hazelsmodesto.com.

Elsewhere on the Business Beat:

Nancy Stockdale knows she had a pretty healthy business plan, one that allowed her small Modesto business to thrive for more than 33 years.

But the owner of Nancy's Apple Tree Health Foods at 817 W. Roseburg Ave., in the Roseburg Square shopping center, has decided to close her doors rather than sign a new lease. Stockdale's long list of loyal customers would likely keep her busy for years to come, but she thinks it's the right time to retire. Current economic conditions have nothing to do with it, she insists.

Originally, the store was named Big Jim's Health Foods after her husband. She changed the name to Nancy's after his passing in 1982. Through the years, generations of the same families have come to her shop for herbs, herbal teas, vitamins and natural supplements. At one time, she stocked more health food products, but shifted away from those as mainstream grocers started carrying them to meet increasing demand. Still, there was plenty of business for her small shop.

Stockdale's lease is up at the end of the month, but her landlord will let her stay open for a while longer to try to sell off her remaining merchandise.

The life-sized poster of actor John Wayne, given to her after the store was robbed, isn't for sale, though. She said some of her customers want it, but she's undecided about the Duke's fate.

One thing Stockdale knows for sure is that she will miss the interaction with her customers. They were like family. "People who are into their own health are very nice people to be around," she said. "I love what I do. I look forward to getting up and coming to work every day. How many people can say that?"

Not many.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 527-5721.

There appears to be a move afoot to reopen Aqua Shi, the downtown Modesto restaurant and nightclub. There is a notice on the building at 910 12th St. of change of ownership from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control board.

No word on what the plans are for the place, which featured a sushi bar and Asian fusion fine dining. But it became known more for its lively nightclub, as a hot spot for the young club crowd and a trouble spot for police. In the end, what sunk Aqua Shi was unpaid back taxes. It closed in May.

Have an item for Business Beat? Send it to David W. Hill, Business Editor, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; or dhill@modbee.com.