Let’s talk food and the folks who make it in the Modesto region

We are suffering an era of profound disagreement. Be it between neighbors, friends, family members or online commenters, there are too many people too quick to pop off the handle about too many things.

But one area pretty much everyone can agree on is this: food is good.

Sure, we can debate what flavors and textures we like vs. those which we simply refuse to choke down – everyone has their own palate, after all. But generally speaking, we can universally give two thumbs up to eating.

We’re lucky to have a number of top-notch dining options in Stanislaus County and the Mother Lode – fine dining, cultural cuisine, pub grub, fast-casual, grab-and-go. We’re also an agricultural hub, which offers another level for food-related discussion.

Dine 209 highlights some of those places, options and offerings, sometimes focusing on a restaurant or other food provider, sometimes a personal experience, other times a particular dish or food, maybe some recipes or techniques. We’ll also seek out interesting personal stories from our local culinary world.

An important caveat: I’m not trying to sell myself as a culinary expert. Nor have I been a particularly adventuresome eater up to now.

For example, as much as I love food and, especially, watching TV shows about food, there are a lot of things I just don’t want to put near my lips. Protein-wise, I’m a big follower of mainstream cuts of the big four: beef, chicken, turkey and pork. I’m not much for deviating from those. Game meats? Um, no, thanks. Duck? Another time perhaps. Liver, hearts, tongue and all other things offal?

Dude, please.

While liking some shellfish – heavily breaded and deep fried for the most part, which of course masks the actual sea flavors – I am a constant embarrassment to my Italian-Portuguese heritage. I can not stomach fish.

I realize most people not only like seafood, they love it. There’s no way to ignore fish if you’re going write about food. So, at some point in this culinary journey, I promise to try a few locally loved fish dishes.

I also might open my palate to other proteins – is there a chef in the region with a duck dish that you think is a must try? Am I selling myself short by opting for chicken over lamb in my gyro? Are you willing to vouch for venison?

OK, maybe we’ll just ease into some of that.

The goal is for us all to become a little more expert about our little slice of the culinary world.

I want to hear from you. Clearly, I need to expand my horizons, so email us about your favorite local food truck, restaurants or dishes, comment on our Facebook page about fascinating people making wonderful food here, share your opinions.

Which brings us back to our original topic – bypassing this era of disagreement to highlight our local culinary commonality: Food is good – let’s eat!

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Let’s talk food and the folks who make it in the Modesto region."