Hidden Adventures: School House Restaurant and Tavern
SANGER, Calif. (KFSN) -- As Highway 180 begins its incline toward the foothills east of Fresno, an old school house comes into view. The building once housed students of the Frankwood School District. Inside, relics of days gone by decorating the space-- from wooden desks to old class pictures to pieces of slate chalkboard used for platters.
For 30 years this place was known as the Sherwood Inn, but after sitting vacant for nearly 10 years. Ryan and Michelle Jackson, along with a close family friend, bought the building and turned it into The School House Restaurant and Tavern. The couple describes the cuisine as a contemporary twist on classic favorites in a relaxed setting.
But for Ryan, a Reedley native, what makes his restaurant unique and worth the trip is his style of cooking.
"It's scratch cooking-- which is not done a whole lot anymore. There's not a lot of places in this area that can do that."
Ryan grinds his own meat, makes his own ketchup, mayonnaise, and barbeque sauce but also savory gravies
"We get our veal bones, our chicken bones in, we roast those, simmer them for about eight hours. Start to reduce this down."
Three days later, a cabernet mushroom gravy for the restaurant's signature dish "Dean's List Meatloaf." The menu has options for every palette-- lunch or dinner or Sunday Brunch.
