Dining in Steinbeck country: Time to envy the Joads?

California’s Great Central Valley has a rich mix of cuisines created by immigrants who come to work as migrant laborers.

California’s Great Central Valley—the most productive agricultural region in the world—has long been a draw for migrant laborers, said Gerald Haslam in Saveur. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck painted it as the other California—“not the one travel agents advertise.” Yet the valley can be a “great place to eat.” Over time, immigrant populations have created a rich mix of cuisines, and chefs are drawn by the proximity of farm-fresh ingredients.

Grandmarie’s Chicken Pie Shop For 82 years, this Fresno diner has found ways to keep people coming back for its signature chicken pies, starting with the breakfast menu’s chicken-pie omelet. 861 E. Olive Ave., (559) 237-5042

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