Remote surveillance trailer in Modesto, CA

A mom, dad and son trio are opening a second location of their fusion restaurant in Stanislaus County.

Terracotta Poke Bowl has one location in Turlock and soon will have another in Modesto. It’s owned by Nick Chan and his parents, Carol Li and Anthony Chan.

“We opened our first restaurant just before the pandemic and it’s been a journey full of hurdles,” Nick Chan said. “Thanks to (Turlock’s) support, we persevered and are now proud to establish our second location here in Modesto.”

But opening a second restaurant came with even more hurdles. The family faced challenges with the county health department for two years before getting the green light, Chan said.

“From rewiring outdated electrical ground systems and addressing a grease trap that hadn’t been drained in over a decade, to correcting code violations left by previous tenants, we’ve completely remodeled the space to meet strict regulations,” he said.

Monday, Chan and his parents will get to show off the remodel — and their unusual menu — to Modesto. The restaurant’s soft opening, at 1801 H St., Suite A3, will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Originally called Terracotta Pub, Terracotta Poke Bowl serves Hawaiian, Asian and Mexican cuisines.

The name change came in 2020 based on customer recommendations and to better reflect the restaurant’s focus, Chan said.

Terracotta was Turlock’s first poke bowl place. Chan said he felt a poke restaurant was just what the town needed, and with his parent’s 20-year-long background in the restaurant industry, it “made sense” for them to start one together.

“Even when we lived overseas in Hong Kong, my grandparents and great-grandparents were also restaurateurs, so it felt natural to continue the family tradition,” he said.

At the Turlock restaurant, customers can order traditional Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, nachos and quesadillas. If that’s not what they’re craving, Asian options include fried rice, shrimp entrees, egg rolls and potstickers.

The restaurant also serves build-your-own poke bowls. And if you can’t decide what type of food you want, there are fusion options like poke burritos, poke tacos and poke bowls with meats like asada and chicken rather than raw seafood.

Additionally, Turlock customers can grab a cold beer to enjoy with their meal. Draft and bottled varieties are available at the restaurant at 3831 Crowell Road.

Why the unusual menu combination?

“It’s just all the food I loved in college,” the Chico State graduate told The Bee in 2019, when the first restaurant opened. “I just loved having a beer, watching sports, eating poke and Mexican food.”

However, the menu in Modesto will be slightly different. The restaurant is in the Smart and Final shopping center near Los Lagos Taqueria. With that, the family has decided to not offer the Mexican dishes that are on the menu in Turlock.

The meats — asada, pollo, pastor and barbecue pork — still will be options for the fusion poke bowls. Another difference: Beer will not be served in Modesto. “(Modesto) is a quick-service restaurant rather than a sit-down establishment,” Chan said. “I will aim to get more creative, adding or adjusting items to suit the new audience.”

Boba, which was introduced in Turlock around a month ago, will be on the menu in Modesto.

Chan’s parents will focus on managing the original restaurant while he takes the lead on the expansion.

“The second location is my opportunity to show them that I am fully capable of running the restaurant on my own, allowing them to finally retire and enjoy life after work,” he said.

The restaurant, off of H and 19th streets, will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m.

The Modesto Bee

209-253-9007

Dominique Williams writes about new business, restaurant and retail developments for The Modesto Bee. She is a Ripon native and a graduate of Sacramento State.

Rain is coming to the Modesto region, along with a significant drop in temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.

“With this next system, we’re expecting temperatures to cool to below normal, starting early next week!” the weather agency said on X, formerly called Twitter.

Cool down ahead!! With this next system, we're expecting temperatures to cool to below normal, starting early next week! Are you looking forward to the cooler temps? For your local forecast, visit https://t.co/7FMe5tvLcs and enter your zip code. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/RvGZ4lbTS3

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) October 24, 2024

The weather is expected to start shifting this weekend, with “increasing cloud clover and (a) chance for light precipitation” forecast for Sunday, the weather service said.

Here’s what’s in store for Modesto:

The latest weather forecast for Modesto shows cloudy skies on Friday, with a high temperature near 79 degrees and a low temperature around 52 degrees. Light winds at about 5 mph are expected later this evening.

On Saturday, the forecast shows mostly sunny skies, with continuous winds around 6 mph. The high will be around 78 degrees and the low will near 59 degrees.

Rain clouds will begin rolling in on Sunday.

On Sunday, there is a 20% chance of rain, with a high near 75 degrees and a low around 53. Winds are expected to sweep in speeds around 3 mph to 8 mph.

Skies are forecast to be mostly sunny on Monday, with a 20% chance of rain. The high will near 68 degrees, and the low will be around 52.

Tuesday’s high will be near 67. The low will be around 47.

On Wednesday, there is a forecast high near 68 and a low around 50.

Thursday will see “a slight chance of showers,” the weather agency said.

To prepare for rain, the weather agency said residents should:

What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.

Inside Look is a Modesto Bee series where we take readers behind the scenes at restaurants, new businesses, local landmarks and news stories.

You ever dream you’re on an island somewhere, then wake up and you’re still in Modesto?

That’s what eating at Cariblue Restaurant on Yosemite Avenue is like, but not disappointing. The new eatery serves Caribbean food — the only spot for this type of cuisine in the city.

The flavors of Cariblue’s cuisine will make you feel like you’re in Jamaica — and you don’t even have to get on an airplane.

“Caribbean food is very tropical,” owner Abel Cano said. “We (make) it like you are at the ocean.”

The restaurant opened Sept. 27 between Starbucks and Little Caesar’s in the Cost Less Parking lot. The location previously housed George’s Gyros.

Cano was born in Guatemala and moved to Redwood City around 16 years old. His mom started teaching him how to cook a year later — though the restaurant industry wasn’t his first career venture.

“I wanted to be a doctor,” Cano said. But medical school proved too expensive for the family man with a wife, two kids and a baby on the way.

He switched lanes and became a computer network technician, working at Intel in San Jose. He also became certified as an electrician.

Cano’s mom gave him a wake up call one day, motivating him to do what he loved: cooking.

Thirty years from the age he first started learning how to cook, Cano opened the original Cariblue Restaurant in Redwood City in 2015.

That restaurant, at first, had a mixed menu. It served breakfast and lunch with menu items highlighting traditional Mexican and Caribbean dishes.

Why? Because Guatemala’s culture is a mix of Spanish, Mayan and Caribbean influences.

“It’s very close to the islands,” Cano said. “In Guatemala City, they don’t have (Caribbean food) but if you go out of Guatemala City to the Caribbean side, you will see all this kind of food.”

But as his customers began getting a taste of the Caribbean, they wanted more. So much so, Cano transitioned his menu to solely Jamaican.

Nearly five years after opening his first restaurant, Cano brought his family to Modesto. His wife, Lulu, has a daughter who lives in Modesto and convinced the couple to make the move.

He didn’t consider opening a restaurant here at first, but Cano eventually felt a need to bring Caribbean food to the region.

“For four years, I noticed that they don’t have Caribbean food around here,” he said. “I said, ‘It’s time.’”

Caribbean food — as Cano describes it — is a different flavor in every bite.

Jerk chicken and oxtails are two of the most commonly ordered dishes. You can get them in a combo plate with rice and beans as well as sweet plantains for $18.99.

Other things on the menu include curry shrimp or goat, chipotle barbecue ribs, jerk polenta and fried corn bread.

The rice and beans are made with coconut cream. The plantains are like eating dessert, Cano said.

The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. One Yelp reviewer said “the homemade jerk season sauce was fabulous and I could drink it.”

Other Yelp reviewers praise the large portions, flavors and friendly service.

“I’m the chef, I’m the owner, I’m the dishwasher. I’m everything,” Cano said.

Cariblue, at 3801 Yosemite Blvd., is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Delivery is available through DoorDash and Uber Eats. Catering is available through ezCater.

As of now, the Modesto restaurant is the only existing location of Cariblue. Cano could not renew his lease in the building where the original restaurant was because apartments will be built on that land, he said.

Cano is not sure if he will re-open in Redwood City.

This story was originally published October 18, 2024, 4:15 PM.

The Modesto Bee

209-253-9007

Dominique Williams writes about new business, restaurant and retail developments for The Modesto Bee. She is a Ripon native and a graduate of Sacramento State.