3 Best Restaurants in Merced, The Central Valley

In a downtown Tuscan-theme bakery, bar, and bistro, chef Vincent DeAngelo, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, brings his considerable skills to chicken Parmesan, calamari steak dore, and other Italian favorites. All breads, buns, cakes, pizzas, and other baked delights are made on-site in a New York brick oven.

Hash browns, grilled-cheese sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, and similar fare are served at this downtown breakfast and lunch joint. The outdoor tables are nice in the morning provided the weather is, too, which (other than wintertime) is likely.

Elegant yet unpretentious Five Ten serves upscale bistro-style meals at reasonable prices. Sit at candlelit tables and watch the cooks in the open kitchen craft dishes on a seasonal menu that always includes soups (try the mushroom bisque), salads, pastas (among them chicken penne with bacon and tomato), and chicken marsala and other bistro staples. Local vintages and bottlings from around the globe grace the impressive wine list. The on-site After 5 Bar & Lounge lures locals with craft-beer flights and creative martinis. In fair weather, ask for a table outside under the stars.