It seemed a little odd to launch the 2007 Blossom Trail in the cold of early February. But the setting made a lot of sense: Folks gathered in Kingsburg, where restaurants dished up Swedish pancakes.

Fast forward a few weeks, and that combination of blossoms and food is an even better idea. Last week, blooms appeared along the trail on Adams and Mendocino avenues. All too soon, tourists will arrive in droves -- and they'll need somewhere to eat.

So here's a guide for chow along the trail. These eateries offer a variety of cuisines in all price ranges.

Sanger

A good place to start is the Blossom Trail Cafe at Academy and Belmont avenues, which has windows for prime blossom viewing.

Popular dishes include clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl and the Trail Blazer Sandwich, a French roll loaded with sliced prime rib, Ortega chili and Swiss cheese.

Also, fans of chef Peppino Caracciolo can find him at the Blossom Trail Cafe Thursday- Saturday nights. He cooks favorites such as angel hair pasta with chunks of lobster tail and tomatoes.

Breakfasts and lunches are served daily and cost about $4-$9. Dinner prices are about $9-$23. For more information, call the restaurant at (559) 875-2500.

Blossom Trail Cafe co-owner Rene Guerrero encourages folks to tour the Blossom Trail on March 3, when the city of Sanger will host its annual Blossom Days Festival.

If you head into Sanger, check out Fermin's Steakhouse at 7th and N streets. Last week, the American-style menu featured dishes such as salmon piccata and Chinese chicken salad among its lunch offerings. Dinners are a mix of high and low, with Australian lobster tail and New York steak with brandy-butter sauce sharing the menu with beer-battered onion rings and barbecued chicken wings.

Lunches and dinners are served daily. Dinner prices are about $10-$38. Lunches cost about $6-$15. Call (559) 875-1993.

Also with a Sanger address but closer to Tivy Mountain are two boutique wineries: Tivy Mountain Vintners (2523 N. Pederson Drive) and Cedar View Winery (1384 S. Frankwood Ave.). Try the Ranch Red, a red-wine blend, at Tivy Mountain. At Cedar View, the flagship varietal is alicante bouschet. Both wineries also feature bed-and-breakfasts. Call Tivy Mountain at (559) 787-9657 or Cedar View at (559) 787-9412.

Orange Cove

Folks who like Panaderia Vista Hermosa in downtown Fresno or La Dolce Bakery in Dinuba will enjoy the same treats at Vista Hermosa Bakery #2 at 279 Park Blvd. in Orange Cove. All of the bakeries are operated by the same family, says co-owner Alex Cervantes.

The Orange Cove location, on the orange-blossom portion of the Blossom Trail, is popular for sweets such as sugar cookies and tres leches (three milk) cake. Visitors also stop in for ice cream, Cervantes says.

Prices range from 40 cents to $3. Vista Hermosa Bakery #2 is open 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Sundays, the bakery is open 6:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Call (559) 626-7665.

Reedley

A must-see is Uncle Harry's at G and 12th streets, where owner Harry Horasanian chats with Blossom Trail travelers every year.

"If the weather's nice, we get quite a few," he says. "This goes on for a week-and-a-half to two weeks."

The restaurant is known for Horasanian's Armenian dishes, such as shish kebab and dolma (stuffed bell peppers). But other dishes, such as Horasanian's tri-tip sandwich and Mongolian beef, a dish of marinated beef strips sautéed with onions and bell pepper, also garner raves from his diverse clientele.

Lunches cost $7-$9. Dinners are $8-$19. The restaurant serves lunches and dinners Mondays-Saturdays. Call (559) 638-5170 for more information.

If Italian is more your style, check out Valentino's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant on G Street near 10th Street. Top sellers include the calzone, New York steak and fettuccine Alfredo.

Lunches cost about $7-$10. Dinners are about $8-$19. Lunches are served Tuesdays-Fridays. Dinners are served Tuesdays-Saturdays. Call (559) 638-3706.

Co-owner Martin Barcellos also has a tip for folks driving the Blossom Trail: Don't stand in the middle of the road to take pictures. Crazy as it sounds, Barcellos says he has had to honk at camera-toting folks in the street several times.

For a higher-end experience, stop by Jon's Bear Club at 1695 E. Manning Ave. After customers complained that his prices were too high for "a rural restaurant," owner and chef Jon Koobation says he dropped them by 20%.

Dinners include an 8-ounce New York steak, and pork tenderloin with caramelized onions, portobello mushroom, pilaf and a port wine sauce. Lunches include a grilled chicken sandwich with roasted sweet red pepper, caramelized onion, fresh mozzarella and basil aioli, and a Mediterranean salad. Check out the regularly updated menu at jonsbearclub.com.

Don't be surprised if you see fellow Blossom Trail travelers at Jon's. Tour buses stop by for pre-arranged lunches, Koobation says.

Lunch prices are about $6-$16. Dinners run $11-$19. Lunches are served Mondays-Fridays. Dinners are served Mondays-Saturdays. Call (559) 638-2396.

Kingsburg

No trip to Kingburg would be complete without a culinary exploration of the city's Swedish heritage. Picturesque restaurants on Draper Street include Dala Horse Restaurant (1531 Draper St.) and Diane's inside The Village Mall (1332 Draper St.).

Both cook Swedish pancakes, typically served with butter, powdered sugar, lingonberries and maple syrup. Both also sell plate lunches with Swedish potato sausage and Swedish meatballs. Dala Horse includes orange-rye bread with its lunch plate, while Diane's serves up a cardamom roll.

There are other differences between the two. Dala Horse sells an oatmeal pancake that's heartier than Swedish pancakes. It also features a Swedish potato sausage sandwich for lunch. Diane's also serves up Danish aeble-skivers, ball-shaped pancakes akin to doughnut holes.

Prices vary according to the number of pancakes, aebleskivers and sausages ordered. Breakfast prices are $5-$8 at Dala Horse and $3-$7 at Diane's. Lunches are $5-$8 at Dala Horse and $5-$7 at Diane's.

And if your fellow travelers don't favor Scandinavian food, both places serve non-Swedish specialties. At lunchtime, you'll see teenagers crammed into the Dala Horse, downing burgers and fries. At Diane's, one popular item is the grilled chicken salad with feta cheese, candied pecans and honey-raspberry-walnut dressing.

Dala Horse serves breakfasts and lunches daily. Diane's serves breakfasts and lunches Mondays-Saturdays. Call Dala Horse at (559) 897-7762 or Diane's at (559) 897-7460.

For more upscale, contemporary American food, head down the street to Jonathan's (1335 Draper St.). Dinners take place Wednesdays-Saturdays, where standouts include pork loin with a sauce made from homemade mustard, or the corn-fed prime rib-eye.

"As God as my waitress, let me tell you, this one will set you free," owner and chef Jonathan Evans says of the prime rib-eye.

Lunches take place only Thursdays-Fridays, and if you happen to wander in, opt for the pastrami burger or the BLT -- a half-pound of bacon with lettuce and tomato on a Mexican bolillo roll.

Lunch prices are about $6-$21. Dinners are about $19-$33. For more information, call (559) 897-4842.

You can sip wine and beer at Jonathan's, but if you're hankering for a full-service bar, go to The Hi Life Prime Steakhouse at 1671 Simpson St. Drinks begin at 3 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Dinners are served Thursdays-Saturdays. Foods to try include the lobster quesadilla, steak sandwich with salad, racks of lamb, and, of course, steaks.

Dinner prices are about $18-$64. Call (559) 897-3079.

Selma

Tourists who want a serving of Valley history with their blossoms should head to Sal's Mexican Restaurant at 2163 Park St. This is the flagship restaurant of Sal Salazar, a former farmworker who left the peach orchards in 1942 to cook professionally. Salazar died in 1980, but his legacy continues. Family members own Sal's, Bobby Salazar's and Henry Salazar's restaurants.

At Sal's in Selma, the dish to try is Sal's fancy burrito, stuffed with refried beans and chile con carne. The short ribs, baked in Sal's secret sauce, also are popular.

Prices are about $4-$14. Sal's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays- Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, and 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. Call (559) 896-0412 for more information.

If steaks are more your style, head to the Spike n Rail Steak House at 2910 Pea Soup Anderson Blvd. Prime rib and New York steaks are favorites, as is the chicken pasta salad with bowtie pasta, mandarin oranges, grapes, almonds and honey-mustard sauce.

This place is open 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. So if you want to get an early start, try the supreme French toast, says general manager Angela McMullen. "It looks like a giant cinnamon roll," she says.

Breakfasts cost about $6-$8. Lunches are $8-$25. Dinner prices are about $9-$25. For more, call (559) 891-7000.

Fowler

In Fowler, everyone heads to Elaine's Café, a tiny restaurant at Merced and 7th streets that features diner-style and Chinese food. During a recent afternoon, a stream of folks headed in and out, from the goth teenagers at one table to a lone man dressed in a cowboy hat and boots at another. Folks seemed to have a variety of favorites, ordering dishes such as fries, burgers, chili, egg rolls, Chinese chicken salad and more.

At about $2-$9, prices are reasonable. The café is open for breakfasts, lunches and early dinners Mondays- Saturdays. Call (559) 834-3919.

Polvoron

Makes about 20-30 cookies

For the cookies:

1 pound (about 21/4 cups) sugar

1 pound (about 21/4 cups) vegetable shortening

1 egg

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

51/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional 13/4 cups, if necessary

For the toppings (optional):

Chocolate chips

Chopped walnuts

Slivered almonds

Coconut flakes

Peanut halves

Sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the sugar, vegetable shortening and egg in the bowl of an electric mixer. (A standing mixer is preferred.) Mix on low speed just to combine ingredients, then increase speed to medium. Beat until the mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add baking powder and baking soda. Add flour in batches: Mix in 2 cups flour on low speed just until combined. Repeat with an additional 2 cups. Repeat with 11/2 more cups. Increase speed to medium and beat until the dough has a texture like Play-Doh, about 3 minutes. (If the dough is too wet, mix in more flour, a little at a time, until you reach the correct texture.)

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Select toppings, if desired, and place each in a separate, small bowl.

Scoop two tablespoons of dough from the mixing bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, roll the measured dough into a ball. Dip one side of the ball of dough into the topping of your choice. Place the ball on the baking sheet, topping side up. Flatten the ball of dough slightly with your fingers.

Repeat with remaining dough, re-flouring your hands as necessary to prevent them from sticking to the dough.

Bake until the cookies move easily when gently pushed with a spatula, about 12 minutes. If the cookies still stick to the parchment paper, continue baking and checking them with a spatula every couple of minutes. (These cookies should remain pale. Do not cook them to golden brown.)

-- Vista Hermosa Bakery #2, Orange Cove

Mexican-style shrimp cocktail

Makes 2 servings as a light entrée

For the shrimp and stock:

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

16 large, raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

4 sprigs cilantro, chopped

3 green onions, trimmed and diced

1 small jalapeño chili, halved and finely diced (if desired, remove seeds for a milder flavor)

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt, to taste

1/4 cup shrimp stock (from above)

1 cup clam-flavored tomato juice (preferably Clamato)

5/8 cup vegetable juice (preferably V8)

1/2 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice

For the accompaniments:

1 lime or lemon, sliced in rounds or wedges

Crackers of choice

To make the shrimp and stock: Combine garlic, water, salt and pepper in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Add shrimp; boil for 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat source and set in ice-water bath to cool. Reserve the shrimp and liquid. (The liquid is the shrimp stock.)

To make the sauce: In a bowl, combine tomato, cilantro, onions, jalapeño chili and avocado. Add lemon juice and salt. Mix ingredients well, then cover and refrigerate.

Remove garlic from the reserved shrimp stock. In a medium-size bowl, combine the stock, clam-flavored tomato juice, vegetable juice, ketchup and hot sauce; mix well.

In a separate, large bowl, combine 12 shrimp, stock mixture and refrigerated sauce; mix well. Divide this shrimp mixture into 2 margarita glasses. Use the remaining 4 shrimp as garnish. (Place 2 shrimp on the edge of each margarita glass).

Serve with lime or lemon wedges and crackers of choice.

Note: This recipe may be prepared 4 hours in advance to let flavors blend.

-- Sal's Mexican Restaurant, Selma

Swedish pancakes

Makes about 4 servings

2 cups (2% or whole) milk

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

3 eggs

6 tablespoons butter for cooking, plus more for serving

Powdered sugar

Jarred lingonberries (see note)

Maple syrup

The night before cooking the pancakes, put milk, flour, sugar, salt and eggs in a blender and blend well. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

The next day, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan so the butter coats the entire bottom of the skillet. Pour the batter in a thin layer (like a crepe) to cover the bottom of the skillet.

Once the bottom of the pancake is light golden brown, flip it over and continue to cook until the other side also turns light golden brown. Remove the pancake from the pan, place it on a plate, and fold it in half.

Repeat with remaining batter, dividing the pancakes among 4 plates. Butter the warm pancakes, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and serve with lingonberry preserves and maple syrup on the side.

Note: Diane's Village Bakery Cafe sells jarred lingonberries.

n       Diane Jacobson-Hurtado, Diane's Village Bakery Cafe

Rachel Cervantes, co-owner of Vista Hermosa
Bakery #2 in Orange Cove, displays a customer favorite called flores (flowers.)

Chef Elias Alarcon, left, and Rudy Ramos make final preparations to lunch plates during the midday rush at Sal's Mexican Restaurant