Author: Carla Meyer

The Chu Mai dining room with a set of portraits showing the mother of chef Billy Ngo

In the Name of the Mother

With Chu Mai, James Beard Award-nominated chef Billy Ngo honors his mom and the dishes he grew up loving, while putting his own spin on Vietnamese and Chinese classics. The result is a noteworthy new restaurant whose dishes taste both comfortingly familiar and excitingly fresh.
Carla Meyer, Photography by Jeremy Sykes,
Garden at the Line

Garden Party

A new design-forward beer garden in East Sacramento offers dozens of craft brews on tap and craveable mix-and-match dishes from 10 different purveyors. At Garden at the Line, you can have your fresh Kru sashimi and eat your hot Nash & Proper fries too.
Carla Meyer, Photography by Jeremy Sykes,
The crowded bar of Cantina Pedregal

Northern Exposure

A transporting Caesar salad taco, a comforting cortadillo stew, a tender cabrito en salsa. The talented teams behind two local Michelin-rated restaurants, Nixtaco and Canon, come together to open Cantina Pedregal and bring the signature flavors of northern Mexico to Folsom.
Carla Meyer, Photos by Marc Thomas Kallweit,
Close up of a pepperoni pizza at Pizza Supreme Being

Cheese the Day

The same thin sourdough crust, zesty sauce and “world-renowned” cheese. Almost triple the space in which to serve up his slices of heaven. After going lean during the pandemic, the proprietor of Pizza Supreme Being goes all in with an expanded downtown showcase for his one-of-a-kind pies.
Carla Meyer, Photos by Marc Thomas Kallweit,
Mother Chile Verde in Cast-Iron Skillet

Mother of Reinvention

Talk about many happy returns: The team behind Mother—which closed in 2020—relaunches the celebrated vegetarian restaurant with an "evolved, grown-up version" in a bigger, splashier space, while bringing back fan favorites like its signature chile verde and nostalgic carrot nut burger.
Carla Meyer, Photography by Jeremy Sykes,
Eco-friendly, sustainable chicken, alongside a peach colored cocktail

Eat Eco

Greener eggs and ham ... and chicken and carrots. Restaurants around town, from Mulvaney’s in midtown to Almighty in El Dorado Hills, are dishing out planet-wise plates and raising their sustainability game.
Carla Meyer,
Cervecería co-owener Rod Archie and a photo of the restaurant's tree-shaded patio

Love Shack

The Urban Roots team brings new life to a beloved East Sacramento hangout, retaining its unique flavor while reimagining it with a Mexican comfort menu. Cervecería at The Shack, welcome to the neighborhood.
Carla Meyer, Photography by Jeremy Sykes,
The interior of willow and their cavolo campanelle

Chow Bella

Willow serves up love, Southern Italian style, with a side of colorful and texture-rich décor. After three tough pandemic-impacted years, the downtown restaurant scene is looking up.
Carla Meyer, Photos by Anna Wick,
Tapas style dishes from Juju Kitchen

Good Juju

The team behind The Press Bistro reassembles to open Juju Kitchen & Cocktails downtown, introducing new farm-fresh dishes and bringing back old favorites that we’ve missed. We’re reunited with chef-owner David English’s signature grilled calamari, and it feels—and tastes—so good.
Carla Meyer,