Food Profiles

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 decor. 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,
Burger Patch Owners Danea and Phil Horn alongside a Patch Burger

Planting Ideas

At Burger Patch’s new Land Park location, husband-and-wife owners Phil and Danea Horn think outside the vegan bun and launch an innovation lab, where they’ll be cooking up new creative plant-based concepts. Fishless fish tacos, anyone?
Leilani Marie Labong,
Quail Eggs on There and Back Again's Shire-cuterie board

A Shire Thing

At a new Lord of the Rings-inspired board game cafe, the owners welcome patrons—from midtown to Middle Earth— to “Speak, friend, and enter.”
Sean Timm,
Franquette

From Paris with Love

Channeling the cafe culture of the City of Light, the team behind Canon—including a husband-and-wife duo who trained in Paris—launch Franquette in West Sacramento.
Leilani Marie Labong,
7th Street Standard Chefs and Tikka Masala Lollipops

The Magnificent Seventh

East meets west for one of the best meals in town. Former Ella chef Ravin Patel draws from both his Indian heritage and French culinary background at downtown’s new 7th Street Standard restaurant. 
Leilani Marie Labong,
Mulvaneys Stronger Together Opening Spread

Stronger Together

Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney are arguably Sacramento’s First Couple of Farm to Fork. With Sacramento celebrating our region's agricultural bounty in September, we sit down with the owners of Mulvaney’s B&L to talk about the impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, the life lessons learned from Bobbin’s bouts with cancer, the controversy surrounding local caviar purveyor Michael Passmore, the importance of openly discussing mental health issues in the workplace and the community, and their efforts to lend a helping hand, one loving spoonful at a time.
Leilani Marie Labong, Photos by Max Whittaker,
The window of Restaurant Josephine, which features the restaurant logo; married co-owners Courtney McDonald and Eric Alexander

French Twist

Restaurant Josephine—launched by two former chefs at Auburn’s acclaimed Carpe Vino—offers a culinary tour of France with a delicious detour to Eastern Europe (think smoked salmon crêpe gâteau topped with caviar). Bon appétit and bon voyage.
Leilani Marie Labong,
Hank With Copper Rockfish Webres

Reel Talk

With his new seafood cookbook Hook, Line and Supper coming out on May 7, the Orangevale-based food blogger Hank Shaw shares some true fish tales.
Ryan Miller,
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Choco Loco

Can’t decide between chocolate cheesecake and chocolate mousse? Chocolate truffle and a chocolate bar? Have your cake and eat all the other chocolaty treats too with this over-the-top torte at Rick’s Dessert Diner
Jessica Rine,
The joojeh soltani entrée with marinated chicken and ground sirloin kebabs, basmati rice, grilled tomatoes and roasted Anaheim pepper.

Fire and Spice

A next-gen Persian restaurant opens in midtown, serving up classics like saffron-seasoned, flame-grilled kebabs alongside newfangled Old Fashioneds infused with smoked tea leaves.
Leilani Marie Labong,
Befunky Collage

Veggie Supreme

Two alums of Berkeley’s famed Cheese Board Collective launch Majka Pizzeria & Bakery in Sacramento, offering a different produce-packed sourdough pizza every day and miso chocolate chunk cookies for dessert. Here, eating your vegetables is as easy as pie.
Leilani Marie Labong,
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Going Green

Midtown’s Block Butcher Bar is getting a vegetarian conversion. Meet the meatless Love Child, featuring a vegan Double-Double, maitake mushroom “steak” and spicy soyrizo.
Leilani Marie Labong,
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Home Plates

Inspired by her mom’s Vietnamese feasts, a local restaurateur brings a taste of home to midtown with the launch of Saigon Alley Kitchen & Bar.
Leilani Marie Labong,
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Brain Powder

A pair of chocolatiers are marrying their love of cacao with the health benefits of ancient mushrooms to create tasty new ways to dissipate the morning fog
Curtis Yee,

Love at First Sip

Whether you’re happily attached or blissfully single, this pair of seasonal hot chocolates will help make your Valentine’s Day sweet and steamy
Curtis Yee,
Bawk 1

Fowl Play

The boozy bird’s the word at Bawk, R Street’s new finger-licking-good restaurant. A bucket of vodka-battered fried chicken with a bottle of Dom Pérignon? Oui, please.
Leilani Marie Labong,

Courtside Cantina

An eye-catching Mexican eatery has opened across from the Golden 1 Center, boasting regionally sourced south-of-the-border dishes and a room with a view that’s perfect for hooping it up.
Hillary Louise Johnson,