Food & Drink
Taking Flight
With an eye toward family, community and quality, a flock of ambitious young restaurateurs open Blackbird, a seafood restaurant and raw bar in downtown Sacramento that’s setting its sights sky-high.
Déjà Brew
Before Prohibition, Sacramento was the beer-making capital of the West, and the largest hop-growing region in America. Here’s how an unlikely cast comprised of a Princeton architecture major, the grandson of a U.S. Secretary of Defense, a world-renowned grocer and a man known as the “Pope of Foam” conspired to create what may very well be Sacramento’s most authentically local beer in almost a century. The farm-to-fork movement is about to meet farm-to-pint. Drink up!
East Meets Best: Chef Mai Pham
She runs the nationally renowned Lemon Grass Restaurant. Her Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar concept has been cloned for college campuses, casinos and office parks across the country. She’s the author of three cookbooks, has a line of soups with Campbell’s, as well as her own brand of sauces and marinades.
Great New Places to Eat
There’s a saying that when one door closes, another one opens. Last year was tough on local eateries, but some very exciting restaurant doors have opened in the past few months, including one inspired by a food truck, another by a 56-foot-long bunny, and others by cuisines ranging from French to Mongolian and Indian to Southern (grits, anyone?). So feast your eyes on our favorite new spots, and you’ll see why we think the food scene is looking very sunny-side up.
Local Motives
A new Davis eatery with a decidedly local spin opens next to the city’s train depot. With its eclectic vibe and its modern take on classic fare, Our House is definitely on the right track.
Science Fare
What happens when you mix Iron Chef with Mr. Wizard? Molecular gastronomy, that’s what. How Lounge on 20 is reinventing itself with compressed strawberries, carrot gel and, yes, mango “yolks”
Q&A: Food Writer Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw follows his passion for wild food—first on his blog, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, and now in a new book, Hunt, Gather, Cook, a lively primer to sourcing, cooking and eating everything from elderberries to eels.
Message in a Bottle
Downtown’s new Tequila Museo Mayahuel pays homage to the culinary art of Mexico and the unexpectedly elegant side of the country’s most celebrated spirit
La Dolce Biba
Martha Stewart helped make her a national treasure and Darrell Corti says she makes the single best dish in town. Biba Caggiano has served up Sacramento's most authentic Italian food for 25 years.
The Lyon King
The former chef-owner of the Zagat dining guide’s highest-rated restaurant in the Sacramento region, La Bonne Soupe Café, is back in business with a cozy new boîte in Folsom.
Brewster's Millions
After a multimillion-dollar renovation, one of Galt’s oldest and stateliest structures is now one of the Sacramento region’s newest culinary destinations.
Wine Director of The Firehouse Restaurant Mario Ortiz
Mario Ortiz recently celebrated 40 years at The Firehouse Restaurant. He started as a 16-year-old busboy and is now the GM, and curates the region’s largest restaurant wine cellar (25,000 bottles!). The area’s best-known sommelier talks about his philosophy on wine, his encounters with everyone from Robert Mondavi to Andy Warhol, and some very spooky paintings.
On Sale Now!
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