When one thinks of culinary excellence, one thinks of Auburn Blvd.  One just can’t help it.  It is inevitable that one be drawn by the fine wafting odors of Sacramento’s “street of dreams” when hunger rattles one’s belly. Be it Taco Bell, Mountain Mike’s Pizza or the unnamed restaurant in the bowels of the Clarion Hotel, gastronomic greatness exudes from every street corner.

I kid, of course. Auburn Blvd is simply an asphalt ribbon of sleaze with a few gems floating in the muck, and lucky is one who finds the gem without getting a little bit of the sleaze on him.  One of those gems is La Rosa Blanca, a speck of a place wedged among a pawn shop a ubiquitous flophouse style motel and the Deseret Thrift Store (RULDS2?). Continue reading “A White Rose By Any Other Name is “La Rosa Blanca”” »

Last night found the Mrs. and me sampling the new L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen. We had been invited to an opening event for the joint and thought it an interesting destination for a Sunday night. We arrived at the location (18th and L St. in midtown) around 7pm and gave the place a once over; decorations were sparse but tasteful, very modern and angular (and almost 100% purchased from this catalog ). We were plied with wine immediately and given the broad choice of “white or red.” We went for the red which was an unpresumptuous shiraz/cab blend that followed a little gravelly and finished with a Jeff Gordon-like flare that one usually associates with only the finest clamatoes. (Honestly, the wine was fine, not particularly memorable, but pleasant enough to drink.)

Continue reading “L Wine Lounge & Zocalo” »

Gnl. Francisco Villa,
“El Centauro del Norte”

I live by a few simple rules, and one of them is: If “Al Pastor” is on the menu, I order it. That pastor makes some spicy delicious pork.

Earlier this week I decided to finally check out Pancho’s Mexican Grill, which is right in my neighborhood. Named after Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa, the “centaur of the north,” it’s your typical taqueria, with a large menu full of specialties. (The menu’s design could use some typographic hierarchy, would be my only comment–when you visit you’ll see what I mean.)

Continue reading “Pancho’s Mexican Grill” »

One of the great things about living in California is the never-ending string of Mexican restaurants dotting the landscape, like a rope of glittering pearls winding through the hills and valleys from San Diego to Crescent City.  OK, maybe I’m glorifying it a little bit here.  Let’s just say that it’s a great thing to be able to look in your Entertainment book, grab a coupon and head out to a Mexican place you’ve never been to and have a fantastic meal.  Monday night’s discovery was Rey Azteca on Fair Oaks Blvd in Carmichael.  Wedged between a gas station and a scrapbooking store, Rey Azteca (literally translated “Esquire Grill”) doesn’t exactly inspire confidence upon first inspection.  Murals cover the front walls, including a Latino State of Liberty and a scene of ancient Aztec glory.

Continue reading “Rey Azteca: A Rey of Mexican Sunshine” »

There are so many Mexican restaurants in this town that, when I write about them, I go for mass quantity and group them up in a few quick reviews like here, and here. But every now and then, one Mexican eatery stands out as a solitary beacon of either greatness or super-not greatness (God, I’m a scintillating writer). La Terraza, to my great chagrin, finds itself in the latter group. From service to atmosphere to food, this place fails spectacularly.

La Terraza (literally translated as “the terrorist” which seems like a pretty poor name for a restaurant) sits high above the tourist choked streets of Old Sacramento on the corner of 2nd and K streets. While this is not a bad place for a restaurant, I wouldn’t consider it a great place for a restaurant either. To me, Old Sac is best known for its parking difficulty (recently made more difficult by new meters and longer enforcement periods(good job Old Sac, way to drum up business)) and the suprisingly large amount of mass arrests that take place there during weekend evenings. So, from a local’s point of view, you have to be offering something pretty special to get me to head across 3rd street (Did someone say banjo jam?). Whatever a restaurant could offer to get me to broach the Old Sac/New Sac border, La Terraza doesn’t. Continue reading “La Terraza: Old Sac’s Answer to Chevy’s” »

Not being Mexican myself, or even Spanish, I have no idea what this title means. Like JFK in Berlin, I’m probably saying something akin to “I am a doughnut.” That being said, it’s always important to embrace the language, culture and food of our hosts, the people of Mexico; for,as FauxPaws pointed out last week, all of the land that we call home was once part of the great country of Mexico. So, in order to be one “of the people,” I have foregone my traditional Pellegrino and finger sandwiches for horchata and tortas, menudo and cabeza (which I think is Spanish for potatoes.)

Due to our recent relocation  to Del Paso Manor (literally translated “Manor of Paste”), a new world of restauranting has opened up to Mrs. Eats and me. So, if you find yourself on El Camino Ave (”Avenue of Cuddles”) and catch yourself hankering for Mexican food, here’s where you can go to get it.

Continue reading “El Camino de los Mexicanos” »

Everyone has their favorite burrito.  Mine happens to be from the same place that also supplies my favorite tacos.  If I dug a little deeper I’d probably find that they give pretty good massages as well.  Of course I’m speaking about Angel’s Fresh Mex on 16th Street at U.  I know that I’ve lauded Angel’s before, but they really deserve it.  Today’s chili verde burrito was a thing of gastronomic beauty, a pork filled tortilla sleeve of love.  It will be hard to ever look at a burrito the same way again without feeling a little dirty.  If you haven’t made the trip over to Angel’s, you’re not only missing out, you’re probably doing irreparable harm to yourself, your family, and in some small way, giving aid and succor to our enemies.  Go there, now, eat, enjoy.

I have just had my first experience at Totugas, the Ernesto’s owned sandwich shop on 18th and Capitol, next door to Zocalo. It is, in one word, “Tortastic.” The slow simmered pork and dense breads turned lunch time into food coma time and the mesmerizing Animal Planet gorilla special showing on the giant flatscreen only made the day more enjoyable.
Downside: only place to sit inside is on a series of tiny stools that belly up to a narrow, wall-mounted bar.
Upside: Gut-warming food that is served until at least 2am, so a great choice for lunch or late-night.
Tortugas
18th and Capitol, Sacramento
Food**** Ambience* Service**

Still restoring the caloric depletion from last weekend’s training, when I found myself starving in Midtown, I heeded the numerous recommendations of fellow ‘raggers and headed to La Fiesta.

I was impressed with the efficient line and process flow, as a young lady took orders prior to our paying while her coworkers (all in matching futbol jerseys) rung up orders, prepared the food, and served up meals in a matter of seconds.

La Fiesta prices their specials so when tax is added in, it’s a flat dollar amount — in my case, $7 for two soft tacos and a beverage — thereby expediting the lunch process that much more. The Type-A process-driven side of me was most pleased.
Continue reading “La Fiesta stunts your growth” »

Checked out Jimboy’s Tacos second-newest location in picturesque Grass Valley this weekend, and let me tell you, it’s a treat. The same menu, the same addictive taco, the same distinctive taco sauce, with a few wonderful additions: free refills, which for Jimboy’s lovers is like manna from the heavens, and a delightful decor more appropriate for a sit-down taqueria than a fast-food joint. And along with your local boosterism you get some historical photos and one big lesson: as it turns out, the original Jimboy was a Grass Valley native! Though Jimboy himself is no longer manning the grease station (thanks MTSac), his name lives on. And after 50 years it’s finally come back full circle. And I am seeing an additional benefit of the Sunday taco sale–next time you’re making your way back from the North Shore enjoying some great skiing, stop off for a six pack of ground beef goodness (and the other kind of six pack too–they serve Cerveca). West off the Brunswick exit in Grass Valley.