Moxie

Moxie holds a very special place in the pantheon of Sacramento restaurants. It’s probably the best eatery in town while keeping a very low profile and offering ridiculously reasonable prices. It’s tucked away in a sleepy midtown neighborhood with neither neon signage nor 2 for 1 coupons in the Sac Bee Ticket section. It is flying, in the words of Amelia Earhart, “below the radar.”

Here are just a few things I’ve heard about Moxie from various people. Some of these tales smack of urban myth, but the majority, I’ve found to be true:
-Bar none, the best steak in town.
-Oh, try the meatloaf, you’ll love the meatloaf.
-You can order anything. If they don’t have it, they’ll go and buy it at a local grocery store. They don’t care, they’ll cook anything.
-The menu is just a formality; they have about 4 things on the menu and 30 specials every night.
-I’m so happy that the rest of the city hasn’t found out about this place.

Ok, so you’ll have to admit that these are some pretty interesting pieces of commentary. And I promise you that almost all of these declarations were true on the night my sister and I took our father there for dinner. There were about 6-8 items on the menu, all very reasonably priced and sounding very good. When our “server” came to the table, (I call him a “server” because he is also one of the owners) he presented us with about 400 different specials that they were serving that night ranging from scrod to squab to caramelized marmot pancreas. The experience would be overwhelming were it not so casual and inviting.

So, relying on pure gossip I ordered the meatloaf. It was, without a doubt, the best meatloaf I have ever had, and was served with more grace than most dishes at the more expensive restaurants in town. That’s the continually surprising thing about Moxie, even though the majority of their dishes can be categorized as “comfort food,” (we’re talking meatloaf, rib-eye, jambalaya, pork loin) the presentation is beautiful. On my plate of meatloaf, which was fist covered with shaved parmesan and Italian parsley, was sautéed red cabbage, string beans, sautéed carrots, squash and horseradish mashed potatoes with a decorative garnish of kale and chives. That’s good eatin’ right there with panache. Top that off with a piece of delicious carrot cake split between the three of us and the meal was an unparalleled success.

I’m not sure if Moxie qualifies as a cult hit, or just a neighborhood favorite. Regardless of the moniker you give, it’s simply the best restaurant I’ve found in town, appropriate for any event and any appetite. You could spend twice as much for an inferior meal at Morton’s or Ruth’s Chris, but you could also have synthetic pearls surgically inserted into your penis. People do crazy things all the time. The choice is yours.

Moxie
21st and H, midtown Sacramento
Food**** Ambience**** Service****