Category: Food

The Fresher the Avocadoes…

mmm…avocadoesWe have a bit of a penchant here at the ‘Rag for discussing what makes Sacramento…well, Sacramento. How is it different than other cities? What gives it its unique Sacramentoness? What makes the people constantly run into buildings with their cars?

After traveling the country, talking with its various inhabitants and doing my fair share of research, I’ve found that there are two things that separate Sacramento from the rest: the weather, and the freshness of the avocadoes. That’s about it. Those two factors are, in fact, really the only things that separate any mid-size American city from any other mid-size American city. Continue reading “The Fresher the Avocadoes…”

Forbidden City

On your first trip to Forbidden City, you may think that you’ve made ammm..nagel mistake. You may think that this Chinese restaurant is closed for business, that the sign out front is just a remnant from an old tenant who no longer slings the hot and sour, that the weed choked parking lot is not, in fact, a recommended place in which to park a family vehicle. I would not begrudge you any of these thoughts. You would, however, be wrong. Forbidden City is indeed open for business. Had the owners named the restaurant Forbidding City, it might support the exterior décor, (or lack of) but, trust me, the place is still open.

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L Wine Lounge & Zocalo

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.)

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Cakes and Cookies for Cash

Our friend Cakegirl is trying to raise money for the Twilight Walk for Wishes which benefits the Make-A-Wish foundation.  According to her blog, anyone who sponsors her for the walk will be eligible to receive homemade cookies and a cake from one of the best bakers in the Sacramento region.  So go ahead, give to a good cause and maybe get yourself some frosting covered goodness for your effort.  For details, click here.

Your Local Foodie Roundtable

As a show of online unity heretofore unknown in the world of
Sacramento food writers, we present you with a roundup of opinions from some of the best and most dedicated foodies in the
Sacramento region. Seven of the most influential food enthusiasts in the area were asked for their opinions in a short poll about some of their favorite restaurants, dishes and local ingredients. Their answers may shock you (unless of course you are already devoted fans of their work, in which case their answers will seem mildly redundant to you, but hey, if you’re a fan, than be a fan all the way and drop the attitude.) The participants in this poll were Melly Elliot, moderator of the Sacramento Food Forums, www.sacramentofoodgroup.org; Garrett McCord, writer of Vanilla Garlic, www.vanillagarlic.blogspot.com; Ann Martin Rolke, writer for Sacatomato.com, www.sacatomato.com, and writer of Hands Off Cooking, available at www.handsoffcooking.com; Jennifer Cliff, writer of Sacatomato.com and publisher of “Edible Sacramento,” http://www.ediblesacramento.com; Paul Somerhausen, founder of the Sacramento Epicureans dining group, www.sacramento-epicureans.com; Kristy DeVaney, writer of Cakegirl’s Cakery, www.cakegrrl.com; and Greg Sabin, food writer for the Sac Rag, www.sacrag.com, under the name “sac-eats.”

Here is the poll:

Continue reading “Your Local Foodie Roundtable”

Pancho’s Mexican Grill

Pancho Villa
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.)

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Eve’s Market- The Grocer That Saved Carmichael?

For the last several months, the grocery/retail space formerly occupied by Ralph’s on Marconi and Walnut has sat empty.  While not exactly a blot on the landscape, the vacancy has been inconvenient to the folks in the neighborhood.  Like a missing back tooth, the emptiness of the space was not readily visible, but it was a big pain in the ass when you wanted to eat.  Why, you say?  Good question.  It is because of the location, I say.  The corner of Marconi and Walnut is, simply put, a perfect place for a grocery store.  The nearest stores are just too far away, too sketchy or too small.  For example, we’ve already expressed our displeasure  at the Raley’s at Watt & Marconi, and I’ve never spoken to anyone who has shopped at Mike’s Discount Grocery and Sketchy Food Emporium on El Camino and Mission that hasn’t felt like taking a shower afterwards.  Which brings me to the new, fabulous, Eve’s Market.

Continue reading “Eve’s Market- The Grocer That Saved Carmichael?”

Spinning the lunch

There used to be a lunch time tradition in the early days of the Sac Rag. When we’d need a break from the snark and the hard hitting journalism, we would find ourselves at a loss in choosing where to go for lunch. To solve this problem, we came up with a way to spin a wheel that would give us a random number that would correspond to our own legend of restaurants and eateries to go to. One spin of the wheel would give us a number, and whatever restaurant we assigned to that number ahead of time was our lunch time destination.

Looking back at those days, it’s amazing that we didn’t starve to death.

Welcome to 2007, happy lunch go-ers. Someone has made picking a lunch spot in your neighborhood very easy.

Introducing the Wheel of Lunch!
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