From Chuckwagon to World-Class Cuisine
California’s capital city still has essentially a hometown feel despite its phenomenal growth during the past decade. For most of its 150-year history, Sacramento’s culinary scene has featured Middle American fare served in fine dining rooms, steakhouses and grills. Its growth has resulted in an explosion of culinary choices. Sacramento has seen a staggering influx of quality ethnic dining venues. Throughout the metropolitan area a variety of sleek, sophisticated and elegant restaurants have opened, while venerable institutions underwent renovation. On the breezy banks of the Sacramento and American Rivers, patio dining includes spectacular views. Under the leafy canopy of the Midtown district, the view from patio tables beside Victorian mansions is pleasantly intimate. Throughout the capital region are a variety of distinct districts with eclectic and exciting dining experiences to satisfy both the gourmet and the aficionado of traditional American favorites.
Old Sacramento
Along the banks of the Sacramento River, a few blocks west of the Capitol Building, is where it all began 150 years ago. Merchants who built their shops in the Gold Rush town to serve the 49ers got rich. Today, this neighborhood sports roofed plank sidewalks and fine examples of 19th-century architecture and is a state historic park with some excellent dining choices. You can stroll through the pedestrian tunnel beginning beside the Plaza and emerge on Second Street bustling with horse-drawn carriages, characters dressed in period costume and plenty of dining experiences. A few doors to your left is Fanny Anne’s Saloon, a loud, funky four-story nightspot where a cross-section of society comes to have a good time.
Walk a block to the west and perched on pilings above the Sacramento River, the Rio City Cafe offers a spectacular view of the Tower Bridge and serves eclectic Southwest and seafood cuisine. Located across First Street from the historic Central Pacific Railroad depot, California Fats offers California cuisine and stir-fried dishes in a modern electric-green dining room. On board the Delta King riverboat, the Pilothouse Restaurant offers fresh seafood, its signature clam chowder and steaks. Along the brick streets are funky boutiques, a couple of jewelry stores, sports memorabilia shops, candy stores and a farmers market.
Downtown/Midtown
This neighborhood has two districts of more than 60-squareblocks, and features dozens of restaurants, bars and nightspots. After a brief stroll through “rabbit hole” (the pedestrian tunnel under Interstate 5), you arrive on the threshold of Downtown Plaza. This shopper’s paradise is an open-air mall featuring a variety of department and specialty shops. At the far eastern entrance, the Hard Rock Cafe offers wall-to-wall rock memorabilia, a great sound system and American fare. One block south is the 4th Street Grille, a traditionally elegant dining room with heavy wooden furniture, white tablecloths, and a menu featuring steaks and seafood. If you’re in the mood for Italian, try Il Fornaio on the Capitol Mall for pasta entrees, pizza and an interesting wine list.
On the L Street side of Downtown Plaza, Morton’s of Chicago is the place to go for prime rib that melts in your mouth. Over the past two decades, the Mexican culture has enjoyed a spectacular renaissance in Sacramento. This means there is an incredible array of authentic Mexican dining experiences. Downtown/midtown Sacramento is replete with Hispanic eateries from the typical mom and pop taqueria offering generous portions for a reasonable price, to the latest trend-setting interpretation of traditional recipes. Just down the block from the Hard Rock Cafe on the K Street mall is Emma’s Taco House, which may look tacky inside and out, but serves generous portions of delicious tacos, burritos and enchiladas. Ernesto’s, located in midtown, offers al fresco dining, an Art Deco interior and authentic Mexican cuisine. The chefs of Aioli Bodega Espanola go to the source of Hispanic cuisine and interpret traditional Spanish cuisine creatively.
East of downtown, among its tree-lined streets and solid Victorian houses, there is an abundance of unique dining treats. Jack’s Urban Eats has a simple down-home decor and generous portions of American fare. The Broiler Steakhouse on the K Street Mall is a time-honored restaurant that has been in business since 1950, and serves aged steaks, unique pasta dishes and fresh seafood. Harlow’s offers modern Italian/California cuisine in a sumptuous setting, as well as a nightclub and cigar bar. Biba is arguably the best Italian restaurant in the city. The eatery is named for its chef, a native of Bologna, who extensively researches and constantly refines the Northern Italian dishes on her menu.
North Sacramento/Natomas
The sweeping river vistas along the aptly named Garden Highway, which borders the American River Parkway preserve, offer an intriguing mix of dining experiences. The quaintly ramshackle Rusty Duck, with its wide verandahs, has been a landmark on the American River for two decades and emphasizes fresh fish and steaks, prime rib and pastas. Enotria, in the heart of Uptown, offers award-winning California/Mediterranean cuisine complemented by an intriguing wine list.
Carmichael, Rancho Cordova, Folsom
While experiencing explosive growth, these suburbs to the east of the metro region somehow seem to maintain their rural small town feel. In the heart of Folsom’s quaint Old Town, Savoy 614 Bistro offers entrees featuring seasonal ingredients grown in the Valley. Zinfandell Grill, also in Folsom, features wood-fired ovens, a mesquite grill and the latest gourmet Southwest-style dishes. The Sheepherder Inn in Rancho Cordova offers steaks, chops and prime rib in a renovated rural mansion. For Vietnamese, try Andy Nguyen’s located in a strip mall in Rancho Cordova. Its exterior is definitely not a representation of the quality of its Vietnamese cuisine.
Night Life
Sacramento likes to play after the sun goes down. Old Sacramento contains more nightspots per square block than any other district in the city. Nationally known and local comedians keep you laughing at Laughs Unlimited. On board the Delta King, diners enjoy “whodunits” at the Suspects Mystery Dinner Theater, where costumed characters are planted in their midst. Old Ironsides, one of Sacramento’s oldest nightclubs features musical entertainment by cutting-edge local bands on their way up. The Torch Club is where you go if you have the urge to boogie on the dance floor to rhythm-and-blues and down-home blues.
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