Restaurant Reviews

There may be no bigger advocate for Sacramento’s place in the culinary landscape than Patrick Mulvaney. His passion for the region’s food carries weight.

“The first question people ask is my opinion on any of a number of culinary questions,” he says. “But the second one should definitely be about the Sacramento region. It should be about what’s going on at UC Davis. It should be about what’s going on with the farmers throughout the region. It should be about what’s going on at the Capitol.”

If Mulvaney sounds like a professional advocate, it’s because he is one.

More than advocating for the town he calls home, Mulvaney fights for causes such as feeding hungry children and improving school lunches.

Two years ago, I wrote a couple of paragraphs about a new wine bar at Southside Park called Betty.

Here was a comfortable and cute place for a bottle of wine, package of macaroni or quick bite. Two years and an ownership change later, Betty’s a must-visit destination.

The revamped Betty is more than a wine bar. Led by Chris Barnum-Dann, chef at Michelin-starred Localis, Betty serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with approachable, unpretentious, satisfying style.

A local wine bar should offer vino from around California, plus global labels. Betty is far more ambitious. To call it a wine bar discounts its range.

Joanne Suavillo and her husband Ray have run The Lumpia Truck for more than five years. Their new restaurant, Spoon and Fork, is a grab-and-go spot on Broadway that serves some of the most flavorful dishes in town.

The Suavillo’s restaurant is new. Yet the food and service act like they’ve been open for years. In a way, they have.

“We’re still figuring out a few things with staffing,” Ray Suavillo tells me. “But we’ve been running the truck for years and could turn over 1,000 plates without batting an eye.”

Peruvian cuisine, a triumph of fusion cooking, is having a moment. Chicha Peruvian Kitchen Midtown puts those global flavors center stage.

Chicha opened last summer, taking over from Pronto, a fast casual Italian concept. Chicha’s vibe is young and fresh. The funky hitch of Cumbia songs and the sway of salsa tunes play over the hi-fi. Service is attentive and friendly.

It’s a sit-down restaurant that feels more casual than it actually is. Decorations are cheeky. Murals of jungle cats and haunting female gazes stare out along one wall. Souvenir statues of llamas and bulls, brightly painted and delightful, sit on shelves.

Yet at Chicha, the napkins are linen. Every dish comes elegantly presented.

Peruvian cooking brings together influences from around the world. The indigenous culture has always been deft with the use of seafood, beans, squash and ever-present potatoes.