“This tastes like vacation,” my wife says as she takes the first bite. It does. Everything about Octopus Baja, the new Mexican fusion restaurant in Midtown, feels like a step away from the ordinary, a mile from the everyday.
Octopus Baja is the latest from restaurateur Ernesto Delgado. Other sites include Tequila Museo Mayahuel, Mesa Mercado in Carmichael and Sal’s Tacos in West Sacramento.
Having eaten at most of these establishments, I can say Delgado’s businesses share the same DNA: mix familiar with creative, traditional with modern, and do it with exceptional service.
Octopus Baja is a happy place. Music is happy, servers are happy, even the decor is happy. The brightness of the drinks, brightness of the dishes and brightness of the setting sun over Sutter’s Fort provides a joyous, lighthearted atmosphere.
Two styles of Mexican cooking are on display at two Arden-Arcade restaurants. Separated by one block, their styles couldn’t be more different. Each excels at unique Mexican cuisine.
Many beer-focused places around town concentrate on the suds and keep the kitchen out of sight. But some beer joints work hard to highlight their food.
Christopher Fairman is a walking advertisement for a well-run restaurant. Having been a manager at The Shack and Magpie, he knows how to work with good people who run good businesses and make good food.
When he told me he was going manage a new, buzzy Italian place in Midtown, I couldn’t wait to try it.
The restaurant is Pazza Notte—Crazy Night in Italian—at 18th and L streets. It’s fun, irreverent and inviting. Black and white photographs line the walls, portraying celebrities and models, cars and kittens. The vibe is old country and new world.
Basha Taste of Jerusalem is a vibrant example of Palestinian cuisine. Marrying flavors of the Middle East and Mediterranean, the Fulton Avenue restaurant delivers punchy spices and expert cooking from the Levant. It’s dished out with warm and welcoming service.
When I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, Fulton Avenue cuisine was burgers, pizza and cheesesteaks. Tiny’s Drive-In and The Buggy Whip spoke with meat and potatoes and cooking from another era.
Now, Fulton Avenue draws from around the world. The street features foods from Southeast Asia, India, Latin America and especially the Middle East.
Sampino’s Kitchen at Joe Marty’s offers a traditional Italian American experience, spaghetti and meatballs included, on Broadway. Across the grid, newcomer Willow presents Italian food through a fine-dining lens. Both are special places.
