Mar 28, 2026
You can’t talk to local farmers without somebody mentioning Next Generation Foods.
With packing operations in West Sacramento and fields in Yuba and Sutter counties, Next Generation is a grower and distributor that supplies restaurants and venues with rice, beans, quinoa, even popcorn.
The company has supplied Chef Billy Ngo’s Kru and his other restaurants for almost 20 years. Next Generation serves The Kitchen, Mulvaney’s and UC Davis Medical Center. Popcorn at Golden 1 Center comes from Pleasant Grove Farms via Next Generation.
I talked to Next Generation founder and owner Michael Bosworth and learned how his company helps sustain the farm-to-fork culture.
Mar 28, 2026
Scott Ostrander and Paul DiPierro bring a cutting edge to Origami Asian Grill, their East Sacramento favorite. With a new enterprise, Gami Burger, the duo rolls out a different formula.
Focusing on the familiar and getting two separate locations up and running fast, the Gami team is already dishing out comfortable favorites.
Ostrander and DiPierro started Origami Asian Grill in 2018. They took Michelin-star know-how and applied it to dishes such as Sichuan fried chicken and ramen. The fried chicken is tops in my book.
During the pandemic, restaurants adapted or declined. Origami adapted, occasionally featuring a Gami Burger pop-up. The meal hit the spot with diners seeking consolation. Burger pop-ups became one of Origami’s most popular pandemic-era productions.
Mar 1, 2026
Binh Đào and his uncle, Tuong Đào, opened Đào Distillery and tasting room in 2024 to “better serve our community and bring awareness to Vietnamese culture,” Binh says.
At the distillery and tasting room, customers try a traditional Vietnamese rice liquor from the Mekong Delta called rượu đế.
Similar to Japanese shochu or strong sake, the drink was considered moonshine in Vietnam. The Rancho Cordova distillery produces eight variations.
For the Đào family, getting to Sacramento was an epic ordeal.
Feb 28, 2026
Eight years ago, Allora was a new thing. Deneb Williams and Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou put together a fine-dining concept in a town where fine dining was thin. In the years since, Allora stayed true to its roots and found a restrained and beautiful approach to everything it does.
At Allora, every element feels special and curated. Every glass, every plate, every ingredient, every bottle of wine, every interaction. A night at Allora is a special thing not to be missed.
Like many fine-dining restaurants, Allora has a tasting menu where diners select three, four or five courses. I love the four-course option with appetizer, pasta, main and dessert paired with a novel European wine.
Jan 28, 2026
At Omakase Por Favor, chef and owner Jeana Marie Pecha and crew offer a Japanese inspired take on coastal Mexican cuisine fueled by local purveyors.
In Japanese, omakase means, “I leave it up to you.” In other words, trust the chef.
Pecha grew up in Roseville. A formative experience was a trip to Manzanillo, Mexico, to study with Chef Freddy Ahlert.
Jan 28, 2026
hu Mai, the new restaurant by Chef Billy Ngo, excites on every level. The space pops, the dishes wow. With casual dining and take-out dominating restaurant openings these days, this elegant spot stands out.
Ngo is a force with three award-winning Japanese restaurants: KRU Contemporary, Kodaiko Ramen & Bar and Fish Face Poke Bar. Ngo’s lineage, however, is Vietnamese and Chinese. Chu Mai celebrates that lineage. It celebrates Ngo’s mother and the Asian American culinary experience.
