Jul 27, 2020
As I write this, Sacramento County has just reordered all indoor dining to shutter. The brief window of opportunity to visit a restaurant has closed after restaurant owners were put in a literally impossible situation of making diners feel safe, and still have their restaurants be the convivial gathering places they were pre-COVID. Too many of us expected bar and restaurant owners to enforce rules they were just coming to terms with and fully understanding.
But, thankfully, for those of us who cannot cook water without burning it, or those of us who cook competently but enjoy a restaurant meal now and again, or even those that cherish the opportunity to cook for our loved ones and yet equally admire the skill and talent that go into a truly professionally prepared dinner, we still have takeout.
Jun 25, 2020
As the community turns to local food sources instead of the global chain, is it possible Sacramento could dig even deeper into its roots as the farm-to-fork capital?
Small farms across the region that have been impacted by the pandemic are seeing some opportunities. To help support America’s farmers and maintain the integrity of our nation’s food supply chain, the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Announced in mid-April, this $19 billion immediate relief program provides critical assistance to farmers.
Jun 25, 2020
I’m writing this piece during the heartrending events of late May/early June that have seen a tragic death in Minnesota ignite a storm of outrage that led to peaceful protests nationwide, that led to violent actions blocks from where I write these words. The circling helicopters I can hear are a constant reminder of the fractures of our society, our unmet duties to our neighbors and the love we fail to hold in our hearts for our brothers and sisters.
All that is to say, if this piece seems more fatalistic than normal, you’ll know why. And fatalistic it will be, for this piece is about those restaurants, those community gathering places we have lost. But, not to be too dour, this is also a reminder to treasure those eateries, those centers of community that are still here and make Sacramento one of the most vibrant eating cities in the country.
May 27, 2020
If coronavirus patients arrive at the Alternate Care Facility in Sleep Train Arena, they won’t have to settle for traditional hospital food. Meals at the old arena—leased by the Kings to the state for $500,000 a month—are provided by Legends Hospitality, the NBA team’s food vendor.
May 27, 2020
First thing you should know, I’m writing this in early May. Restaurants have not reopened for on-site dining. Life has not returned to anything resembling normal. And, from this point of view, a few weeks behind your current perspective, it doesn’t look like we’ll be gathering in large crowds anywhere anytime soon.
My friends in the restaurant industry have been hit harder than almost any other group during the pandemic. The well-loved institutions that have stayed open by offering take-out and delivery have done so with skeleton crews and shoestring budgets.
Apr 28, 2020
Coffee, as simple as it may sound, is an essential part of many people’s lives. When Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order in March required all non-essential businesses to cease operations to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, an abrupt halt came to daily routines. No more sitting in cafes sipping hot pour-overs, nor chatting with friends over cranberry scones and lattes.
The mandate threatened not only local businesses, bars and cafes, but also their suppliers such as farmers who sell green coffee beans. Most of Sacramento’s local coffee shops have been able to remain open by offering to-go and curbside-pickup, but the impact has been heavy on coffee roasters and farmers.
