Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
When husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Ellen Chen and Mario Del Pero—owners of Mendocino Farms Sandwich Market, which opened its first Sacramento location at the Ice Blocks in December—were dating, Chen asked her boyfriend an unusual question. She asked if she could work for him.
Del Pero, a Yuba City native, was hard at work developing a food concept in Southern California (where he and Chen had gone to school) when Chen’s consulting business was acquired.
Zocalo
Towering ceilings and expansive windows beckon natural light and make the inside and outside worlds blend seamlessly at Zocalo. Next comes the décor: mammoth urns, intricate iron works, slab tables and stunning tableware create a culturally stimulating atmosphere for the food and drinks that follow. Housed in the handsomely renovated Arnold Brothers building, which served as a Hudson car dealership in the 1920s, Zocalo’s eccentric interior is inspired by the majestic town square of Mexico City, a gathering spot for centuries that embraces its past while embarking toward the future.
The Rind
Three simple words encompass the philosophy of The Rind: “Cheese. Wine. Beer.” The cheese-centric bar in the Handle District offers artisanal cheeses paired with wines and beers selected by the two certified sommeliers and one certified cicerone—beer taster—on staff. Cheese enthusiasts explore all variety of exotic cheese products, from buttery and blue to nutty and stinky—created from local dairy sources.
Mulvaney’s Building & Loan
Patrick Mulvaney is serious when he says, “Whatever comes in the front door goes on your plate.” A leader of the local farm-to-fork revolution, Mulvaney and his wife, Bobbin, built their reputations around the farm-fresh ingredients and local produce that comprise his masterful Chef’s Menus. The offerings at Mulvaney’s Building & Loan change daily to accommodate the harvests and the seasons.
Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
Pure bittersweet chocolate ganache. Liquid caramel punctuated by fleur de sel. Almond praline with crunchy croquant. The display cases at Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates reveal a world of sweet sophistication unmatched in Sacramento. Formally trained chocolatier and pastry chef Ginger Elizabeth Hahn and her husband, Tom (who manages the business), have created a decadent hot spot, selling delicious items made from the finest ingredients.
