Oct 28, 2023
One of the many aspects I love about Sacramento is how, in the middle of urban and suburban sprawl, we have pockets of agriculture—acres that reflect our agrarian roots. In this beautiful place, we are reminded of the connection to fertile soil and ideal growing conditions on almost every block.
Otow Orchard in Granite Bay captures this convergence between a populous region and its steadfast agricultural lands. Minutes from Douglas Boulevard’s big box stores and shopping plazas rests an oasis of fruit trees tended by the Otow family since 1911.
Oct 28, 2023
In June 2022, when Jen and Gary Sleppy announced they were closing The Shack, their beloved East Sacramento restaurant, it was a blow. The neighborhood hangout was a refuge for beer and burger lovers who considered the 90-year-old spot a home away from home.
Thankfully, an experienced restaurant and brewing group took over and continued the traditions of The Shack.
The view from Folsom Boulevard has always been humble. Holding down the corner at Folsom Boulevard and 52nd Street, the building began as a hot dog and root beer stand in 1932 and never changed much. The Sleppys took over in 2005. Combining their experience in hospitality and love of beer, they created one of the first specialty beer bars in town.
Sep 28, 2023
Scott’s Seafood on the River is a hidden gem for some, an old standby for others. Tucked away near Riverside Boulevard between Land Park and Pocket, Scott’s has delighted locals and travelers for 15 years.
Attached to the Westin hotel on the river, Scott’s hides in plain sight. Some readers may not think of heading to a hotel restaurant for a nice local meal. However, Scott’s Seafood on the River is independently owned by husband and wife Sigrid and Alan Irvine. They are independent from Westin and separate from other Scott’s in Folsom and the Bay Area.
The riverside location brings great views and Delta breezes to the dining room and patio. Earlier this year, it also brought the Army Corps of Engineers.
Sep 28, 2023
Soil Born Farms is the farm in the farm-to-fork capital.
Walking the farm at American River Ranch, off Chase Drive in Rancho Cordova, the bounty and its possibilities present themselves in powerful ways.
First, let’s admire the farm beds, prepared a year or two in advance with cover crops that promote carbon sequestration. Next, here’s an area soon to be planted in tall oaks. Nearby is a restored creek, cleared for salmon and steelhead spawning.
A walkway features hundreds of California native plants. An outdoor classroom is shaded by hanging grape clusters. At the demonstration garden, children find runner beans, sunflowers, peppers and tomatoes flush for picking.
Aug 28, 2023
For almost six years, I cooked at a farm-to-table restaurant that bought a whole lamb every week, locally raised, sustainably grown.
We butchered down the lamb into meals and made salumi and sausage with the scraps. Bones went into our Brodo, a mixed meat stock. We cooked and sliced kidneys and tongues for salads or antipasti dishes. Every part of the lamb was used and appreciated.
I also worked for restaurants and catering companies that relied on industrial produced lamb cuts, racks and deboned legs, shipped from Australia or New Zealand, where the animals were brought to slaughter in mass for lower cost.
Aug 28, 2023
Southside Park is changing. Known as a quiet corner of the grid, a sleepy residential neighborhood centered around a tree-lined park, Southside isn’t considered a dining destination.
With two recent arrivals, Southside Super and Betty, the reputation gets a reboot.
Southside Super is a breakfast and lunch counter. Taking the space of June’s Cafe on V Street between 9th and 10th, this small, mighty enterprise delivers Vietnamese and Korean comfort food.
It’s cozy and comfortable. The eight-seat counter and handful to tables cater to quickly arriving crowds. Open since April, the restaurant has fans who stop in for the grab-and-go case and short-order menu filled with dishes found in Vietnamese and Korean home kitchens but rarely in restaurants.
