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Greg Sabin

Food Writer

About This Author

Greg Sabin is a nationally published food writer, actor, improvisational comedian, banjo player and financial planner. He does not wear hats.

Articles by this author

Piping Hot

Two recent coffee additions serve more than coffee. Zoe Coffee & Tacos pairs excellent dishes from Mexico and El Salvador with traditional coffee shop fare. The Coco Cafe draws on its Thai roots. Both expand what coffee shops can be.

Zoe Coffee & Tacos, opened in June 2024, is a fantastic little shop tucked into a corner of Poverty Ridge in Midtown.

A stone’s throw from the construction site where The Sacramento Bee stood, this tiny spot makes the most of its footprint. Once, it was part of the Bee’s delivery truck garage.

Owner and chef Josue Acosta recalls his Salvadoran roots to make excellent pupusas, tacos and more.

Father Knows best

Opening a new restaurant called Stepdad’s on Father’s Day is cheeky. It’s also fun. And fun is what Stepdad’s owner Tyler Williams is all about.

“Getting the doors open on any new project is a lot of work, takes a lot of people and requires a lot of compromises,” he tells me. “But once you get the doors open, it’s time to have fun. And that’s my favorite part.”

Williams, his wife Melissa Williams and chef Oliver Ridgeway are the ownership team at Stepdad’s in Land Park.

You may know Oliver Ridgeway from his Michelin-recognized restaurant, Camden Spit & Larder. His reputation is sterling, and his ability to highlight local farm-to-fork bounty while staying true to his English roots says everything about his ability as a chef.

Perfect Aim

Chef Brad Cecchi and his team at Canon have six mentions in Michelin guides. It’s easy to see why. Canon is an elegantly casual dining room that highlights every ingredient in the enterprise, whether those ingredients are on the plate, in the glass or part of the exceptional service.

Opened in 2017, Canon began as a strange room in a strange place. Almost invisible near Stockton Boulevard, the vibe was different. Experiments with dim sum-style delivery and adventures in fermentation came and went. Now Canon is among the city’s best restaurants.

The feel of Canon’s dining room is modern—a big departure from the surroundings. The stark, industrial nature of 34th Street camouflages what lies within.

Even Better

Selland Hospitality Group is a juggernaut on the restaurant scene, from grab-and-go to Michelin stars. Most popular among the collection are Sellands Neighborhood Cafe and Bar.

With locations at H Street and Broadway, and another in El Dorado Hills, the casual restaurants combine high-end cooking and cafe accessibility.

But times change. While the food at Sellands stays consistent and delightful, the style and look of the Broadway and H Street locations have leveled up.

Trophy Kitchen

There may be no bigger advocate for Sacramento’s place in the culinary landscape than Patrick Mulvaney. His passion for the region’s food carries weight.

“The first question people ask is my opinion on any of a number of culinary questions,” he says. “But the second one should definitely be about the Sacramento region. It should be about what’s going on at UC Davis. It should be about what’s going on with the farmers throughout the region. It should be about what’s going on at the Capitol.”

If Mulvaney sounds like a professional advocate, it’s because he is one.

More than advocating for the town he calls home, Mulvaney fights for causes such as feeding hungry children and improving school lunches.