Restaurant Revamp
Wine bar and bistro expertly pairs food and drink on T Street
By Greg Sabin
July 2025
Two years ago, I wrote a couple of paragraphs about a new wine bar at Southside Park called Betty.
Here was a comfortable and cute place for a bottle of wine, package of macaroni or quick bite. Two years and an ownership change later, Betty’s a must-visit destination.
The revamped Betty is more than a wine bar. Led by Chris Barnum-Dann, chef at Michelin-starred Localis, Betty serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with approachable, unpretentious, satisfying style.
A local wine bar should offer vino from around California, plus global labels. Betty is far more ambitious. To call it a wine bar discounts its range.
Many hospitality operators strive to be the “third place,” somewhere between home and work that brings friends together in comfort. More living room than restaurant, more gathering place than bar, Betty leans into the third space vibe.
Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with wine tastings, special dinners and a tight, spectacular menu of specials, Betty makes comfortable dining feel routine.
In the morning, guests tap away on laptops or catch up with friends while sipping cappuccino and nibbling pain au chocolat. Many go for the breakfast sandwich of scrambled egg, manchego cheese, jalapeno aioli and chorizo, piled on a homemade biscuit, hearty and delicate.
At midday, enjoy one of the most pleasant patios in town. And dig into the Betty salad, where the bowl overflows with soft butter lettuce, punchy lemon dressing and smattering of toasted seeds.
For dinner, look for a packed house sipping wine from Argentina, Chile, France and California. Pairings deliver the perfect match, such as Thai green curry ceviche, a fusion of South American and Southeast Asian flavors that marry spice and citrus with delicate whitefish.
Or go bold with a plate of Nonna’s pasta, bucatini dressed with spicy pomodoro and paired with an intense Macedonian red wine. Expert knowledge of food and wine makes Betty’s pairings remarkable.
Michelin-starred chefs are known to open casual, approachable kitchens in their hometowns. Betty is Barnum-Dann’s contribution.
As Bouchon Bakery is an approachable Yountville destination to Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, Betty is a place—affordable for most and approachable by all—to sample dishes from a Michelin-level chef in Sacramento.
At Betty, service is friendly and casual. Orders are placed at the counter. Friends come together to catch up at a sidewalk table or the backyard patio. It’s where you can see and taste Michelin-star skills in a casual environment. Go again and again.
Betty, 1103 T St., betty-wine.com, (916) 903-0409.
Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
