Eight years ago, the Selland Family Restaurants debuted their newest concept, OBO’ Italian Table & Bar. The Folsom Boulevard space once housed Andiamo, a beloved East Sacramento institution. OBO’ kept the Italian fire burning and became a neighborhood favorite.
Similar to Selland’s Market-Cafe, OBO’ combines hot case and cold case foods—beet salad, Caesar salad, chicken breast, mac and cheese. The similarities stop there.
OBO’s menu runs deep into Italian recipes and preparations. Pasta dishes and Italian sandwiches fill the menu and leave room for pizza.
First let’s talk about the building. The low-slung, handsome brick edifice seems from another age, industrial and weathered. Step inside and the brightness of a sunny day fills the space at lunch. High ceilings and modern lights soften the room at dinner.
Large wooden tables, some for communal dining and others for parties, spread across the room. Window walls lend an ethereal air.
A marble-topped bar fills one corner. A towering shelf of Italian liqueurs and American favorites rise to the ceiling. The bar feels like a departure from Selland’s other fast casual eateries.
Unlike those grab-and-go spots, OBO’ feels like a place where you can sit, have a drink, eat a plate of pasta and catch up with a friend.
At lunch, employees from the adjacent Sutter Heath campus arrive, alongside neighborhood regulars enjoying a languorous meal. The buzz is constant with to-go orders.
At dinner, afterwork parties spend time at the bar while their pizzas bake. Or Sutter workers take something home for the family. The room gets loud and boisterous for those who come for a night out.
The menu has plenty to choose from, but the pasta plates are serious. This is no Italian deli that serves tortellini as an afterthought. These are crafted dishes with undeniable intentions.
The short rib lasagna is intense and decadent, a dense rectangle of short rib ragu, pancetta, tomato, parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs.
The rigatoni with bolognese hits all the marks. A seasonal plate of gnocchi with sage, sausage and butternut squash was well executed.
The sandwiches hold their own. A Chicago-meets-California Italian beef comes together with shaved short rib, fontina, giardiniera and spicy lemon mayo on a toasted hoagie. The meatball sub is foundational with classic meatballs covered in marinara and mozzarella, all on a ciabatta roll.
The pizzas are in line with Selland’s other pies at the market-cafes. The crust is just past tender, bordering on crackery. Toppings are generous, combinations creative. A seasonal pie with pear and prosciutto hits the top rank, edging out the sausage and alfredo, with a generous helping of kale, potato and parmesan.
OBO’ Italian Table & Bar has everything you want from an East Sac (or Midtown or Downtown) restaurant: quick and hearty lunches, easy takeaway dinners, fresh and seasonal entrees, and a happening bar.
Thanks to OBO’s enviable location near health care facilities and East Sac homes, it survived the pandemic. It’s fair to say OBO’ fills the gap Andiamo left and will fill it for decades.
OBO’ Italian Table & Bar is at 3145 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 822-8720; oboitalian.com.
Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
