I don't know who asked you to ask me, but I do live in Sacramento. Favorite restaurants? Favorite, best, bestest...words with many pitfalls. It all depends on your mood, the company you are with, your appetite, and your pocketbook. And I have to confess that I personally find restaurant romping far less satisfying than in previous years. I attribute this more to the novelty of trendy restaurants having lost their glow for me...not that they were ever very bright. And personal taste is so important. For instance when travelling I prefer to stay in funky, old places OR really high end hotels. I have a passionate dislike for the middle ... Hiltons, Radissons, Sheratons. I either want to experience something out of the ordinary and/or be pampered with fine food and wine. I tend to favor "ethnic" restaurants, but will admit to there being superior ones (obviously in numbers, but also in quality) in San Francisco and the East Bay. Wish that we would get some Indonesian and Ethiopean restaurants. But we do have a number of Thai restaurants -- and a couple of them are quite good. Sorry, but I am not being much help here. Here is a very short list: Biba's - northern Italian, California relaxed elegance. Expensive for Sacramento - dinner will easily run you $40 - and that does not include wine or any drinks. Harlow's - California cooking with pretensions to be being northern Italian - Yuppie watering hole, but they are strong in fresh fish. Waiters tend to be cute and take themselves very seriously...most are out of work actors. Jim Hanks (Tom's brother, who looks like his twin) used to work here, but he was always very pleasant and didn't go in for all the goofy theatrics of his fellow waiters. Paragary's - California - Chez Panisse rip off. Noisy yuppie...but good soup, caesar salad, and do grill fish and meat quite well. Aioli's - Very good tapas. Nice people own and run it. Mussels in garlic cream with sherry are out of this world. It may not be on the menu, but the chef will always make it for you. Nice neighborhood atmosphere, decor is very tasteful and fun. Prices are very, very reasonable. Top of the World - another tapas place, but very different from Aioli's and they are about three blocks from each other. This is more of a scene place, noisy, live music, food is not as complex or adventuresome as Aiol's, nor is it as reasonably priced. Food for Thought - California influenced by Diana Kennedy's Mexican cooking. Peg Tomlinson, the owner, is a huge Diana fan and has taken many classes from her at her home in Mexico. Linen tablecloths, food can tend to be precious, but it is nice to sit outside...especially for breakfast. Celestine's - Caribbean cooking. Uneven, but a nice change. Nationwide Meats - hole in the wall next to a garage. Very good hamburgers and fries. Have a loyal following and a wonderfully mixed crowd of patrons. The people who work there seem to really like their jobs. Greta's - nice cafe bakery. New Helvetia - coffee house in renovated fire house right across the street from Greta's. Now I happen to live in Midtown and all of these restaurants are within a few blocks of my home. I don't know if these would be convenient for you. Enjoy and now you should share your favorites with the group. There are a few of us in the Sacramento area that read rec.food.cooking you know. Anne
Sacramento, CA