We received the below email today from a reader who will be traveling to Sacramento for an interview tomorrow. I think we’ve all found ourselves in a new city at one time or another wondering where to grab a bite to eat or a quick glass of wine, right? How nice would it be to have a local recommendation everywhere you went?
Here’s the email:
Hi Sacfoodies,
I am flying in tomorrow for an interview in downtown Sacramento and flying out later that evening. I have never been to Sacramento and know nobody there, and was wondering if you could recommend a place to have dinner and wine before I jump on a taxi and head to the airport. Wine is a must (after a long interview), but the food is also very important. The interview will be over around 4 or 5, so maybe a good happy hour place would suffice. Any suggestions appreciated.
Your site is amazing. If I do end up in Sacramento, I will definitely continue to check it out.
Thanks in advance,
“Foodie Traveler”
When I consulted with a few other Sacfoodies, a few places that came to mind immediately were:
– L Wine Lounge
– Lounge on 20
– 58 Degrees and Holding
Good wine and good food is definitely not hard to find in Sacramento, so we sent a few of our recommendations along. Does anyone else have downtown suggestions for Foodie Traveler’s first visit to Sac?
Good luck at your interview, Foodie Traveler, and we hope you enjoy your brief time in Sacramento!
Archives for November 2008
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Tapa the World
If you’re anything like me, then most of your fondest memories relate back to food in one way or another. It’s that amazing cake from so-and-so’s wedding or the to-die-for taco shack on xyz road trip. I (subconsciously) tend to catalogue traveling experiences by food, too. The trip to Edinborough has somehow become synonymous with Haggas and the week in Greece might as well be called “Gyro Trip.” And the same goes for Spain – a tour of the country which seemed to be comprised of small plates. I’m not sure that we had more than one or two actual entrees on the entire time – but tapas certainly awaited us at every turn. Since then, I’ve been searching for a local tapas place that can at least remind me of that trip. And finally, last weekend, I found it.
Tapa the World, located on 2115 J St, has an authentic Spanish menu complete with Tapas del Dia and their staple Paella dishes. Last weekend, I feasted on both the Queso Español del Día (an assortment of imported Spanish cheese) and Kobe Beef (naturally raised from Snake River Farms, grilled medium rare & served with bleu cheese butter and crispy onion streamers).
I also tasted a delicious Calamari dish, but of course I can’t remember the name or find it in the online menu so it’s up to you to find that one!
No tapas meal would be complete without a glass of Cava, and the one at Tapa the World even brought me back to another fond memory at La Champagneria – a fabulous hole-in-the-wall bar in Barcelona. If you’ve ever visited Tapa the World (or La Champagneria, for that matter) we’d love to hear your thoughts – please leave us a comment below!
Dinner at Chicago's Tizi Melloul
Last month while traveling for work, I got the opportunity to spend an evening with my friend Amelia who lives in Chicago. Since we were in her neighborhood I asked her to pick a restaurant for dinner, which is how we landed at Tizi Melloul, and I’m glad we did. Tizi is a Mediterranean restaurant with a contemporary lounge feel. The restaurant was pretty empty for a Thursday night, which always makes me a little nervous, but I was quickly reassured that we had picked a winner when our drinks arrived: the Fizi Tini (sparkling wine and pomegranate juice with a twist) and the Cucumber Martini (vodka, cucumber, mint, simple syrup and fresh lime juice with a cucumber slice) were both refreshing and a fun way to start the night.
There are some things that I usually can’t turn down on a menu, and mussels is one of them. When our server told us their fire-roasted Prince Edward island mussels were one of their signature dishes it sealed the deal. They were not served in a typical broth, but roasted and covered in a mixture of spices and served with a small dish of melted butter and spices for dipping. If you go to Tizi Melloul and order one thing, make it the mussels. You won’t be disappointed.
Most of our night consisted of catching up and the usual gossip, and our meal was also great. We ordered a mix of salads and the grilled salmon entrée. We capped the dinner off with espresso martinis. Yum. If you are in Chicago and looking for something a little different I would recommend Tizi Melloul… if you have a large group you should check out the Crescent Room as it looks like even more fun, with lots of lanterns and floor/table seating!
Tizi Melloul
531 North Wells
Chicago, Il, 60610
312-670-4338
Foodie Gift Idea
Looking for a unique gift for a busy friend or family member this holiday season? Treat them (or yourself!) to the services of a personal chef.
SacFoodies’ reader Chef Laura Stewart of Indulge Gourmet provides personal chef services here in Sacramento and has offered to give a discount to other SacFoodies readers! How nice is that? Simply mention SacFoodies to receive a $50 discount. Contact Chef Laura to get the full scoop, but her services range from weekly meal preparation to special events, interactive cooking classes and dinner parties.
If you try out Indulge Gourmet’s services, be sure to come back and let us know how it was!