In the same way we swap out our closets for warmer fashions more suited for autumn, it’s also time to clean out those pantries and replace your summer staples with fall fare. From crunchy fruits to mulling spices to pumpkin treats, fall has it all—and Sacramento offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy these autumnal delights. We all have our favorites, so here is a taste of the fall foods I love to feast on:
Apples
You can’t go wrong if you stock up on this quintessential fall fruit at Apple Hill. It’s an annual tradition for my mom, sister and I to buy our apples in every form there—bags of apples, apple dumplings, apple turnovers and, of course, apple pies. Grandpa’s Cellar is usually our first stop because this ultra-popular spot has the best pies and draws a crowd pretty quickly. A little closer to home, Midtown’s TreyBcakes offers personally sized apple pies (although personally sized to me is more like full-sized), and Rick’s Dessert Diner boasts more than a dozen variations on the classic.
Cider
A crisp cider is a classic fall beverage, and the Sacramento area is home to two spectacular hard cider breweries. Fox Barrel in Colfax is known for its pure pear juice ciders, flavored with everything from apricot to black currant. It even has a tasting room where you can check out some of their varieties. Two Rivers Cider Company produces a one-of-a-kind hard apple cider that’s medium dry, slightly tart and preservative-free. Its ciders are available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Corti Brothers, Nugget Markets and Whole Foods Market.
Comfort Food
Now that it’s not a blazing 100 degrees outside every day, I’m much more apt to fire up my oven and enjoy roasted vegetable soups and hearty casseroles. If I’m in the mood to stay in, I love making beef stew in my Crock-Pot using the recipe on the back of any beef stew seasoning mix. Venturing out to downtown Sacramento, Cafeteria 15L offers the chicken pot pie as a Monday special, and Lounge on 20 has fried mac ‘n cheese on its dinner and happy hour menus.
Pumpkin
The changing leaves may signal the new season for some, but the appearance of the Pumpkin Spice Latte on Starbucks’ menu is my fall indicator. The espresso, pumpkin-flavored syrup and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and spices, warms me right up on chilly fall mornings. And one of my favorite breakfast places that I’ve been going to since I was a kid, Eggie’s (1650 Fulton Avenue, 916-488-4356), serves up pumpkin pancakes that customers go crazy for.
What are some of your favorite fall foods?
Sue Meurer says
As usual, insightful, interesting, and educational. Now how many calories are in that Pumpkin Spice Latte?