By Jenna Buhagiar, Vanessa Smith and Shelly Kessen
As with many business professionals, lunch meetings are a usual occurrence for us around here, whether we are in Sacramento or on the road. While our business takes us everywhere from San Diego to Atlanta and even Miami, we often find ourselves traveling down 99 to our southerly neighbor of Modesto. How often to do we travel to Modesto? Well, earlier this year we even raved about the Happy Hour specials we found at one Modesto establishment. However, the more common circumstance of our Modesto foodie experience centers on the business lunch, because even in the middle of the work day, food is our top priority.
Enter: Downtown Modesto’s Galleto Ristorante, an ivy-covered building on the corner of 11th and J Streets. A spacious interior gives way to a wonderfully secluded outdoor patio, with ambiance that instantly transports you to Italy, as does the menu. From the panino and insalata specials (pictured above) to the unbeatably beautiful Margherita Pizza, Galleto’s is a Modesto mainstay worthy of any business lunch.
Galleto Ristorante
1101 J Street
Modesto, CA 95354
(209) 523-4500
Kupros Bistro, Sacramento
By Liz Conant and Cecily Fuller
Advertising themselves as Sacramento’s first gastropub, (a much-debated term, most commonly defined as a pub that also offers good food), Kupros Bistro is located in a beautifully remodeled 100 year-old craftsman near the corner of 21st and L Street. Outfitted with stained glass windows, rich wood booths and a large balcony seating area, Kupros makes a memorable first impression. We were excited to try out the new spot in town to see how it would measure up in the Sacramento dining scene. On our visit to the restaurant with a group of friends, we quickly learned that the unique food offerings lived up to our expectations.
We sat on the upstairs balcony to enjoy the sunny evening. A few of us shared the oysters as an appetizer which came served on a bed of sea salt with a cucumber topping. They were delicious, fresh and a perfect way to start the meal.
Next, we moved on to an order of the poutine, a dish that originated in Quebec, Canada and usually consists of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and gravy. The Kupros version went the extra mile by including braised oxtail on top. Needless to say, the dish of fries, cheese, gravy and oxtail was gone in a matter of minutes.
A few of us also sampled the crispy pork belly BLT – need we say more? Served open-faced on crusty bread and topped with thick heirloom tomatoes and arugula, it was another hit that left everyone wanting more.
Finally, we wrapped up our sampling meal will a dessert that we can only describe as some kind of vanilla pudding heaven served with oversized Oreo-like cookies for dipping.
We left Kupros feeling full, satisfied and looking forward to our next visit so we can continue to sample items from the unique menu.
Kupros Bistro
1217 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 440-0401