This week we shared reviews of our favorite local Mexican restaurants. To wrap things up, we checked in with some of our foodie friends around town to see if we’d left anything out. Here’s what they had to say:
Kate Washington, food writer for Sactown magazine, told us that while she often visits Azul and La Fiesta, she especially likes El Herradero on Arden Way.
Ann Martin Rolke, author of Hands Off Cooking and the Sacatomato blog had this to say: “I love the burritos at La Favorita because they’re the most like Mission burritos I’ve found here. I like the mole at Tres Hermanas a lot. Oh, I did like Sal’s Tacos in West Sac for their impressive array of salsas and a HUGE, delicious bowl of posole. They also have great mosaics.”
Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic told us that he loves Taqueria Garibaldi. As he said, “Garibaldi. Hands down. I can get a whole fried tilapia there and make two meals out of it.” (Sounds like a great Tightwad Tuesday idea to us!)
Kristy DeVaney of CakeGrrl also chimed in: “I really love El Centro. It’s got a great location and I love the decor. There are also over 100 tequilas available at the bar. Most importantly though, the food is spectacular and plated so elegantly! Kurt Spataro developed the menu through a collaboration with Diana Southwood Kennedy, a noted author and authority on Mexican cooking.”
Julie Gallaher, author of the blog Fun Things To Do said that her top three in Sacramento are Zocalo for the fundito and margaritas, Nopalito’s for the Nopalitos Taco and Ernesto’s for the Huevos Rancheros – Ole!
Sacramento resident Lisa Serna-Mayorga told us that for her, it’s a tie between El Novillero and Zocalo.
And, don’t think we’ve forgotten about the great Mexican eateries we’ve reviewed on Sac Foodies in the past! Here’s a quick recap:
First, there’s Azul. With a prime midtown location, tacos for less than $2 and burritos under $4, you can’t go wrong.
Dos Coyotes offers some of the freshest tasting Mexican food in town – and did we mention the cheese sauce? Maria ate at Dos recently and tried the Mesa Taco Plate with shrimp – hold the rice and double the black beans. Looks delish!
If you find yourself in Roseville with a hankering for Mexican, head to Mas. You’ll go home happy after a meal of albondigas (meatball) soup with churros and ice cream for dessert.
If you’re looking for a trendy atmosphere with fancy margaritas, then we suggest you try Zocalo. One of the most popular dining establishments in Sacramento, you’ll get great food and service, and if you’re lucky you might even be serenaded by their mariachi band!
Tightwad Tuesday Taqueria
In every city I’ve lived, I’ve always made a point to quickly locate the best nearby taqueria and promptly integrate it into my regular dining schedule. And by the best, I mean it has to be close to my house, fast, cheap and serve good food, of course. A great selection on the salsa bar doesn’t hurt either. Los Jarritos on Broadway not only meets my criteria, but exceeds it.
Here’s why: I don’t think there’s anything on the menu that costs more than $5 – at least nothing I’ve ordered. That includes full entrees with rice and beans. Another plus is the generous sides of guacamole for 25 cents! I don’t know another place that offers guac for 25 cents – needless to say I always add a few to my order. Tortilla chips are free and the salsa bar offers plenty of choices. Finally, the employees at Los Jarritos are always friendly and orders come out fast – for dine-in or take-out.
I’ve tried a number of menu items and my standby is the Super Veggie Burrito for $4.50. But on this particular occasion I went with a Chicken, Beans and Cheese quesadilla for about $3. All things considered, you really can’t go wrong with a quesadilla and this one was no exception.
My dining companion went with Tres Sopas for around $4 – another cheap and filling menu offering. But he raves about his usual order, a Torta with beef and pork carnitas, which is basically a Mexican sandwich.
Los Jarritos has become my standby for those nights when the fridge is empty and I don’t want to travel very far. So if you’re in Land Park and looking for a cheap place to get a filling meal, I suggest you give Los Jarritos a try.
Los Jarritos Mexican Food
2509 Broadway
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 455-7911
Have your own go-to Mexican food restaurant that meets my close/fast/cheap/tasty requirements? Share your secret by leaving a comment below!
Tower Café : A Landmark Dining Experience
A Sacramento landmark, the Tower Café is one of the most popular dining establishments in the city. Located next to the historic Tower Theatre, the restaurant almost always has a line out the door during weekend brunch hours. Living walking distance from the eatery has allowed me the great pleasure of dining there on numerous occasions – in fact, my first meal after I moved here last summer was at Tower Café. I’ve tried quite a few menu items (including the famous French toast) and have always been happy with the food. My trip for dinner a few weeks ago was no exception – and choosing to go on a Tuesday was no accident either: Tower Café offers $2 draft beers on Tuesday’s.
As anyone who has dined out with me knows, deciding what to order is always a difficult process. However, the decision proved to be pretty easy this time as my dining companion and I decided to split two dishes: The Borracho Burger and the Las Americas Salad with grilled chipotle chicken.
The delicious Borracho Burger was piled high with jack cheese, crispy onions, lettuce, tomato and Firestone Double Barrel Ale BBQ sauce. It came with a side of what I consider some of the best fries in town – thick but still perfectly crispy.
Our slightly healthier choice, the Las Americas Salad, was a crisp mix of greens and vegetables with herb vinaigrette dressing. The salad was piled so high in the bowl we had to ask for another plate – and this was the “small” size!
Needless to say, we had no problem finishing both dishes and our beers, per usual. I know I’ll be back – there are still plenty of menu items I’ve yet to try and I’m looking forward to sitting on the Tower Café’s patio as soon as the sun allows!
Lunch at Bistro 33 in Midtown Sacramento
Over the summer, we shared a review of one Sac Foodie’s late-night dining experience at Bistro 33 Midtown. Recently, I also had the pleasure of trying this trendy restaurant, although my experience was during daylight hours. It was mid-day on a Saturday and my dining companions and I were facing a dilemma: Where could we eat lunch that would be a step-up from bar food but still allow us to watch the Cal v. Stanford football game? We found ourselves at Bistro 33 in Midtown Sacramento and it could not have been more perfect; complete with a cozy corner booth facing a flat-screen TV which the staff was more than happy to change to the game we wanted.
The restaurant was serving both brunch and lunch menus, which made deciding on entrees difficult . . . at least for me! Once decisions were made and our food arrived, we found ourselves perfectly happy with our meals, and the score of the football game.
The Linguine Carbonara was piled high and included chicken, pork belly and toasted walnuts in an egg cream sauce. To say the dish was creamy would be an understatement. A big plus was the generous amount of chicken and pork belly – the Linguinie could easily feed two people!
The Midtown Chop Salad included chopped romaine, smoked turkey, red onion, tomato, goat cheese, pepper bacon and toasted almonds in a creamy green goddess dressing – and this was the small size! The salad was delish, crisp and perfectly dressed.
The Roasted Sirloin Dip sandwich might have taken the prize for favorite dish of the meal. The meat was tender and juicy and the au jus sauce was poured hot table-side. Plus, it came with fries that we all got to share!
If you find yourself looking for a place to dine for lunch on a weekend, you might consider Bistro 33. A cozy atmosphere, friendly servers, TV’s with sports, great food and a vast drink selection make this spot perfect for foodies and sports aficionados alike!
Bistro 33 Midtown
1020 16th Street (at K)
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-233-3633
Holiday Events In and Around Sacramento
Tis’ the season to get out and about! The SacFoodies will be scouting out the very best of Sacramento’s holiday fun and have compiled a quick list of the happenings below. Will we see you there? Take a moment to let us know what’s on your holiday itinerary. Any fun events that we might have missed?
Leave us a comment telling us which holiday activities you will be attending this year and keep checking the blog for reviews of events around town!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Lace up! The ice skating rink at the Westfield Downtown Plaza is already open! But don’t worry if you don’t make it in before the holidays, the rink stays open until January 19.
Don’t miss the annual tree lighting ceremony in Old Sacramento at 6pm on November 26. Entertainment starts at 5:00 p.m. on the corner of Front and K Streets.
Get in a workout before Thanksgiving dinner and help raise money for a good cause by participating in Run to Feed the Hungry on November 27. The race starts at 9:00 a.m. on J Street near the CSU Sacramento entrance – sign up now!
Pick up some tips for decorating your own home by checking out the Holiday Home Tour in East Sacramento the weekend of December 5-7. This year, five elegant homes in the Fabulous Forties area will be open for viewing.
Ready to get cooking? Then you don’t want to miss East Bay Restaurant Supply’s 2nd Annual Winter Culinary Expo. The event will include live cooking demonstrations throughout the store and thousands of culinary items will be on sale at markdown prices!
Want to get all your holiday shopping done in a six-block radius? Check out the Midtown Holiday Celebration and Shopping Day on December 6th. This event includes shopping specials, live music, a tree-lighting ceremony and horse and carriage rides!
After spending the day in Midtown, cruise over to Old Sacramento to watch the Lighted Boat Parade at dusk on December 6.
Take the whole family to see the Sacramento Ballet’s performance of The Nutcraker. The show runs December 6-23 this year and includes more than 400 children in the performance.
On December 13, learn how to make holiday gifts and foodie hostess presents at the East Bay Restaurant Supply Culinary Center. Bonus: take home your finished products to share with family and friends!
Why not let the kids do the cooking? Sign them up to learn how to bake holiday treats on December 13 at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op. Or, check out the Family Holiday Art Extravaganza on December 7 and the whole family will learn how to make unique holiday gifts!
Baby, it’s cold…so head to the theatre! Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn star in Four Christmases out November 26, Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are The Brothers Bloom out December 19 and Christmas Day delivers Adam Sandler in Bedtime Stories and Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Bring on the popcorn!
Staying in town for New Year’s Eve? Catch the Sky Spectacular Fireworks Show in Old Town Sacramento. Festivities including fire jugglers and live music will begin at 6pm and end with a bang with fireworks at 9pm and midnight.
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