I’d like to think I can speak English fluently and Germish (my affectionate nickname for the German/English hybrid we sometimes speak at home) quite well. But when it comes to Italian, I’m hopeless. So when a friend invited me to attend the grand opening of Buonarroti the other night, I knew the first task at hand would be learning how to pronounce the restaurant’s name and finding out what it means.
Partially due to my lack of Italian language expertise, and partially as a reflection of the delicious food we devoured, I would have assumed that Buonarroti meant something along the lines of “decadent” or maybe “sophisticated.” For all I knew, it could have meant “rich in flavor” too. Any of these words or phrases could easily have been used to describe our dining experience. When it came time to order, we were still playing a guessing game.
Luckily, everyone in the group that I was with paid close attention in kindergarten so we were all fans of the “taste and share” method. I ordered the Buonarroti Salad and was pleasantly surprised – it was hearty enough to feel like dinner but light enough to appease my salad craving.
Among the other favorites at our table were Caprese Salad, Gnocchi, and the Butternut Squash Ravioli Special.
In addition to the food being excellent, head chef and owner Daniel Alcantaro could not have been more of a crowd pleaser. Alcantaro and his wife seamlessly floated from table to table, entertaining guests and providing background on each dish.
So what does “Buonarroti” mean? Well, it’s Michaelangelo’s last name, of course!
Last Friday at Zócalo
My fiancé and I wanted to kickoff the weekend by trying out a restaurant in Sacramento that we had never been to. Since we both are pretty new to the area, this wasn’t a difficult task. I’m a Mexican food lover and I had heard good things about Zócalo, so we decided to give it a try.
Zócalo immediately reminded me of this gorgeous villa I stayed at in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago. The restaurant was very spacious with large open windows and authentic décor – I felt like I was back in Mexico the whole time I was there!
We started out our meal with chips and margaritas, as we do at most Mexican restaurants we go to. The chips were warm, salty and delicious – the quality of chips and salsa are always very important to my dining experience. The margaritas were smooth and refreshing.
There were so many choices on the menu that I had a tough time making a decision. When it came time to order I chose the flautas de pollo and my fiancé chose the carnitas burrito.
The flautas were crunchy and topped with cabbage and radish, which was a fresh twist. The carnitas burrito was absolutely delicious, the pork was very tender and flavorful – I kept stealing bites off of my fiancé’s plate! The entrees were served with black beans and tasty cilantro-flavored rice.
We were also surprised to find that a mariachi band plays at Zócalo on Fridays. There’s nothing wrong with being serenaded while eating delicious food!
Zócalo
1801 Capitol Avenue
(916) 441-0303
Table Talk
When a new restaurant pops up downtown, we are apt to notice, but it’s rare for the Sac Foodies to swoop in en masse. But, when we heard that Table 260 had opened a second location – this time in downtown – we made it a special outing by inviting The Sacramento Bee’s Rick Kushman to join us. Between bites of southern soul food, we talked foodies, TV and, of course, Table 260.
Brittany Mohr:
When I hear the phrase “soul food,” I tend to make generalizations along the lines of “deep-fried.” Table 260 taught me that “deep-fried” can be fabulous. I love to try unfamiliar foods – give me black pudding or haggis any day. Eating chicken and waffles together (with syrup, the way it’s supposed to be done) had never really crossed my mind prior to last week’s dining experience. My main takeaways are that the hush puppies were dangerously good (the kind of good where you could probably devour an entire basket if no one were watching), and the chicken and waffles is a must-try, if for no other reason than to say you did it.
Kris Caputo Hurley:
It’s risky business trying out a new restaurant only four weeks after its opening. My expectations got even lower when we were the only party seated in the main dining area. There was just one other couple seated at the bar the entire evening. Thankfully, good food and good company made up for the lack of energy. I insisted we share an order of hush puppies from the appetizer menu and I’m so glad I did! Not only was it one of the most generously proportioned apps I’ve seen in a long while, they were absolutely delicious and as comforting as I’d hoped they’d be. Half joking, I also claimed that I could drink the garlic butter that the grilled prawns were cooked and served in. Instead, I delightfully soaked the sliced bread in the sauce and would have been pleasantly full with just these two fantastic starters. Fellow Sac Foodie Kim Bedwell and I shared the house salad (very fresh and well dressed) and crab cakes, unique with its panko crust. All in all, it was a delightful evening full of conversation (Rick is practically a celebrity with all his visits to various TV sets!) and very good food. It’s just a matter of getting people in the door!
Ashley Paul:
My dining experience at Table 260 has taught me that soul food equals comfort food. The fried green tomatoes, hush puppies and sweet potato fries were addicting and delicious – the perfect prequel to the main course, which was chicken and waffles. I admit that I was skeptical of combining one of my favorite breakfast dishes with fried chicken wings (I’m one of those people who does not like my pancakes and bacon to touch), but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it. A few bites in I surprisingly found myself dunking forkfuls of chicken and waffle into syrup – in fact, I actually wanted more chicken, and was wishing for a thigh or a drumstick! Fellow Sac Foodie Brittany Mohr and Rick Kushman were also daring enough to try this unusual combo, which they both said they enjoyed. It was refreshing and fun to venture out of my typical culinary comfort zone and try something new.
Julie Ficker:
The best way I can describe Table 260 is by comparing them to my favorite pair of designer jeans. Both offer the kind of sensation you can only get when you know you’re about to experience something truly authentic. They both provide that familiar, down-home comfort. And like my favorite pair of denim, Table 260 is ideal for just about any occasion. Whether you’re celebrating a family birthday, watching Monday night football or getting ready for a night out on the town – it’s that staple you can pull from your restaurant repertoire and know it will be just the right fit. And finally, at the end of the day (or end of your meal) you will always feel it was well worth the indulgence!
Maria Chacon Kniestedt:
I couldn’t wait to eat at Table 260, but not for the reasons you might expect. Fannie Flagg is a favorite author – as are many southern writers – so the occasion felt like jumping into the plot of a great story, especially when I learned that fried green tomatoes were on the menu. Of course, I envisioned a current take on the Whistle Stop Café – you know, Idgie Threadgood (aka the Bee Charmer) and her best friend, Ruth Jamieson (cue the train here!) dishing up a wallop of chocolate frosting and good fun. Table 260 serves fried green tomatoes (and they are good), but this is no café. The ambiance is sleek and urban, and the service top-notch. In addition to fried green tomatoes, the hush puppies and sweet potato fries were definite favorites, and my salmon was perfectly seasoned and grilled. One of the best parts of the evening, though, was dining with Rick Kushman who gets to live “The Good Life” on a regular basis. Plus, he has the real-deal, inside scoop on all our favorite TV programs. “Mad Men” fans, unite!
You’re only as good as your last picture
The Sac Foodies pose for Pulitzer Prize-winning Sacramento Bee photographer, Renee Byer, at Il Fornaio for a photo featured in Rick Kushman’s column “The Good Life.”
“You’re only as good as your last picture,” she told us.
Dos Coyotes, Sacramento
You may have seen the T-shirts, but have you experienced Dos Coyotes recently? I’m referring to this Tex-Mex restaurant’s motto “Have you had your Dos?” – prominently displayed on its menus and T-shirts – because, truly, once you’ve started eating at Dos Coyotes, it’s hard not to make it a habit. (Just ask my husband!) Fresh and delicious, with plenty of offerings to satisfy both young and old, Dos Coyotes is a great informal place to experience southwest food.
We head for our “Dos” about once a week. On this visit, we indulged a bit and ordered the Santa Fe Nachos with chicken to start. These nachos are heavenly – blue corn tortilla chips smothered in cheese, black beans, guacamole and sour cream, plus a hefty portion of grilled chicken breast. The secret ingredient for these nachos? A touch of their chipotle chile BBQ sauce – a savory-sweet-smoky concoction that I always order a side of so that I can smother whatever else I happen to be ordering with it.
We also ordered the Yucatan Chicken Salad, probably my favorite salad on their menu, which boasts charbroiled chicken breast, black beans, red onion, carrots, jicama, sweet peppers, cabbage and corn drizzled with a southwest vinaigrette, chipotle cream, fruit salsa and crispy tortilla strips – all served on a flour tortilla. This salad is enormous, and can easily feed two – or save some for the next day.
Dos Coyotes also has a kids menu, and we take advantage of that! My daughter prefers the chicken and rice, while my son almost always orders the rice and black beans. They also offer kid-friendly quesadillas – either with beef or chicken – plus dinners with steak or carnitas.
The menu is large and varied, which ensures there’s something for everyone: the border bowl is a low-carb option; the lean and mean market burrito is designed for athletes; their seafood – mahi, shrimp or salmon – come in both burrito and taco form and are citrus marinated and then grilled; plus, there are enchiladas, taquitos, burritos, tacos and much more.
Don’t miss their fresh salsa bar, which has at least six fresh salsa offerings. And if you’re planning a party or feeding a crowd, check out their catering menu.
What sets Dos Coyotes apart is its commitment to fresh and flavorful ingredients that are the building blocks of consistently great southwest-style meals. Don’t you think it’s time for your Dos?
There are several locations in the Sacramento area. Click here to find the location closest to you!
Late-Night Dining at Bistro 33 Midtown
Believe it or not, late-night dining in Midtown Sacramento is not limited to drive-through windows. In fact, Bistro 33 Midtown has a menu designed to satisfy even the strongest nocturnal cravings. Bistro 33’s “Midnight at Midtown” menu is served nightly from 10 p.m. to close, which is either 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. depending on the day of the week.
The Midnight at Midtown menu is a combination of appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes and even breakfast dishes! Some of the items on the menu are Carnitas Street Tacos, Oven Dried Tomato & Shrimp Ravioli and Kobi Mini Burgers—no late-night drive-through menu can compete with variety like that!
A few weeks ago, I found myself at Bistro 33 celebrating a friend’s birthday at midnight. I tried the French Onion Soup Gratinée and loved it. The bowl was brimming with Swiss cheese and sweet caramelized onions, which was just what I needed to satisfy my late-night craving. My fellow night owls enjoyed the Roasted Sirloin Dip with house-made au jus and Eggs Any Style.
Located at the corner of 16th and K streets, Bistro 33 Midtown also has a full bar with an extensive wine and cocktail list. If you ever find yourself in a late-night dining dilemma, back away from the drive-through window and satisfy your appetite at Bistro 33 Midtown.
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