The SacFoodies love trying new restaurants, especially on a sunny spring day. When we were invited to lunch at Lazy Dog, we quickly “barked” yes! The foodies (and puppy foodies in training) headed out to Roseville to try the spring menu.
Jessi: To start, I had the Huckleberry Mule! I’m a big fan of mules, especially when they are served in a metal mug (as every good mule should be). This mule contained craft vodka, ginger beer, lemon, soda, and huckleberry puree. I really loved how fruity this drink was without being too sweet. As my first course, I had the slow-cooked lentil soup. This thick and flavorful soup was a great starter! It was delicious during lunch and even more delicious leftover when the evening got a little chillier. For my main course, I had the BBQ Veggie Burger. Now, I am very picky when it comes to veggie burgers, because it’s just so easy for them to be dry and boring. This burger, however, was delicious and moist thanks to the combination of black beans, ancient grains, and beets. Plus, it was topped with roasted garlic, pickles, and fried onion strips which are my all-time favorite burger toppings. I would 100% order again! The spring menu was very well put together and you could tell a lot of thought went into curating this collection. I’ll definitely be back!Cheyenne: I’ve been excited to try Lazy Dog ever since I found out I could bring my pups, not to mention the food looks fresh and fun! The spring menu has many options, which made it hard to choose which delicious dish to try. Nothing says warm weather like enjoying a fresh and fruity cocktail outdoors. I ordered the peaches and moonshine, and I was not disappointed, the fresh flavor of peach and citrus mixed with the kick of moonshine and a hint of mint. It was basically summer in a glass! If I had to give one pro-tip for going to Lazy Dog, go for the weekend brunch! I think there are some really great options that are on the menu exclusively for brunch that you won’t want to miss. I got the bacon and egg mac and cheese and I’m still thinking about it! It was all the delicious parts of breakfast and all the best parts of lunch mixed into one dish, which sums up the meaning of the word brunch. I was already in foodie heaven with the mac and cheese that I almost forgot that I ordered a main dish! If it’s cheesy I’m probably going to get it and those sentiments are multiplied by at least 7x if it’s burratta. With that being said, I ordered the burrata and heirloom tomato crisp. Now, I’m not usually a thin crust type of girl, but I made an exception here for the cheese, obviously. I was so glad I did! The crisp was so fresh and light but most importantly flavorful. 10/10 would recommend!
Brandon: Everything we sampled at Lazy Dog was fantastic! When we arrived and took a look at the menu, I was seriously torn on what to order! I decided to order a little bit of everything and see what the new spring menu was all about. Let’s start with the street corn wheels. This was one of my favorites of the day! How can you go wrong with grilled corn, tajin and queso? Next up was the veggie burger bowl. This dish really surprised me! I’m usually the last person to order a veggie burger, but when our server brought it to the table I was taken back by how fresh and vibrant the dish looked. More importantly, it tasted amazing! It was light and fresh, but felt very substantial when you ate it. This is a great spring lunch option to fill you up without slowing you down. Finally, we have the mother of all brunch items…the steak and eggs benedict. I am an eggs benedict connoisseur. I am always on the hunt for hollandaise. Lazy Dog’s take on the breakfast classic places flat iron steak over sautéed peppers and onions on top of a hash brown for a Potatoes O’Brien-esque flavor. They then top it with perfectly poached eggs and some seriously good hollandaise!
And now a message from our furry friends…
Morphe: I’m so glad to make my blogging debut on SacFoodies! I tried to hide my excitement when I heard we were going to Lazy Dog, but naturally, my tail gave me away. I don’t know a lot about food except that I eat it, so I’m always down to try a dog-friendly eatery. When I trotted in the door, I noticed the menu housed in a massive fire hydrant, so I knew I was welcome here! What a nice touch. I walked on to the patio and made my presence known. I may be small but my voice certainly isn’t. Our waiter brought me a bowl of the finest tap water they had, I usually prefer sparkling but on this warm day, I was pleased with the flat. It was hard to talk to the other doggy diners since they were so far away, but I tried (apparently that breaks the “No Barking” rule). I chose the hamburger and rice from the menu, it was so delectable, I threw my manners out the window and thoroughly enjoyed my meal! I can’t wait to go back I give it four paws up!
Lexi: I had the best day at Lazy Dog with all my friends! Food and my best buddy Morphe!? What a perfect day! I ordered the grilled chicken and rice and washed it down with the freshest water around. I was happily full after my lunch, and had a nice rest in the sun while my friends finished eating. I wish I could have tried some of the food that my human friends ordered! It all smelled so good. I can’t wait to comeback!
Sacramento Mother's Day Spots
There are countless ways to celebrate Mom this weekend: brunch, flowers, a handwritten card, you name it. Being in a city like Sacramento is a blessing and a curse because there are just so many fantastic options to choose from, it can be a little overwhelming at times. To help you choose, the SacFoodies asked for a little inspiration from the rest of the team here at FleishmanHillard Sacramento.
Jessi: This year I’m taking my Mom to Fox and Goose for brunch! My family is British, and the authentic UK fare at this pub is a welcome reminder of home. You can’t go wrong with the Full English Breakfast with eggs, British bangers, and baked beans.
Amanda: I’ll be sharing Mai Tais with my mom on the beach in Maui! **Pro-Tip** If you can’t quite make the trip to Hawaii, a cocktail from Jungle Bird is a great option!
Liz: I’m taking my mom for a Mother’s Day lunch to Lucca. I haven’t been there in years, but I love their outdoor seating area and thought it would be perfect for Sunday – just the right mix of a casual setting yet upscale food. And also hopefully not quite as crowded as some other spots around town!
Laurel: I love buying Full Belly Farm flower bouquets from the Sacramento Co-op as Mother’s Day gifts! They’re seasonal, local and absolutely beautiful. Usually you can find a variety of sizes and color options depending on what Mom loves, so it’s a great choice for Mother’s Day. You can also find succulents from @thepricklypear in the same section of the Co-op, and the little Bell jars they come in are adorable. If you or your Mom have allergies, a little succulent can be a great alternate.
Alexa: I actually won’t be with my mom this Mother’s Day (sad!) but if I were, I’d take her to my fave brunch spot, Pushkin’s Restaurant.
Harrison: This year, I got my mom a wine opener! **Pro-Tip** Take your mom for a glass of wine at Revolution! They do amazing wine flights and have a special brunch menu on Sunday.
Tricia: My brother made my mom a garden cart for her new garden and we (the whole fam and our sig. others) plan on spending the weekend painting it into a custom piece of art so every time she uses it, she will have a wonderful memory attached to it. **Pro-Tip** For the less artistic gardeners, The Plant Foundry has beautiful gift’s for mom and her garden.
Vanessa: I’m making brunch for my mom! But my plan is to make two breakfast casseroles the night before, chill overnight, bake in the morning and enjoy so I’m not having to (really) cook on Mother’s Day. I’ve chosen two recipes, one sweet and one savory, from Taste of Home: Overnight Asparagus Strata and Bananas Foster French Toast.
Shelly: Definitely feeling the love this Mother’s Day weekend. Flowers arrived from my boys yesterday, and there is a rumor of some fun plans for the weekend. I’m not sure what they have in store, but anything will be great…as long as there are waffles. Rumor is Meadowlands in Sloughhouse has the best brunch around. Hint. Hint.
Cheyenne: My mom and I both have a love for a good mimosa! Our favorite place to grab mimosas and brunch is Cafeteria 15L. A table on the patio, enjoying the fresh air and yummy food is how we plan on spending Mother’s Day.
Put Your "Backbone" Into It: New Lunch Spot on J and 8th Brings Fresh Life to the Area
by Laurel Harrison
If you work or live in Downtown Sac (like the SacFoodies), you know that the neighborhood has been growing by leaps and bounds since the Golden 1 Center opened its doors in late 2016. Construction is everywhere, food trucks abound and new restaurants are popping up as fast as we can try them.
One newcomer is Backbone Café, located near the corner of J St. and 8th St. You might’ve noticed the striking mural on the face of the restaurant. A previously nondescript wall, the storefront is a now an arresting shade of burgundy, decorated with a spine that meets an abstract pineapple at the top. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll know it when you do. The SacFoodies started hearing about Backbone a few months ago and were excited to see that this hip, seemingly Midtown-esque eatery was putting down roots in the heart of Downtown. We’re always looking for an easy and delicious workday lunch spot, and it seems like Backbone fits the bill.
Backbone is run by brothers Joey and Tomas Woolston, who decided to open the restaurant after a spinal injury derailed Joey’s focus on martial arts. If you were wondering where the name came from, Chef Joey freely tells the story of how he fell off a giant pineapple (yes, you read that correctly) at Burning Man and broke his back. Months of rehabilitation turned into a focus on wellness and healthy cooking, which subsequently turned into a restaurant featuring all wellness foods. Backbone Cafe’s menu doesn’t ascribe to a specific diet or health fad, but every dish on the menu could be something out of an athlete’s book – lean proteins, tons of veggies and made-from-scratch sauces.
We took a stroll to Backbone for lunch and were blown away by the simple yet inventive lunch options. Chef Joey prides himself on a locally-focused, whole food philosophy, using only organic ingredients and humanely raised (or wild!) meat options. From vegan to Paleo to gluten-free, Backbone has you covered. Are you a staunch meat-lover with a vegan pal? At Backbone, they can have the Vegan Mushroom Carnitas, you can have the Bone Marrow with Bacon Jam. It’s a win-win!
For lunch we tried the Mahogany Chicken Tacos, Free Range Fries and Chicken Power Bowl. The Chicken Power Bowl also had Mahogany Sauce (a tangy, spicy citrus sauce made in-house) on it, and it managed to be flavorful without feeling overpowering. The servings were generous, the chicken was tender and the roasted veggies still held a slight crunch. All in all, it felt a lot like a healthy home-cooked meal with a little extra pizzazz. The Mahogany Sauce was our preferred star of the show and we highly recommend giving it a try on whatever dish you order.
As someone who gets veeeerrrrryyyyyyyy sleepy after a big lunch, I was so pleased to find a dish that was satisfying without being over-filling. If I have a busy afternoon at work, the last thing I need is an after-lunch food coma but Backbone’s dishes are light enough to ward off the afternoon snooze. The portions on the Power Bowls are pretty generous, so it would even be possible to package up some leftovers for a 3pm snack (if you, like me, need to eat almost constantly).
At the moment, Backbone Cafe is only open for lunch, but we look forward to seeing expanded hours in the future! To miss the main rush at Backbone, which is already a lunch hub in the area, we’d recommend heading over on the early side. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is ultra-welcoming and relaxing, and it feels like a great spot to read, hang out and enjoy a cup of Keto Coffee. If Golden Milk is more your thing, don’t worry – they have that too.
To check out Backbone Cafe and learn more about their menu, visit their site here.
Guess what? Backbone was also just reviewed by the Sac Bee and Sac News & Review! You can check out their takes here and here, respectively. (We absolutely have to try the Bone Marrow after reading Kate Washington’s review.)
We Have Our Eyes on the Fries
If you follow the blog, you know that SacFoodies love attending Sacramento food festivals. They’re the perfect environment to try new restaurants and food trucks, all while surrounded by fellow foodies. The Sac Fry Fest, held at Roosevelt Park in late April, gathered Sacramento’s tastiest loaded fries into one spot, along with beer and cider, live music, and more! We tried fries from three different trucks, and they all exceeded our expectations. Here’s a lineup of the fries we tried:
Sisig Fries from Wandering Boba – Crisp shoestring fries topped with citrus-pepper marinated pork, ground chicharrones, diced white onion, jalapenos, and the crown jewel: an over easy egg. These fries were a game-changer. The spicy jalapeno, onion and luscious egg yolk went together wonderfully. They didn’t skimp on pork either, which was much appreciated.
Hefty Fries from Hefty Gyros – Grilled chicken on top of crinkle fries with tzatziki sauce, mild sriracha BBQ sauce, special seasoning, pepperoncinis and feta cheese. We had our eyes on these fries from the moment we got tickets to the festival. Something about tzatziki and feta with a bite of sriracha is unbeatable. These fries were so delicious!
Loaded Pizza Fries from On the Fry – Crispy fries topped with marinara sauce, melted mozzarella, pepperoni, and heaps of fresh basil. Yeah, you read that right. This pizza/French fries hybrid was cheesy and the perfect amount of spicy. Who knew pizza was 10 times better served on fries instead of crust?! These fries were also available on potato skins, if you’re feeling crazy.
Last but not least, we washed our meals down with some Bike Dog IPAs. All the proceeds from beer and cider sales benefited the Friends of Front Street Shelter, so we enjoyed our beverages while helping animals in need. Truly a win-win.
Overall, this festival was a huge hit! Granted, anything involving the words “loaded fries” can’t be bad, but the set up of this festival made it all the better. Buying tasting tokens at the door made for zero lines at any food trucks, and the large open space offered plenty of seating. #SacFryFest, we can’t wait til next year! Until then, does anyone know if these food trucks deliver? 🙂
SacSmoothies Roundup
You know the SacFoodies LIVE for a fabulous breakfast – eggs benedict, bacon, biscuits, you name it. That being said, most weekday mornings don’t lend themselves enough time for a full-on cooked breakfast. We’ve discovered that smoothies are the perfect speedy snack for a busy morning and can be just as delicious as the full *breakfast experience.* There’s now a big group in the office that makes smoothies as their breakfast or mid-day snack and we’re highlighting some fun and easy smoothie recipes for our foodie friends.
For the next three weeks, we’ll show off our favorite morning smoothie recipes and will share our best smoothie-licious tips. Whether you’re working with a decade old Magic Bullet or a brand-new Vitamix, these smoothies are all easy to throw together, portioned for one (no messy leftovers here!) and a great way to kick start your weekday. Check back here each Wednesday for a new smoothie recipe, and follow along on Instagram to see us in action!
Pro Tip: If you make a smoothie every day, or even every week, we recommend buying some reusable straws. We like the silicone ones you can find here, but there are also stainless steel and glass options. It’s better for the environment and better for your budget in the long haul!
Week 1: The Blend and Snap
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