by Laurel Harrison
The long-awaited Mendocino Farms is finally making its appearance at the R Street Ice Blocks on December 6th, and we could not be more excited! They already have a cult-like following in SoCal and the Bay Area, and the SacFoodies are ready to drink the seasonal, locally-sourced Kool-Aid.
For those who aren’t familiar, Mendocino Farms is a popular sandwich and salad restaurant that emphasizes premium, locally-sourced ingredients in creative and seasonal dishes. Mendo (as the fans call it) is devoted to partnering with local farmers and food artisans to create tasty food while supporting the local food economy.
Co-founders Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen (a dynamic husband-and-wife team) wanted to come back to their roots with a Midtown location, inspired by Del Pero’s own childhood experiences with Sacramento’s rich food scene.
Del Pero spent his youth in Sacramento, eating peanut noodles from the now-closed David Berkley Fine Wines & Specialty Foods and taking inspiration from Berkley’s commitment to high-quality, soul-satisfying food. In fact, Del Pero says that Berkley, and his dedication to the community, was a huge inspiration for the Mendocino Farms culture. It seems only fitting that Mendocino Farms is coming back to where it all began – right here, in Sacramento.
“I grew up less than an hour outside Sacramento in Yuba City, so this restaurant opening means a lot to me. It feel like we’re coming home. People here have such a great appreciation for the farm-to-table philosophy we’ve always embraced, and Midtown is such a sophisticated and vibrant community.”
What are the SacFoodies most excited for? Right now, it’s a toss-up between the Pork Belly Banh Mi and the Save Drake Farm’s Salad, but we’re sure we’ll find more to crave as we work through the menu.
Most of all, we’re happy to welcome Mario and Ellen home to Sacramento – we hope you stay a while!
