Vietnamese. 6830 Stockton Blvd., (916) 395-9244. Dinner for one: $10-$20. ★★★★ B.G.
bread that sets the tone. Giò Cha Duc Huong Sandwiches goes against the grain with bread that’s more football shaped than submarine shaped, garlic bread, and a selection of premade grab-and-go sandwiches right by the counter. And, with its substitution of butter for mayonnaise and the emphasis on pâté, Duc Huong shows a stronger than usual French influence.These details may seem trivial, but with banh mi, such small variations make all the difference. The small menu is limited to eight sandwiches (mostly pork) and two soups: chicken curry soup and a beef stew called bo kho banh mi, which comes with bread. There’s a thick float of chili oil on top of the yellow, turmeric and lemongrass-laced curry soup, which, at first, is off-putting until you realize it can be dipped into the yeasty, crusty, fluffy bread. Vietnamese. 6825 Stockton Blvd., Ste. 200; (916) 428-1188. Dinner for one: $5-$10. ★★★1⁄2 B.G.
La Victoria Mercado y Carniceria No. 2 If you break-
Giò Cha Duc Huong Sandwiches With banh mi, it’s the
Pho King 2 Pho King 2 takes diners on a trip to crazy-delicious town with its salads, including one off-the-menu salad featuring cold, pink tendon smothered in pickled daikon, carrot, crunchy garlic chips and peanutss and served with sweet fish sauce dressing. A beef with lemon salad, with thin slices of eye of round “cured” in lemon juice, is coated with sesame oil, herbs and chili flakes and is meant to be piled on rice crackers studded with black sesame seeds. It’s an incredible dish, and one you won’t find on a menu very often.
fast or lunch here on a weekend, you’ll likely encounter parties of bleary-eyed men conversing over large bowls of menudo, but La Victoria has plenty of other dishes on offer: breakfast plates, chile verde and roja, tacos, and tortas. In general, the food here has a reliable mid-level heat, but it distinguishes itself with its “normal” tacos, especially the cow-based ones, such as cabeza and lengua, and also its asada, which demonstrates a mastery of the cow: fatty, well-salted steak with a hint of garlic. They are served on tortillas fried in oil— which just adds to the decadence of the piled-up tacos. Mexican. 6830 Stockton Boulevard, (916) 427-1745. Breakfast or lunch for one: $5-$10. ★★★ B.G.
Tacos & Beer This is one of the area’s best Michoacán restaurants. Of its regional dishes, the enchiladas Apatzingán are unusual, filled with only a smattering of sharp cheese and diced onion, soaked in a vinegary sauce, and smothered in very lightly pickled, shredded cabbage with raw hunks of radish and avocado slices. Another specialty is the morisqueta—the ultimate comfort dish due to the unique texture of the white rice, which is as soft as an angel’s buttock. Diners also have the option to order hand-shaped, griddled-toorder tortillas. They are warm, soft, taste like corn and barely resemble those cardboard things
you get at the store. Mexican. 5701 Franklin Blvd., (916) 428-7844. Dinner for one: $10-$20. ★★★1⁄2 B.G.
ILLUSTRATION BY MARK STIVERS
South Sac
changes seasonally and features some uncommon offerings: Kinpira gobo with renkon (braised lotus and burdock-root salad) comprises matchstick-sized fibrous pieces of burdock root and juicy slices of lotus in a sweet mirin soy sauce. It also features inventive desserts. The “uji kintoki parfait” (it translates roughly to “Best. Dessert. Ever.”) is served in a sundae glass filled with layers of green-tea ice cream and sweet red beans, and it’s topped with whipped cream, chocolate Pocky candy, salty sesame crackers, peanut clusters, and warm, soft squares of mochi. Sushi. 132 E Street in Davis, (530) 753-0154. Dinner for one: $10-$25. ★★★ 1⁄2 B.G.
Arden/ Carmichael
Bowl & Ramen Randomness yields wonderful rewards at Bowl Ramen, a ramen eatery under the same ownership as Mana Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar. This venture may explain the miso soup, not a common occurrence in other Korean joints, which is proffered here, along with the eight banchan dishes. It also explains the initially incongruous ramen and California Roll combo. For the less intrepid and the spice-averse, there’s nine ramen options, including ones that feature dumplings, cold buckwheat noodles and potato noodles. If not a believer in the miracle of sundubu, Bowl & Ramen offers conversion. This unique tofu stew has mushrooms, veggies, onions and an egg on top but simply reciting the ingredients doesn’t do the combination justice. Here, the bibimbap is presented in an artful way; among the dish’s vegetables are small cubes of zucchini that appear out of place but skillfully augment the other flavors. Korean. 2560 Alta Arden Expy., (916) 487-2694 Dinner for one: $9-$15. ★★★1⁄2 G.L.
Nevada City
The Willo The Willo’s menu is simple, centered on a slab of meat and starchy sides— although the restaurant has added a veggie burger to its lineup. While the thick, smoky pork chop and the tender, butterflied half-chicken suffice, here it’s really all about the New York strip steak offered in small, medium and large portions. If you’re not the designated driver, slip into the bar for a shot to lull you during the long drive home. The sassy bartender will fix you right up as you take in the curving walls of this prefab structure from a long-gone era, the E Clampus Vitus plaques and the regulars’ birthdays listed on the wall. American. 16898 State Hwy. 49 in Nevada City, (530) 265-9902. Dinner for one: $20-$40. ★★★★ B.G.
Davis
Zen Toro Japanese Bistro & Sushi Bar Zen Toro features a large sushi menu, made up of both the steroidal Americanized rolls and traditional nigiri, but it also
is coming!
HOLIDAY GUIDE
BEST FLAT WHITE INLOCALLY TOWN OWNED LOCALLY ROASTED SEASONALLY SOURCED
How ’bout them apples? It’s apple season. In other words, the perfect time to visit Apple Hill, a collective of more than 50 growers in foothills of the Sierra Nevada—an annual tradition for many Sacramentans. Visitors can make a day trip before Thanksgiving to stock up on freshpicked apples and other fall fruits and veggies, or simply go for some wine and beer tasting. The only problem is deciding where to go if you’ve only got one day. Here is my personal favorite itinerary: Sip some brews and hard cider and eat lunch at the Jack Russell Farm Brewery (2380 Larsen Drive in Camino); pick apples at Bolster’s Hilltop Ranch (2000 Larsen Drive in Camino); eat some apple doughnuts at Rainbow Orchards (2569 Larsen Drive in Camino); and pick up pies, Barsotti Juice Company’s cider and other products for the road at Boa Vista Orchards (2952 Carson Road in Placerville). For more information—including maps and events—visit www.applehill.com. —Jonathan Mendick
6
$ 99 • FRIED CHICKEN & GRAVY • CHICKEN/PORK ADOBO • PANCIT • HALO HALO ★★★★ –SN&R
9174 FRANKLIN BLVD • ELK GROVE • 916.395.3905
www.ChocolateFishCoffee.com • Corner of 3rd & Q Street
2012
LUNCH sPeCIaL
Authentic Japanese Ramen in the heart of Land Park
ON STANDS
Buy any entree, get 50% off 2nd entree of equal or lesser value Can’t be combined w/any other offers. Dine-in only. Exp 11/30/12.
Hokkaido Noodle House
|
FRONTLINES
|
FEATURE
STORY
|
6
$
as seen at the farmer’s market
99
1/3 lb bbQ sandwich (6 meats to choose from)
catering available • validated parking 1000 i st, sac • 10:30–3pm mon–fri
big joe’s
916.400.4868 • bigjoesbbq.com
1724 Broadway • 916.492.2550 BEFORE
FRIED CHICKEN & LUMPIA
A RT S & C U LT U R E
|
AFTER
|
11.08.12
|
SN&R
|
35