The following is from City of Treats, a food and drink newsletter by Abridged senior food editor Benjy Egel. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
Even if you’re not a soccer fan, it’s easy to get into the World Cup.
The international tournament captures fan bases and spurs national pride once every four years (twice, really, with the women’s competition). Some of the most raucous parties of my early 20s were watching Germany play on a park’s big screen in Berlin, or Portugal face the U.S. from an Amsterdam hostel. North America hosting the 2026 tournament adds another level of interest, but personally, exorbitant ticket prices gave my spectator dreams a red card.
Part of the World Cup fun can be latching onto nations and teams you haven’t thought much about before, as with a college basketball Cinderella. For each of these participating countries, I’ve recommended a Sacramento-area restaurant where you can find their food, mingle with likeminded souls and maybe even catch a match.
Australia: Camp Cove (1401 O St., Suite B, Sacramento)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Crepe Town European Café & Grill (4064 Mother Lode Drive, Shingle Springs)
Brazil: Tropeiro’s Grill (1111 J St., Sacramento)
Colombia: Divina Colombian Café (6201 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento)
Czech Republic: La Trattoria Bohemia (3649 J St., Sacramento)
England: Bear & Crown (1022 2nd St., Sacramento)
Germany: Kathrin’s Biergarten (4810 Granite Drive, Suite A1, Rocklin)
Haiti: Caribbean Fire Grill (8109 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento)
Iraq: Sumer Nights (2316 Watt Ave., Sacramento)
Morocco: Casablanca Moroccan Restaurant (3516 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento)
Portugal: Goose Port Public House (316 Vernon St., Roseville)
Turkey: Anatolian Table (6688 Lonetree Blvd., Suite 400, Rocklin)
Uzbekistan: Caravan Uzbek Cuisine (7084 Auburn Blvd., Suite 160, Citrus Heights)
Today’s City of Treats also looks at a regional Indian restaurant, summer barbecue fun and Juneteenth festivals this coming weekend. Let’s kick off.
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Benjy’s Bites
Ziyafath’s Hyderabadi Restaurant | 3830 Northgate Blvd., Suite C, Sacramento | 916-223-9311
Taquerias and Mexican markets define Northgate Boulevard. But drive to its northern end, and you’ll find Ziyafath’s Hyderabadi Restaurant, which took over 524 Mexican Restaurant and Cantina’s former location in February after the latter’s 52-year run.
Hyderabad, the capital of the southern Indian state Telangana, is culinarily known for its biryani. Ziyafath’s nizami chicken dum biryani ($16, or $32 for a family-sized portion) is a standout of a representative dish, with two perfectly-cooked drumsticks hiding under caraway seeds, preserved citrus and smoky rice steamed low-and-slow in a giant pot.
The thick, gray porridge goat haleem ($19) is less visually striking but just as delightful on the tongue. Adapted from Arab variations in the 19th century, its gamey meat pokes through handfuls of ginger and cardamom, with cashews and fried onions on top for a bit of textural difference.
Egel’s Nest
I live, play and cook in this community just like you. This recurring section is a window into my life outside of restaurants and bars, always with a food and/or drink angle.
The sun is shining, kids are out of school and the latest sunset of the year comes Sunday. It’s barbecue season, and I celebrated my first of 2026 at my friends Parker and Tiffany’s cohousing community last weekend.
Parker worked the grill, rotating batches of hot dogs, veggie dogs and marinated Korean short ribs from South Sacramento’s TM Market onto aluminum trays. The 30 or so guests brought a wide range of sides — caprese salad, bags of cherries, Southside Super kimchi and kimchi-flavored Kettle Chips (my contribution), green chili cornbread, Spam musubi and 10 pounds of macaroni salad with a giant bottle of Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce to go over the top.
Tiffany whipped up dessert bars similar to the best Girl Scout Cookies (Samoas), and others brought carrot cake, cherry pie and a chocolate-peanut butter cake. In 100-degree heat, though, a box of Popsicles might have been the crowd favorite.
In the news
Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine will pay $700,000 to settle a former employee’s class action lawsuit, according to an agreement finalized Friday. Jongbyuk “Peter” Kim, an employee for roughly two months in 2024, accused the East Sacramento sushi restaurant of forcing him to complete work tasks for no pay and cutting employees’ breaks short without proper compensation.
After hosting pop-ups around the region since 2020, Pastry Cat’s brick-and-mortar bakery opened to long lines on May 1. Owned by fine dining veterans Nariya Charoensupaya and Scott Doiguchi, it melds classic French techniques with occasional Asian flavors — hazelnut hōjicha financiers, for example, or miso brown butter cookies.
Zoe Barrie’s latest Cooking in Season recipe is for caprese white beans, which punch up some of the summer’s first cherry tomatoes with additional fiber and protein. It takes just 15 minutes to make, and is equally tasty cold from the fridge the next day.
Happening this week
- There’s no shortage of Juneteenth celebrations this weekend, from Johnson-Springview Park in Rocklin to a St. HOPE block party in Oak Park to a Friday-Saturday party at William Land Park. Each commemoration of the U.S. ending slavery will have several food vendors; watermelon, barbecue and red drinks all hold special significance.
- Apple Hill Growers are hosting Lavendar Blue Harvest Days over the final two weekends of June. The fragrant herb stars alongside blueberries, with several farms around Placerville and Camino offering U-pick experiences to customers.
- Fair Grounds Coffee & Crafts will have its grand opening Sunday at 4603 Broadway in Sacramento’s Tahoe Park neighborhood. The cooperative-owned café sells handspun yarn, glass jewelry and stoneware in addition to coffee and tea drinks.
Benjy Egel is the senior food editor at Abridged. Born and raised in the Sacramento region, he has covered its local restaurants and bars since 2018. He also writes and edits Abridged’s weekly food and drink newsletter, City of Treats.