The Abridged version:
- Seven Sacramento Kings basketball players told Abridged by PBS KVIE about their favorite food spots around the Sacramento region.
- Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk and Maxime Raynaud all named Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine as one of their top choices, with Monk and Sabonis going to Mikuni on more casual nights.
- Monk and Darius Acuff Jr. also gravitate toward Creole Soul Restaurant & Bar on Broadway, while De’Andre Hunter gets his down-home fill at Fixins Soul Kitchen in North Oak Park.
Want to eat like a King? Head to these Sacramento and Placer county restaurants.
Sacramento Kings players frequently travel for games, often play during dinner hours and sometimes hire private chefs to prepare performance-focused meals. But living in the region for more than half the year, they take advantage of the city’s restaurant bounty just like other residents. And they have their favorites, as they told Abridged by PBS KVIE.
Ella Dining Room & Bar, the downtown Selland Family Restaurants fine dining spot, became forward Keegan Murray’s favorite Sacramento restaurant early in his career. But he is also partial to fusion taqueria Masa Masa in West Roseville — “it’s amazing,” he said — for its street tacos and quesadillas.
Rookie forward Alex Karaban called Sacramento’s food scene the city’s most underrated aspect, noting he had been to several farmers markets and sampled “some of the best food I’ve had.” Karaban said he did not get recognized at the markets, a plus in his book. But 10 minutes later, center Maxime Raynaud showed reporters pictures of Karaban at the Midtown Farmers Market, texted to him by people who had seen the rookie out shopping for produce.
Raynaud spent part of the offseason in Sacramento and befriended Jon Rubel, the owner of downtown Australian café Camp Cove, as well as Craig Takehara of Japanese izakaya Binchoyaki. He has also been spotted at Camp Cove’s neighbor Pizza Supreme Being and listed Kin Thai Street Eatery in midtown and Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine in East Sacramento as other favorites.
“I love to take my brunch at Camp Cove. I have a lot of friends over there,” Raynaud said. “I love Binchoyaki. They have a ton of different — I wouldn’t say seasonal, but they rotate their menu quite a lot. I’m a big Asian food guy.”
Center Domantas Sabonis and guard Malik Monk both named Kru as well as sushi competitor Mikuni. Sabonis has a home in Napa Valley and enjoys Bouchon Bistro, Bistro Jeanty and R+D Kitchen in Yountville, but he appreciates Mikuni’s service when dining in Sacramento with his family, he said (and an occasional splurge at Localis). Monk goes to Mikuni for the edamame, fried calamari and nibbles from his girlfriend’s plate.
“I’ve been trying to dibble and dabble in sushi now,” Monk said. “I’ve been trying to expand my palate. My girl will get sushi (and) I just try the sushi she gets.”
You can also find Monk at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Roseville or Creole Soul Restaurant & Bar on Broadway, which the Arkansas native said makes “the best catfish I’ve had out here, for sure.” He shares that affinity with 19-year-old rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. out of the University of Arkansas, who has also found a spot for his favorite food, chicken wings, in Fire Wings.
And a block away from Fire Wings, forward De’Andre Hunter might be spotted having brunch at Iron Horse Tavern. He is also fond of Fixins Soul Kitchen, founded in North Oak Park by former NBA All-Star and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and recently stopped by Azayaka Japanese Fusion in La Riviera.
