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.
This time of year always brings food and drinks worth savoring, from roasted chestnuts to candy canes and cookies and milk left out for Santa. Christmas is sweet, it’s rich, it’s artificially minty — all the things to enjoy in winter before making your New Year’s resolution.
I grew up exclusively celebrating Hanukkah, which drew to a close yesterday, at home. Even so, Christmas was always a part of my life — cracking Dungeness crab with extended family on the 24th, sipping mulled wine at Christmas markets while traipsing through Europe, hearing my mom practice her violin for upcoming performances in area churches. I now celebrate with my partner’s family, whose Christmas traditions include Heath bars in stockings, cranberry-orange scones and sourdough egg casserole after presents are unwrapped.
However you celebrate, I hope you’re having a joyous, grateful holiday season. Be sure to check back on Boxing Day, when Zoe B. Soderstrom will drop a “Cooking in Season” recipe for an item I mentioned above.
Benjy’s Bites
Here’s my favorite item or two from a local restaurant this week. Send me yours at begel@kvie.org.
Flaming Grill Cafe | 2380 Watt Ave., Suite 150, Sacramento | 916-696-6373
Country Club Plaza’s days as an Arden Arcade hangout are long gone, but Flaming Grill Cafe has held on for 18 years inside the mall. Jose Silva’s sports bar has a deep menu, including quality vegetarian options, and an impressive tap list (buy five select beers and your sixth is free). But most people come to Flaming Grill for burgers, specifically patties made from exotic meats scrawled on the chalkboard outside and nestled between stellar brioche buns.
That list included elk, wild boar and frog legs on a recent visit, all available as $1-$3 upgrades to any burger listed on the menu. My recommendation: get the simple cafe burger ($13), which supports choice medium-rare meats such as venison or buffalo, rather than a more sauce-laden option that drowns out their nuances. Gator bites ($15) with pico de gallo and creamy remoulade are an easily shareable appetizer in the same vein.
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.
Vegetarian friends came to visit last weekend, and my partner and I fed them with a meat-free take on one of my favorite Southwestern dishes: tamale pie. We used Melissa Clark’s New York Times recipe, which stewed pinto (or black) beans, canned tomatoes, charred peppers and spices together in a Dutch oven.
My sister, who initially recommended this recipe, raved about the cheddar-scallion cornbread topping, but we were pinched for time and whipped up Jiffy corn muffin mix instead. On a drizzly December evening, our guests had no complaints about this cozy meal, or the bottle of Séka Hills Cabernet that accompanied it.
In The News
No Jewish delis in the Sacramento area — what’s the deal with that? Contributor Helen Harlan spoke to a litany of people including a former Solomon’s chef, an Upper Crust Bakery’s owners and former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg about the capital region’s lack of options.
Belly Barbecue is only open a maximum of 11 hours per week, and even less if it sells out. But during that limited time, Georgia-born owner and pitmaster Marcus Randolph churns out what may be Sacramento County’s best barbecue.
First, I showed readers where to find cheap beer at Kings games. Now contributor Becky Grunewald is pulling the sudsy curtain back on the one Golden 1 Center stand where fans can find Russian River Brewing beer, including the famous Pliny the Elder double IPA — and once a year, its cousin Pliny the Younger.
Happening This Week
- The Davis Food Co-op expects 400-500 people at its 40th annual holiday meal Wednesday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial Center. Founded in 1985 by Co-op employees whose families wouldn’t have them for Christmas, it’s free to anyone who may need a little extra community, with donations and volunteer efforts gladly accepted from guests who can do so.
- Sweetgreen’s second area location opened Monday at 2080 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite 180 in The Boulevard shopping center in Campus Commons. The Los Angeles-based salad chain launched in Midtown Sacramento just after Thanksgiving.
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.