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Hi everyone — Keyla here.
Benjy is off in Italy this week (yes, we’re very jealous), so I’m stepping in to keep City of Treats cooking. If you’ve been reading Abridged for a while, you’ve probably seen my byline pop up across a few food stories, including this week’s look at Aiona, the swanky new wood-fire Mediterranean restaurant that opened Monday on K Street.
Randy Paragary’s iconic Esquire Grill space on K Street was empty for five years. The team behind Allora reopened it with a $4 million overhaul, a 3,000-bottle wine cellar and a dining room built around a central wood- and-charcoal-fire grill.
The menu leans into Mediterranean traditions: whole fish, slow-cooked meats and shareable plates built around that live fire, alongside a rotating lineup of seasonal sides. I stopped by a friends-and-family preview this past weekend, and it was off to a strong start.
The restaurant was packed with guests, and the hospitality felt above and beyond. Servers were knowledgeable about the menu and stepped in to guide guests through the space, opening doors and walking them where they needed to go. Bartenders moved nonstop between cocktails and wine pours, while the open kitchen was in full swing, with cooks working the wood-fired grill and the expo sending out plates at a steady pace.
These were a few of my favorite dishes: ajo blanco ($22) — reminded me of a bright scallop and pickled grape Peruvian ceviche, the wonderfully charred wood-roasted branzino ($48) and the huge side of patatas bravas ($14). Definitely recommend the warm date pudding ($13) for dessert. It was one of my most memorable sweet bites this year.
Aiona is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, with happy hour in the afternoon and a bar setup that works just as well for a quick glass of wine as it does for a full meal.
There’s more to get into in this week’s City of Treats, including a new Sacramento lecture series turning nights out into something a little more educational — with food and drinks in the mix.
Let’s dig in.
KEYLA’S CRAVINGS
A Midtown Persian spot that always delivers
Maydoon | 1501 16th St., Sacramento | 916-447-7000
My go-to lunch lately has been Maydoon — partly because I’m walking distance, and partly because it’s one of the more affordable spots in Sacramento where you leave full and sometimes with leftovers for the next day. Win-win. It’s a modern Persian restaurant that works just as well for a casual weekday lunch as it does for dinner with family or friends.
If you’re like me and want a little of everything, the Taste of Maydoon ($21) comes with your choice of kabob (I love the super tender chicken breast), plus rice, hummus, salad and warm pita. Even the Maydoon wrap ($12) is a hefty portion and won’t break the bank. If you’re going at night, the lamb shank ($22) is fall-apart tender and easy to share. And if you’re a tequila lover, I won’t gatekeep — Maydoon pours Fortaleza reposado ($14), which is notoriously hard to find and usually priced much higher, making this one of the better deals in town.
OFF THE CLOCK
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.
An LA sandwich I keep recreating at home
I’m always trying to find Sacramento’s best bites, but every now and then there’s a craving I can’t quite find here. Lately, it’s a burrata caprese sandwich with prosciutto, like the one from my favorite Italian deli in Santa Monica (Bay Cities). So I decided to make my own.
Trader Joe’s has a few breads I like, but its herby, olive oil–y parmesan focaccia works especially well here. I layer in Italian prosciutto di Parma, creamy burrata, tomato and basil, plus a quick homemade pesto (with walnuts, I know, not traditional), and a splash of balsamic for a little more acid. It’s fresh, it’s bright, and it’s made its way into my lunch rotation more times than I can count.
If you know a spot in Sacramento doing something similar, please let me know.
IN THE NEWS
Aiona brings wood-fired Mediterranean cooking to downtown Sacramento’s K Street
Aiona, the new restaurant from the team behind Allora, has opened at 1213 K St. in the former Esquire Grill space. The menu centers on a wood-fired grill, with shareable plates, whole fish and a 3,000-bottle wine program.
New speaker series brings Sacramentans together to learn at their local bars
A new Sacramento lecture series, Common Knowledge, is drawing crowds with $35 talks paired with food and drinks at spots like Tandem Coffee & Wine, Teneral Cellars and Bike Dog Brewery. Founded by Zac Miller, the events have already sold out with waitlists, tapping into a growing appetite for community-driven, in-person learning.
Sacramento’s asparagus and snap peas team up for this spring-season pasta primavera
Zoe Barrie’s latest Cooking In Season recipe leans into peak spring produce with a pasta primavera built around sugar snap peas and asparagus. The dish uses a light, beurre blanc–style sauce and can be adapted with whatever vegetables are showing up at local farmers markets.
HAPPENING THIS WEEKÂ
Foothill Wines, jambalaya and a new sushi spotÂ
- The Lincoln Wine Fest fills downtown Lincoln on Saturday, April 25, with a walk-around tasting featuring Placer County wineries, local breweries and small bites from area restaurants. The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. (VIP entry at 12:30 p.m.) and turns Beermann Plaza into a full afternoon of sipping, shopping and live music.
- PBS KVIE’s inaugural Chili Cook-Off takes place Sunday, April 26 from 2 to 4 p.m., bringing together chefs from across the region to compete with their own takes on chili. The $100 ticket includes tastings from participating restaurants, along with wine, tequila and other beverages, with proceeds supporting local public media.
- Sacramento Beer Week kicks off April 24 through May 3, with breweries, taprooms and restaurants hosting events across the region. Expect special releases, tap takeovers and pop-ups throughout the 10-day stretch. Find the full lineup on their website.
Keyla Vasconcellos is a Sacramento-based freelance journalist.