Books, tacos and paddle boarding: How to spend a great day in Woodland

The Abridged version:

• Woodland resident Chris Macias takes readers through an ideal day in “The Woo.”
• His guide includes morning bookstore browsing, a lunchtime Mexican food crawl and Yolo County’s best cocktail program, in his opinion.
• Walk off his many, many food recommendations by strolling through Woodland’s historic neighborhoods, or checking out the First Fridays community art event.

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You can have a lovely day in any neighborhood or suburb across the Sacramento region, as we explore in this series. Want to tell us what a beautiful day in your neighborhood looks like? Email abridged@kvie.org with your recommendations.

Welcome to Woodland, the other “City of Trees.” Situated about 20 miles northwest of Sacramento in Yolo County, Woodland adopted this motto in the 1930s as an homage to its tree preservation efforts and new plantings. Nearly a century later, its agricultural heritage stands strong, a home to farms, farmworkers and a new wave of residents planting their own roots.

Over the past decade, the southern edge of Woodland is jokingly referred to as “North-North Davis.” The term was coined by former Davis Enterprise columnist Bob Dunning to describe the exodus of Davis residents to Woodland, especially those seeking more affordable housing options.

I am one of those people. Our family moved to Woodland in 2025 after a 12-year stint in Davis. You can’t help but love the sunsets, historic architecture and easy pace out here. If you love Mexican food, you’re really in heaven.

So, head on over from Interstate 5 or Highway 113 and bring your appetite. Here are my recommendations for a perfect day of feasting and exploring in “The Woo.”

Morning

Start with a pick-me-up at Morgan’s Mill, a spacious coffee shop that bridges the city’s historical charm with modern amenities. It’s located in the former Globe Rice Mill, which processed rice and wheat. Now, with its plentiful Wi-Fi, caffeine and breakfast burritos from Maria’s Cantina, Morgan’s Mill is a go-to spot for telecommuters and UC Davis students.

After fueling up, head across the back patio to The Pleasant Pheasant Bookstore. The vibes couldn’t be cozier as you browse through their latest titles. Look for in-store events geared toward kids and book collectors.

If you’d rather go straight for breakfast, get to El Paisano Taqueria (1490 E. Main St.), my current fave for Mexican food in Woodland. El Paisano’s origins are with a popular taco truck that expanded into a full-service restaurant in January. This taqueria serves both Mexican and American breakfasts all day, from chilaquiles to bacon and eggs. No matter what time you pop in, the food is uniformly tasty, be it a piping bowl of pozole or tacos al pastor. Note it doesn’t have a website or social media presence. El Paisano thrives by word of mouth alone.

One more breakfast option: Feast on local free-range eggs and other Yolo-grown ingredients at Savory Café. The portions of diner classics like chicken fried steak are hearty, but not so overblown that you veer into food coma territory. Bonus points that many of their breads are sourced from Village Bakery in Davis.

Afternoon

Take a little break from downtown and head to the east side.

Start by dropping by The HIVE Tasting Room and Kitchen, which specializes in varietal honeys, mead, beeswax and related products under the Z Specialty Food brand. Complimentary tastings are held at the Honey Bar.

During sunnier days, Velocity Island Park is your beach break away from home with wakeboarding, paddle boarding and swimming. The wakeboard park is open on Saturdays in the cooler months (weather permitting), with expanded hours come summertime.

For the artistically inclined, Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA) offers free silkscreen printing workshops that connect their importance in Chicano art history. It’s a gem of art and community in all of Yolo County.

Or, you can use your afternoon to take a Anthony Bourdain-ish Mexican food crawl, sampling and chatting up locals before hitting the next spot.

There’s no shortage of options given that nearly half of Woodland’s population is Hispanic, with its roots in the Bracero Program starting in the 1940s. Kick it off at Zitio Bar & Grill, a spot that one longtime Woodland pal swears has the best tacos in town. Other ideas for your crawl:

• Doggeros for Mexican-style hot dogs and birria.
• Pupusería La Chicana for plump Salvadorean pupusas and burritos, all housed in an old-school Taco Bell location.
• Restaurante El Sinaloense for seafood and “Mexican sushi.”
• Chido Restaurant & Bar for molcajetes.

You’re going to need a good walk after all that food. Stroll through the historic neighborhoods south of Main Street between College and Third streets. In the 1950s, the city was especially flush with wealth given its powerful agricultural economy. That led to lavish home builds that still stand today, with examples from Gothic Victorian architecture, stately Greek revival styles with column entries and Craftsman bungalows.

Night

Downtown is the destination once the sun sets. First Fridays along Main Street are a bustling time with street musicians, vendors and art appreciation.

Catching a show at the Woodland Opera House is always a solid choice for families. The charming theater, built in the late 1800s, is home to such recent productions as “The Little Mermaid” and “A Christmas Carol.”

To get that palate primed for dinner, Dog Gone Wine Bar specializes in wines sourced from a 100-mile radius of Woodland. It’s run by Sean Denney, who owns this historic downtown building that includes the popular Gallery Coffee Roasters as tenants.

For an exclusive touch, try to get into The Goodnight Room. It’s a members-only speakeasy on Main Street with my vote as the best cocktail program in Yolo County. Think: premium old- fashioned flights in vintage glasses, charred pineapple margaritas and clarified piña coladas. If you’re not a member, slide into their Instagram DMs to request an advance appointment. (Sorry, no same day walk-ins).

The unofficial town square

Woodland’s unofficial town square might as well be Blue Note Brewing Co. From birthday parties to people decompressing after day jobs and bike rides, Blue Note is the place to be. Sometimes our family skips the pints altogether and orders pizza to go. The pies from the brewery’s Blue Flame Kitchen are our favorite in Woodland, with impeccably charred crust and fresh toppings. The team behind Hooby’s Brewing in Winters recently took over Blue Note, but the pizzas and pints are a must.

Other family favorites include The Burger Saloon, Ludy’s BBQ, House of Shah Afghan Urban Eats (don’t forget the chapli kebab burger) and Osaka Japanese Restaurant.

This newbie local also likes Father Paddy’s Pub for their Irish grub and a Southern style fried bologna sandwich. Ogle their vault of high-end whiskeys and whoop it up with live music. This is your spot for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as well.

Other areas of town offer solid choices as well. Tucked along an industrial stretch of Main Street, Amara Thai Cuisine opened in September and quickly established itself as one of Woodland’s most buzzed-about restaurants. Owned by the team behind Hikari Sushi & Omakase in Davis, Amara hits with an especially fresh and fragrant take on Thai and Southeast Asian food. Go for the green curry and tom yum soup. Just don’t show up hangry. The place gets packed fast, so be prepared to wait.

Closer to home, us “North-North Davis” locals are loyal to Kuji Asian Grill and its culinary cues from Korea, Hawaii and Japan. Whether it’s plate lunches of bulgogi and chicken katsu or bowls of bibimbap and poke, Kuji is a dependable choice.

Night owls should note that Woodland basically shuts down by 10 p.m., even on weekends. The Stag Bar is pretty much the only option if you want to get the party going past then. Think of it as Woodland’s equivalent of The Old Tavern in Sacramento — no frills, lots of local characters.

At the end of the day, Woodland definitely feels like home.

Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.