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.
Growing up in this area throughout the 2000s, it felt like Downtown Sacramento was really the place for state workers, Capitol-adjacent suits and maybe teenagers perusing the city’s second-most-popular mall. That’s changed somewhat over time thanks to the addition of Golden 1 Center, increased Downtown housing and activations such as Concerts in the Park. But still, when thousands of state employees were called back into offices en masse at the start of July, it was with the expectation that they’d prop up Downtown Sacramento businesses, a testament to the impact that workforce continues to have on the city center.
Many state workers are furious about the sudden call-back, and I don’t blame them. Some have said they’ll exclusively bring lunches from home on days when they’re in office, both for the inherent personal savings and to protest their work conditions being leveraged for others’ economic benefits.
Realistically, though, this wave of a workface (and other locals, business travelers and tourists) will find themselves in Downtown Sacramento without a packed lunch someday. That’s why Becky Grunewald and I spent weeks putting together a guide to quick, tasty and affordable lunches around Downtown, each of them near multiple state offices. We’ll vouch for any place on this list, some of which have options for less than $10, and would love to hear your suggestions at the bottom of the article.
Today’s City of Treats highlights one particular restaurant from that bunch, a mostly-vegan gem attached to a converted hotel. I also share stories from a decidedly-not-vegan birthday party, shout out an acclaimed Armenian bakery’s Northern California debut and link to a look at why Folsom now has two competing Saturday farmers markets.
Let’s dig in.
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Benjy’s Bites
Immortal Café & Supply | 1111 H St., Suite 102, Sacramento
Of the 11 Downtown Sacramento restaurants Becky and I highlighted, there’s none quite like Immortal Café & Supply — in the whole city, at least until the second location opens in Curtis Park later this summer. Owned by alumni of Canon, Kru and Temple Coffee Roasters, it’s a punk rock-influenced coffee shop, wine bar and nearly-all-vegan restaurant connected to a newly renovated Downtown hotel. Dimly lit until the garage doors open, it caffeinates Cal EPA employees on weekday mornings, hosts Sunday brunch and stays open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays for summer DJ sets with choice foothill wines.
The breakfast sandwich ($16), served until closing, is one of my favorites around the region. Served on an Acme Bread Co. sweet deli roll, it features eggs whipped into a sublimely smooth whirl with white cheddar, gem lettuce, house-pickled peppers and a harissa aioli with just the right amount of heat. Immortal’s TLT ($15) substitutes marinated tempeh for bacon on perfectly-toasted sourdough triangles, with heirloom tomatoes, vegan mayonnaise and crunchy iceberg lettuce creating some distance between the slices.
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.
I called my grandmother to pitch a casual Sunday evening together, and ended up inviting myself to my Aunt Sandy’s birthday dinner in the East Bay. Sandy spent most of her career doing food procurement and menu development for restaurants and hotels, with a small detour running an event-planning business. So even on a night to celebrate herself, we were treated to a backyard summertime feast.
Dinner started with bowls of olives and a cheese plate (Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam and Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog goat cheese) before my Uncle Dave pulled the first Thai-marinated shrimp off the grill. Hearty filets were next, served with corn, slaw and roasted fingerling potatoes and cooked almost any way we wanted them: “rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well or well-done, which I won’t do.” For dessert: passion fruit white chocolate cake from Masse’s Pastries, a family-favorite Berkeley bakery.
In the news
Looking for quick, affordable lunch options in Downtown Sacramento? Peruse this guide, which is intentionally curated for the thousands of state employees now back in offices four days a week. Each of the 11 restaurants is within four blocks of numerous state offices, which are listed in italics after each write-up.
Folsom now has two Saturday morning farmers markets: a longstanding one in the historic district, and a new one in the Palladio operated by the decades-old market’s former operator. Each one has tried to pull vendors in their direction, and some say the town is in fact big enough for two.
Der Biergarten, a popular Midtown Sacramento hangout since 2014, will open its new location Friday in Old Sacramento along the Sacramento River. It’ll have a small interior space with a kitchen and an outdoor patio about twice that size, where customers will be able to gulp imported ales and the fan-favorite “Starburst” beer.
Happening this week
- Armenian bakery Zhengyalov Hatz just opened at 10935 Olson Drive in Rancho Cordova. Its original location in Glendale, a cultural hub in the San Fernando Valley, is the one Armenian restaurant mentioned in any U.S. Michelin Guide.
- Munchie Man will replace Taffach Ethiopian Grill at 113 D St. in downtown Davis, owner Christopher Fairman announced last week. Scheduled to open in September, its menu will be inspired by Fairman’s life experiences and travels, he wrote in an email to Abridged.
- The Citrus Heights Food Truck Plaza will host its grand opening Saturday at 7509 Twin Oaks Ave. Favorite local trucks such as Kado’s Asian Grill, Bacon Mania and The Bubble Hive will be there, with 10% discounts for all attendees.
