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.
Sacramento County communities such as Antelope, Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights are full of first- and second-generation Eastern European Americans. So why, I’ve long wondered, doesn’t the region have more of their restaurants?
That dichotomy between what the region’s Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Romanian immigrants eat at home and what others can access via restaurants makes Elena’s Kitchen & Catering all the more noteworthy. The North Highlands restaurant, cafe and event center has taken that heavy mantel to provide a depth of dishes you won’t find at any other local restaurant.
A walk down Elena’s long buffet line yields mimoza (layers of egg yolks, tuna, carrots and potatoes under dill and shredded cheese), kharcho (tangy Georgian beef stew) and syrniki (pancakes stuffed with farmer’s cheese), among dozens of other options. Not feeling so adventurous? Elena’s also whips up all-American dishes such as grilled salmon salads, mashed potatoes and fatty brisket smoked for 18 hours.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, I started Cinco de Mayo festivities a few days early with a look at why and how we should celebrate this Mexican American holiday. Contributing writers outlined how to spend a great day in Folsom and where to stop along I-80 in Placer County for a surprisingly stellar gas station meal. And looking ahead to the weekend: check out one of two major Yolo County festivals, or get in line for East Sacramento’s hot new bakery.
Let’s dig in.
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Benjy’s Bites
Elena’s Kitchen & Catering | 4604 Roseville Road, Suite 112, North Highlands | 916-750-5030
The Sacramento region’s most comprehensive Eastern European restaurant sits in a North Highlands office park. The long counter inside Elena’s Kitchen & Catering, owned by Elena and Leonid Melnychuk, sits below menu boards beseeching each section’s offerings — hearty salads, entrees, cakes by the pound and house-baked dark breads. An adjoined cafe has modern coffee drinks as well as ukha (Russian fisherman’s stew with salmon dumplings) and tofu-mushroom buckwheat toasts, and a pair of private dining areas can house up to 200 guests for catered events.
Elena’s is only a secret, it seems, to people outside Sacramento County’s large Eastern European community. Those in the know opt for buttery pelmeni ($13/lb), craggy dumplings filled with chicken or beef and also available in Elena’s freezer section alongside their cousin vareniki. There’s classic red borscht ($4.50 for a 16-ounce container) along with a dill-forward green variety made with sorrel leaves and chicken, and cabbage rolls ($13/lb) stuffed in both the Ukrainian (chicken, beef and rice) and Moldovan (pork, onions and rice) styles by women behind glass panes.
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.
Cinco de Mayo isn’t Mexican Independence Day, as we hopefully know by now. But the commemoration of Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla gained prominence in California in the 1960s, when Chicano residents sought to express some cultural pride and landed on May 5. While it’s much more of an event in the U.S. than Mexico and has unfortunately produced some cringeworthy costumes over the years, it’s ultimately a celebration of our relationship with our southern neighbors, as well as the Cali-Mex and Tex-Mex inventions such as chips with salsa, carne asada fries and frosty margaritas. So dress culturally appropriate and go have a blast on the busiest day of the year for many Sacramento-area Mexican restaurants — and make reservations, if it’s not too late!
I was able to join my aunt and uncle’s annual Cinco de Mayo party in the East Bay on Saturday, and walked up to a table of treats. Black bean enchiladas, refried beans, carnitas and my uncle’s signature picadillo (ground bison, green beans, carrots and peppers) laid out next to tortillas and several salsas, including thick salsa macha from Oakland micro-producer Kuali. A small crowd of mostly seniors sipped margaritas and New Mexico chile-spiced mochas, with passion fruit bars and sugar-dusted Mexican wedding cookies on backyard picnic tables for dessert.
In the news
Cassidy Myers-Sims is a lifelong Sacramento-area resident who’s lived in Folsom for the past decade. In her opinion, it’s the region’s best suburb. Read through her guide on how to spend a great day there, from morning coffee to afternoon walks and a nightcap at a local pub, to see if you agree.
In a small Placer County town along Interstate 80, there’s a gas station restaurant growing its own produce for dishes such as salads, jambalaya and short rib burgers. Penryn Grill is both a community hub and a place for travelers to fill up their cars as well as stomachs, with locally-made IPAs pouring from vintage gas pumps repurposed to house kegs. Becky Grunewald has the story.
Cherry season has come early this year, with San Joaquin County growers stocking local farmers markets with Bings over the past couple of weeks. Pick up a bag, along with some almond extract and vanilla ice cream, to make a cherry compote sundae that balances sweet and tart. I made Zoe Barrie’s “Cooking in Season” recipe on Friday night and also loved it over yogurt and oatmeal the following morning.
Happening this week
- BerryFest Strawberry Festival will take over the Yolo County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, with a farmers market and more than 40 food vendors selling fruity treats. You can buy joint tickets to both the festival and its morning pancake breakfast for just $15 per adult ($7 for kids and seniors), though the monster truck jam costs extra.
- Further south, UC Davis is hosting Whole Earth Festival from Friday-Sunday. While it’s billed as a music, arts and crafts festival, there are dozens of food vendors hawking fried as well as health-conscious options, including plenty of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
- Pastry Cat’s soft opening was met with lines of customers last Friday at 533 53rd St., Suite 140 in East Sacramento. Nariya Charoensupaya launched her brick-and-mortar bakery after serving Asian-inspired baked goods at pop-ups, including a recurring spot at Offbeat Coffee on Broadway.
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.