Sacramento’s sweetest summer pop-ups are in full swing

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.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Keyla here.

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. Benjy’s taking some well-earned time off, so I’m back in the driver’s seat for City of Treats. If this is your first time seeing my byline, I’ve been writing for Abridged by PBS KVIE since launch, most recently on The Kitchen and Localis keeping their Michelin stars in the newest California guide.

In other news, I’ve made the World Cup my whole personality the last few weeks. Brazil’s elimination really stung, so I’ve packed away that soccer jersey for now and put on my U.S. gear.

And what better way to connect with the community than by making friends and sharing wins and losses with people from other countries, all during a tournament that only comes around every four years?

You can usually catch me watching a game at Garden at The Line in the evenings once the temperature cools down. The Republic FC watch parties at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium on J Street are another favorite. I cheered on Mexico there with friends, then went back the next day for the U.S. match, and the energy was electric.

This week’s City of Treats kicks off with a $2.25 million wage settlement from one of the region’s biggest sushi chains, then moves to the end of a downtown lunch counter that fed Sacramento for 74 years. And if you’re looking for something to do this week, a night market, a sushi class and a free concert series are all on the calendar.

KEYLA’S CORNER

Here’s my favorite item or two from a local restaurant this week. Send me yours at keylav@keylav.com.

The Point & Dây Là Flour | Pop-ups, various locations

My favorite bites (or sips) from the past week came from a few pop-ups I’ve been following on social media. First stop was The Point, popping up in East Sacramento in front of the very cute store Suprette, for a show-stopping strawberry shortcake matcha ($8.50). It was loaded with actual chunks of shortcake and served with a spoon to dunk into the drink. They also asked my sweetness level before making it, a small touch I really appreciated.

That same day, I followed another local business, Dây Là Flour, to its pop-up near Good Neighbor and Hānai. My sweet tooth was clearly working overtime, because I went with the papaya & pretzel brown butter cookie ($5-7, depending on the seasonal pastry), made with Hawaiian papaya, salted pretzels, soy sauce caramel, and demerara sugar, along with the peach upside down mochi cake ($5-7, depending on the seasonal pastry), made with yellow peach, miso, ginger beer glaze, and whipped crème fraîche. For both, the salty-sweet combo, whether the soy sauce caramel or the miso and ginger beer glaze, balanced everything out perfectly.

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.

Lemon butter ravioli with pea puree, inspired by a recipe from Dining with Skyler, has become my go-to weeknight dish lately. Cheese-stuffed ravioli gets tossed in a silky lemon butter sauce and served over a bright mint basil pea puree, a restaurant-worthy pasta dinner ready in 20 minutes. Sometimes, because I’m in control of my own life, I like to pretend I’m Italian and serve it as a primi, a first pasta course before the main meal at home. Although peas technically belong to spring, frozen peas work beautifully here. And because we’re in Sacramento, you can always let the farmers market decide the seasonal swap.

The best part is how little effort it takes. Frozen peas blend into a silky puree, and a bag of ravioli from your favorite grocery store does the heavy lifting, so the whole thing comes together as a quick and easy recipe. Peas and mint together are such a wonderful combination, and a little lemon butter over the ravioli ties the whole plate together.

IN THE NEWS

Sacramento sushi chain Mikuni settles employee wage lawsuit for $2.25 million

Mikuni agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a class action lawsuit from former employees. The suit alleged wage violations, including off-the-clock work, incomplete meal breaks and unreimbursed business expenses. The payout, which began June 23, covers more than 3,000 current and former employees across Mikuni’s 10 locations.

Pennisi’s Deli closes after 74 years in Downtown Sacramento

Pennisi’s, the J Street sandwich counter that’s fed downtown lunch crowds since 1952, closed for good on June 26. Bill Morris bought the deli in 1977 and worked the counter nearly every day since, still going strong after turning 86 earlier this June. By Tuesday evening, the space had been fully cleared out.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK

• The 805 Night Market Street Food Festival takes over the Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland July 10-12, with more than 100 dishes from street food and dessert vendors plus live music, running 4-10 p.m. Friday and 2-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Folsom’s Summer of Music Concert Series continues from 7-9 p.m. Friday at Folsom City Lions Park, with Top 40 cover band Night Owls performing. Admission is free, and food trucks and local vendors round out the evening.
• Sharpen your sushi skills at a hands-on class from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at AC Hotel Sacramento. Guests learn to make a California roll, a mango and salmon roll and a vegetable hand roll from scratch, with drinks available for purchase. Tickets are $69, and the class is for those 21 and up.

Keyla Vasconcellos is a contributor for Abridged.