If you had only one night in Sac for dinner... (Sacramento: hotel, homeless)

[ryuns]

Hmmm. I've been really impressed by Thi13een, but it's a little pricey.

If you like restaurants that play around with local, seasonal foods, I'm a big fan of Magpie. The duck confitte on gnocchi is fantastic, but their very brief menu changes a lot. Start with an expertly-crafted cocktail next door at Shady Lady. (Unless you're a beer person, then sample something interesting at Burgers and Brew before dinner, or enjoy a local Ruhstaller at Magpie's.

[Mr. Ozo]

Magpie is wonderful.

I've had 10 meals there and they've all been amazing.

For a slightly more formal setting I think Waterboy is pretty great.

[trueblue]

Thank you everyone for your replies and the tip about Mondays. The Kitchen was our first choice but I think it might be too long of a night. We are there for a job interview so want to eat, walk around a bit and head to bed! The Waterboy is looking like our pick and they are open on Mondays.

Thanks again. Much appreciated and I'll be back with lots of questions if my partner gets a job offer! We would love to move to Sac.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by wburg

If you really want the defining Sacramento experience, I'd say to stop in Old Sacramento and have dinner on board the Delta King, an actual 1928 riverboat permanently moored on the Sacramento River. The restaurant is very good, and I'm pretty sure it is open on Mondays, the day when traditionally a lo of local restaurants are closed. Although sometimes Old Sac isn't the best first impression of Sacramento--it's a little six-block sliver of a city that covers about a hundred square miles. But yeah, it's kind of tough to narrow it down to one particular dining experience.

Sacramento definitely has a mellower vibe than Oakland, even though our population is slightly larger. Not sure how it would compare to Buffalo, although they do share status as state capitols and kind of having to play kid sister to bigger cities down the road. Unlike Buffalo (and most eastern cities) Sacramento never shrank in population, but most of the growth was in new suburban expansion in the postwar era.

Albany will be surprised to know they've been removed as New York's capital.

[wburg]

D'oh!

[AugustRN]

I didn't say anything....because Buffalo has always been the capital of NY.... in my heart anyway. Thanks again for all the good Sac tips!

[misueno]

Waterboy or Ella's.

[dragond]

This week is Wine & Dine week in Sacramento, there are plenty of restaurants to check out and their menus at the following link.

http://sacramentowineanddine.com/

Not necessarily in Sacramento but it is in Folsom which is about 20 minutes east. Chez Daniel restaurant which is owned by the former owner of La Bonne Soupe Cafe in downtown Sacramento. Locals who used to go there can vouch that the food was good for the simplicity. So naturally I would recommend his restaurant.

Chez Daniel - Folsom, CA

If price is no worry for you, I would highly suggest the Kitchen around the Arden area and to make reservations. It is a neat place with high quality food and ingredients with a chance to be involved with the cooking or just spectate.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-kitchen-...ant-sacramento

[trueblue]

Sorry to return to this a month later but I wanted to say thanks for the dinner recommendations. We had a fabulous night at The Waterboy. The food was great and exploring midtown was fun too. We were there for a job interview and although my partner went with a different job in another state it was a tough choice and we really ended up liking Sac more than expected (having never been there before).

Thank again!

[wburg]

Glad you had a good time!