Restaurant Reviews

Dine: Three new Sacramento eateries expand on the bistro theme - Up first are three new Sacramento restaurants that call themselves bistros. A bistro is supposed to be a small, casual, European-style eatery with a more compact menu than a full-fledged restaurant's. In America, it's probably best not to take the label too literally. The Sacramento area already has a strong bistro category, with places like Tuli, Ravenous, Formoli's and Boulevard Bistro winning raves from loyal patrons. Where will these new places fit in? One seems like a sure hit. Another looks like a good bet. The third is still getting off the ground. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Abu’s Cafe & Grill: Lebanese wonder - There’s one delightful surprise after another at Abu’s Cafe & Grill. Not the least of them is Sarah, the sunny and solicitous owner of a winning smile, who also happens to be the daughter of one of the owners. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Nightlife: Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge -  Natomas is not known for being an entertainment destination. Pockets of salons, big-box stores and chain restaurants fill in the spaces between dozens of housing developments, decisively creating the type of suburban atmosphere that seems so indifferent to fun, unique nightclubs and bars. This scarcity of nighttime entertainment has driven many younger people toward downtown Sacramento to mingle, drink and dance. Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge has capitalized on the suburban nightlife market (or lack thereof), steadily growing in popularity among the 20- and 30-somethings looking for a good cocktail closer to home. From happy hour specials to after-dinner events many weekday and weekend nights, this bar and restaurant is Natomas' late-night place to be. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

Your Sacramento Guide: New food spots fit their neighborhoods -  This is no news flash. It's almost a cliché just to bring it up. But when a food spot – restaurant, deli, market, you name it – opens, it needs to fit its neighborhood. Good food, good service, nice ambiance: all hugely important. But maybe most of all, the place needs to fit in, and central Sacramento just got two new places that fit their neighborhoods like a pair of old jeans. If neighborhoods wore jeans. You get the point. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Another One Bites the Dust: Le Petit Paris To Close - The hottest new food trend literally rolls through the country, using Twitter and other social media to alert hungry customers... But that food truck wouldn't be able to stop for long in Sacramento. The City Council adopted ordinances in 2008 that make it nearly impossible to create a regional version of Kogi BBQ, a mobile food truck featured in Time magazine and Bon Appetit that tweets its latest location to 70,000 followers. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag.

Dining Out: Our Lady of Guadalupe - The Hispanic-based parish pitches tents in front of a beautiful, stone church where friendly people take their time ladling pools of bright red tamale sauce over fresh, steaming pork tamales, topping them with a liberal spread of fresh crème for a total of $2.00. Other tents have tacos, burritos, and, of course, bacon-wrapped hot dogs. What fun would Sunday be without a heart attack? Jennifer Chaussee in Capitol Weekly.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/