Daily Dining News: Restaurant Comings & Goings
January 20, 2011
After returning from a 10 day vacation, a whole slew of restaurants have opened, reopened or closed. Enotria is the biggest name among them, with their reopening being covered by the Sac Bee and Sac Mag.
First, Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.
Executive chef Anthony Brenes has crated a wide ranging bar menu with Latin overtones. Along with an earthy take on mac 'n' cheese with crab and mushroom, and the now requisite pulled pork sliders, you'll find grilled Argentine sausauge with chimichurri sauce and sopes de carnitas. Though the sausage was a tad dried out, the overall flavors we found were vibrant and invited sips of wine. The small plate prices are reasonable too, ranging from $6.50 to $12.50. But prepare to pay between $22 and $32 for entrees.
Enotria's wine bar shows plenty of potential and it'll be interesting to see how much customer traffic is gained. But for now, the wine bar itself needs a much more lively vibe. Maybe it was because of the Sunday night dreariness and cold, but apart from the hostess the staff seemed kind of sullen throughout service. This place needs more smiles and pep to make it feel like a real hot spot of food and wine in Sacramento.
Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag:
The larger dining room for the restaurant is still under construction, but the separate wine bar offers customers a snug, sophisticated haven for snacking (the menu is dominated by small plates) and savoring a wide range of interesting wines.
Other restaurant openings and closings:
Shoki II -Good news for fans of Shoki Ramen House. There's going to be another one soon...I recently got word that Shoki has a second location lined up --1201 R St., Sacramento -- which means the ramen fanatics, myself included, will have a choice of where to get their fix. The new place will seat 48, with a nice patio out front. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.
GoGi's bring street tacos downtown - Mexican Tacos with Korean flair are coming to the corner of 15th and L streets as GoGi’s Korean BBQ is opening Tuesday in the former “Park To Go” kiosk. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.
Star Ginger opens next week - Lemon Grass Restaurant owner and cookbook author Mai Pham is expanding her culinary empire to new regions, with a different name and broader-range cuisine. Pham said she expects to open her newest restaurant, Star Ginger, in East Sacramento on Jan. 25. She's also working on plans to open more Star Gingers on the East Coast in the next year or two. Suzanne Hurt in Sac Press.
New mini, mobile, gourmet burger in town - Looking for a burger on-the-go, minus the drive-thru window? Mini Burger Truck might be parked right up your alley. Literally. At the end of this month, MBT will begin traveling the central city and surrounding areas, bringing gourmet burgers to various lunchtime locations, despite an inconvenient ordinance. Mariel Tagg in Sac Press.
Strings Express to open downtown - A longtime Sacramento area restaurant chain is taking its first shot at a downtown location in a spot – and it’s taking a shot at a location that has seen several businesses fail recently. Strings Restaurant Group is focusing on quick, affordable meals at its new restaurant – Strings Express – at 431 I St. near the Amtrak station, which will open the first week of February, according to Al DeCaprio, president of the organization. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.
Specialty dessert shop opens in Sacramento - Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts opened its doors Monday, offering everything from custom weddings cakes, special occasion baked goods and a walk-in shop at the corner of 12th and F streets...Jones said the foundation of the business will be built on weddings. But Sugar and Spice also will feature a daily "happy hour," when certain desserts will be half price. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.
New Mikuni restaurant concept to open in April - The food options at the Fountains shopping center in Roseville continue to grow. Mikuni Kaizen, a new restaurant concept run by Sacramento's Mikuni Japanese Restaurant Group, is set to open at the Fountains in early April. While more detailed information about the menu is yet to come, sushi will remain a staple at Kaizen (meaning "change for the better in Japanese") but with an expanded menu compared to other locations in Mikuni's nine-restaurant chain. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.
Alley Katz, a new bar at 20th and O streets opened recently. It looks like it has a beer and wine liqour license only at the moment, but has an eclectic selection of beer and will hopefully add food soon. Here's the Yelp listing for the place.
Comments