Sac Bee restaurant critic Blair A. Robertson wrote in 2009 that East Sac's Orphan  'badly needs to adopt the idea of flavor.'

He's revisited the place, and has given it a re-review.

While Orphan has, indeed, grown up into a reliably good restaurant with polished service and consistent cooking, it also faces stiffer competition than it did during those early, awkward days...

For lunch, you can still order breakfast items or go in the sandwich direction. We loved the health-conscious “zen breakfast” featuring grilled tofu, egg whites and steamed spinach, a dish that takes a balanced and simple approach to flavor.

The burrito with chicken was substantial and nicely assembled, including seasoned black beans and an overall eating experience of heft and rich flavor. Orphan makes three dishes featuring scrambled eggs, including an avocado scramble that had large slices of creamy avocado, scallions, tomatoes and melted Monterrey Jack cheese.

Read the entire review in the Sac Bee.

More News:

Sacramento’s Temple tops Coffee Review’s best of 2013 list - Sacramento’s becoming better known as a beer town, but it’s already on the map as far as coffee is concerned. Respected online coffee publication Coffee Review released its Top 30 Coffees of 2013 today, with Sacramento’s Temple Coffee and Tea of Sacramento earning the No. 1 slot for it’s Ethiopian Yirgacheffee. Tim Swanson in the Sac Bee.

Craving Dessert? Three Sweets To Seek Out - ’Tis the season be gluttonous, and I’ve been devouring desserts with abandon. Three I tried recently have been real standouts. Featuring The Firehouse's vanilla creme brulee, Shady Lady Saloon's warm almond pear cake and The Waterboy's apple crostada. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

* Update 5/5/2013: See official explanation here.

Another day, another longtime Sacramento restaurant closes. This time, it's Capital Tea Garden, a much-loved Chinese restaurant serving dim sum at 11th & T for the last 25 years, reports Jeff Macedo on Facebook.

More from Tyler Munzing, a friend who commented on that Facebook thread:

We just ordered there tonight. They're retiring. Sold it to a family of Chinese restaurants in SF who will reopen in 2-3 mo. Bittersweet.

This news was confirmed by Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), via The Nooner.

After 25 years, the iconic (and rustic) dim sum house at 1110 T serves its last shrimp bonnet on Monday, 4/29. Sunday wait staff were pleasant but tight-lipped, saying only that new owners plan a remodel and are expected to re-open in about 90 days--but as what, no one was willing or able to say.

I went to college with the daughters of one of the owners (or at least their family owned the restaurant back then), but haven't heard back. I'll update if/when I know more.

More News:

SactoMoFo 6 matches record attendance - The local food truck movement shows no signs of slowing down. SactoMoFo 6, which was held Saturday at 6th and X streets, drew a crowd which matched its record attendance. The California Highway Patrol told SactoMoFo organizers that attendance was estimated between 8,000 and 10,000 people. Those numbers match the debut of this mobile food festival in April of 2011, which was held in midtown's Fremont Park. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

SactoMoFo 6 Delights Local Foodies - Sacramento food lovers arrived in droves to enjoy this year’s Sacto MoFo 6, which took place Sunday underneath the freeway at 6th and X streets. A vibrant gathering of over two dozen food trucks offering a wide array of goodies, the event also featured a beer garden and live music. Dining selections for the hungry crowd included Filipino and Indian fusion dishes, burgers, tacos, and hot dogs. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

Longtime readers of Cowtown Eats know I love Kru. I love chef/owner Billy Ngo's creativity and friendlieness. There's no cullinary feast and show as good as the one at his sushi bar for under $100. I'm not the only one saying this. He was just featured in Sac News & Review's Best Of issue.

So when I can eat there half off, I jump at the chance.

• $9 for $20 at Kru on J street. Offer ends on Friday.

More Deals:

• $25 for $50 at Paul Martin's American Bistro in Roseville.
• $15 for $30 (New Groupon users | existing users) at Mandangos Sports Bar & Grill in Roseville. Offer expires today.
• $10 for $20 at Chillers Grub & Brew at 7th & J. Offer expires on Friday.
• $10 for $20 (New Groupon users | existing users) at Thai Cottage in Fair Oaks. Offer expires on Thursday.
• $10 for $20 (New Groupon users | existing users) at La Huaca Restaurant in Roseville. Offer expires on Saturday.

Looking for more deals like this? Check out the Cowtown Eats guide to saving 50 percent at good restaurants.

In this month's Sac Mag, their Dollar Wise Gourmet talks about turning happy hour into a full meal.

Fun fried finger foods are still traditional happy hour grub. But these days, happy hour is being redefined, with some menus featuring such fare as grilled chicken skewers, flatbread and hummus, even salads. (Yes, really.) With some careful ordering, it adds up to a meal—not to mention a steal of a deal. Here are four local examples, tested in each case by a pal and me. (In other words, everything serves two.)

In her story, she featured Paul Martin's American Bistro, 3 Fires Lounge, Lucca Restaurant & Bar and Piatti Ristorante & Bar. Read Cathy Cassinos-Carr's entire article in Sac Mag.

Let me give you a few more of my recommendations:

• Morton's: This happy hour isn't cheap. But I love their three sliders for $7 during happy hour. A full meal.
• Gallagher's: For those whow want to spend a little less, they have one steak slider and a couple steak fries for just $2.

That's just a couple that I've done recently, but certainly not a comprehensive list. Do you have a favorite happy hour that's a meal replacement? Leave your ideas in the comments below..

Jimboy's in Folsom to give away tacos - The refurbished Jimboy's Tacos restaurant at 708 E. Bidwell St. in Folsom will celebrate its "grand reopening" on Saturday with free tacos. Officials of the Roseville-based company said the outlet will give two ground beef tacos to every person stopping by from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. that day. Mark Glover in the Sac Bee.

Sacramento Beer Week Highlights From Scott Executive Director, Sacramento Beer Week - The third annual Sacramento Beer Week gives you the opportunity to try hundreds of beers from your backyard and from around the world from February 24 to March 4.  This year is marked by several additions to the family of Sacramento breweries and a number of larger events catering to thirsty beer fans from Sacramento and beyond. Here is a selection of Beer Week highlights – go to SacramentoBeerWeek.com for the full schedule – or download the SBW mobile app to guide you to more than 300 unique events including food and beer pairings, brewery showcases, pub crawl, beer fests and more! In Midtown Monthly.