By Adrienne Tange | Member
Part of the fun of attending an STC Summit is to sample the local cuisine. Luckily, Sacramento, CA, this year’s location for the 2011 Summit, has many diverse restaurants to choose from. The good news is you do not need to drive to them, since many are within walking distance of the Convention Center.
Downtown Sacramento’s 66-block area is called The Grid since it is laid out in a simple grid format. The geography is flat so it is an easy walk to most places. The neighborhood that surrounds the state capitol has a variety of restaurants, including American, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese.
For a list of restaurants near the Convention Center, go to Urbanspoon Sacramento (www.urbanspoon.com) and search for restaurants near the Sacramento Convention Center Exhibit Hall. This site has a page that lists places to eat sorted by distance, price, and popularity.
Another helpful website is the Downtown Grid (http://sacramento.downtowngrid.com). This site displays restaurants by type, provides discount coupons, and an Eat the Grid map that shows eateries by these locations: Old Sacramento and river dining, Uptown (1.5 miles north of Downtown), Downtown, East Sacramento, and Off Broadway (southern part of Sacramento).
Favorite Sacramento Restaurants
My daughter, who is a third-year law student, lives six blocks from the Convention Center. She has tried many of the less expensive and casual restaurants downtown, since she is on a tight budget. Here is her list of 20 recommended restaurants.
Breakfast and Lunch
Ambrosia Café & Catering
1030 K Street
(916) 444-8129
Walking distance: 0.3 miles
A great coffee shop that serves pre-made breakfast and lunch. There is a small selection, but all the choices are good ones.
The Bread Store
1716 J Street
(916) 557-1600
Walking distance: 0.3 miles
It is a bakery similar to La Bou. The menu selections are smaller, but it is less crowded during peak lunch hours and the quality is the same.
Capitol Garage
1500 K Street
(916) 444-3633
Walking distance: 0.2 miles
A twist on the traditional American cuisine. I highly recommend this place, especially their pumpkin pancakes with Grand Marnier whipped cream! The portions are on the larger size. Capitol Garage has a great happy hour.
Chicory Coffee
1131 11th Street
(916) 444-5107
Walking distance: 0.6 miles
The coffee is great and they are known for their European-style cakes, which are individual-sized for the perfect treat.
Crepeville
1730 L Street
(916) 444-1100
Walking distance: 0.5 miles
It has a wide selection of crepes either as a meal or as a dessert. They also are known for their omelets, salads, and sandwiches.
La Bou
1122 11th Street
(916) 930-0171
Walking distance: 202 feet
This is a bakery that serves sandwiches, salads, and soups.
Old Soul Co.
1716 L. Street Rear Alley
Walking distance: 0.5 miles
One of the best coffee places in town; they roast their own beans. Old Soul is known for their strong, bold coffee and their delicious pastries which they make there.
Starbucks, Jamba Juice, and Spinners (In the Westfield Downtown Plaza mall)
547 L Street
(916) 422-4000
Walking distance: 0.3 miles
Spinners is a cinnamon roll shop.
Subway
1131 K Street
(916) 444-4488
Walking distance: 0.1 miles
Dinner
California Pizza Kitchen
1132 16th Street
(916) 930-0706
Walking distance: 0.3 miles
De Vere’s Irish Pub
1521 L Street
(916) 231-9947
Walking distance: 0.3 miles
If you like beer, this is the place to go in Sacramento! Warning: It can get very crowded after 9:00 PM.
L Wine Lounge
1801 L Street
(916) 443-6970
Walking distance: 0.4 miles
This is an upscale place where people come after work to have a good glass of wine and an appetizer.
Ma Jong Asian Diner
1122 16th Street
(916) 442-7555
Walking distance: 0.2 miles
This restaurant has great vegetarian options. It does get crowded after 8:30 PM.
Mikuni Japanese and Sushi
1530 J Street
(916) 447-2112
Walking distance: 0.2 miles
It is a causal lunch spot for sushi. For dinner it is a little more upscale. I recommend making reservations for dinner.
MVP’s (www.mvpsportsgrill.com)
2110 L Street
(916) 441-4151
Walking distance: 0.5 miles
Sports bar with traditional American food. If a game is on, then this place is a fun place to go.
P.F. Chang’s (www.pfchangs.com)
1530 J Street
(916) 288-0970
Walking distance: 0.1 miles
Asian fusion chain.
Petra Greek (www.petragreek.com)
1122 16th Street
(916) 443-1993
Walking distance: 0.2 miles
Good choice if you need something quick but don’t want fast food.
Paesano’s (www.paesanos.com)
1806 Capitol Ave.
(916) 447-8646
Walking distance: 0.5 miles
Italian restaurant with a wide selection of everything. The pizza and salads are very good.
S’barro
(In the Westfield Downtown Plaza mall)
596 Downtown Plaza #2103
Walking distance: 0.6 miles
Zocalo (www.zocalosacramento.com)
1801 Capitol Ave.
(916) 441-0303
Walking distance: 0.5 miles
This restaurant offers upscale Spanish cuisine. They have traditional dishes found in other Mexican restaurants but also offer choices such as Tamal Alto. Happy hour is great. Zocalo serves $2 tacos, $5 mojitos, and margaritas.
More Favorite Restaurants
According to Rita Athanacio, an STC Sacramento member, her favorite restaurants are near her office at 12th and L Streets, near the Convention Center and Hyatt and Sheraton hotels. For more pricey and upscale fare, she likes Ella Dining Room and Bar (www.elladiningroomandbar.com) and McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant (www.mccormickandschmicks.com). For more causal fare, Rita recommends Ma Jong Asian Dinner, La Bou, De Vere’s Irish Pub, and California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. She also likes Ambrosia Café (www.ambrosiacafesacramento.com) and Cosmo Café (www.paragarys.com).
