Thursday, July 26, 2007

biggest littlest city on earth

Reno was very fun, although the clothes in the thrift stores were dreadful. We got some really good 8 tracks, I would say that was the thrifting high light. That and the art car below.



This place, Pegs Glorified Ham and Eggs was soooooo good.

Smiller and I decided that we are now going to exlusively eat all of our meals out of skillets.
The Pneumatic Diner was also excellent. Why can't Sacramento have a hippy/punk diner like this? The dining scene is calling out for a cheap and funky (I hate that word but it conjures up the right image) place where you can get good coffee, hippy baked goods, beer, falafel, homestyle salads, stuff like tofu tacos, fresh veggie and fruit juice, etc.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beckler, you've hit the nail on the head. I've been yearning for a 'funky' eats place in sac for years.. I keep dreaming that it'll open up in the old Eppies on 30th or in the Fireside Shop on 16th... good coffee, big portions, lots of vegetarian and vegan stuff served up on distressed USA china in a restaurant furnished in dingy dinette sets and barstools, and featuring at least one couch... served by a staff of Burning Man devotees. If there is a god it will be open 24 hours.

Josh Ploeg-- this has your name all over it...

Anonymous said...

Funky Urban Eats

Anonymous said...

It's funny you say that about the Pneumatic because it's always made me think of the Sunflower Drive In!

beckler said...

exactly, the sunflower is the closest thing to that we have in sacramento.

archbishop said...

I've always wanted to open a Waffle House here. Import southern ladies to live in trailers while they work there.

One day, when I win the lotto, I'll buy the trailer park off 160 when you cross the river to get to Lil Joes. I'll put in a Waffle House and house my waitstaff there.

Hashbrowns all the way. Scattered, Smothered, Covered, Chunked, Topped & Diced (Onions, Cheese, Ham, Chili and Diced Tomatoes), plus the wonderful Waffle House songs on the jukebox.

The closest place to California for Waffle House is Colorado and Arizona. One day I'll add Sacramento to that.

Anonymous said...

OMF: to this day, I'm grateful you showed me the weirdest, most hidden resturant in Sac -- that odd-as-fuck, early 70's diner in the middle of the medical building at 26th and Capitol. Man, I loved that place.
Everything there was like 8 cents.

-- Patrone

Anonymous said...

R.I.P. St Luke's Medical Building Cafe. That place was one of the great treasures of sac.

Remember when there was talk at statenet of compiling an 'insider's guide to sacto? all the cool stuff off the beaten track... best thrifts, flea markets, hidden diners, record stores, guitar shops... and then no one wanted to list their favorite haunts 'cuz they'd get ruined. The only thing that came out of it was that Lil Joes 'somehow' got listed in the Roster and Government Guide, right alongside Il Fornaio, Biba and the other hoity toity restaurants.

ah, memories.

wburg said...

Maybe it's time to start listing all the places like that which are gone but not quite forgotten, like the Camellia at 16th, the lunch counter across from the courthouse at 9th and H, New Palace Grill on 8th and J, etcetera...there's nothing quite as horribly nostalgic as an old-time midtowner. About the only true diner experience left is the Capitol Park Cafe.

Does Pieces count as the right sort of hippy/punk diner, or is the menu too limited? The constant reggae and daily presence of Saint give it just a touch of Burning Man/Dead show vibe.

beckler said...

I want a place that's kind of healthy. Like Sunflower. Pneumatic has raw food, and they'll make you spinach carrot juice and stuff. But they also have stuff with cheese if you want. They have baked fake meatball subs. The falafel was really good, in a healthy way.

Anonymous said...

Like Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz!

Anonymous said...

And then of course, there's all of Arcata.
stephen glass

beckler said...

yeah, like saturn! i have a fond memory of going there with AKR in which we wore wigs to get half off on our entrees.

Anonymous said...

At first I thought you meant you were wearing grey wigs to get a senior discount. But then I realized it was probably some hippy wackiness.

-miller

wburg said...

I dunno, Arcata seems to have sprouted a bunch of yuppie-chow places (or at least Arcata's interpretation of same) since I was going to school there. There are still old reliables like Hey Juan! and Don's Donut Bar and Los Bagels, but in many eateries near the Plaza the reek of patchouli is almost undetectable.

Anonymous said...

Oh, God. Hey Juans burritos....the worst burrito I've ever had. I still talk about it when referencing horrible Mexican food. First off, all salsa based on shaved carrots. Disgusting. That tasteless hippie rice, brown and chunky, half-done. Ohhh, and the beans. Nasty! The secret ingredient in the beans? Cocoa powder. What? True. I used to yearn for a good burrito when I lived there. I HOPE things have changed since 1988...and I also hope Dons Donuts is still there and has not changed. I pretty much lived on Los Bagels for 4 yrs.

Urtone