I'm on deadline for a new writing thing that I can't share yet, but it's got me thinking about restaurants we've lost. There's a lot. I know that change is inevitable and businesses close but jeez. I thought I would start a list just to share memories. Add yours as well! With Biba's passing (RIP) who know if it will stay open or remain as good. I know she hadn't cooked there in a while. The son wants to sell Zelda's too so I wouldn't be surprised if it got bought by some bland restaurant group
- Ha, I use bullets (some would say overuse) so much at work. I'll use bullets on the blog too!
- It seems like June's Cafe might be closed. I am hoping it will reopen but Mike C. keep checking by for me and it keeps still being closed. This is tragic.
- Market Club. Had breakfast there with Natalie the day I got married (2012). Only ate there a couple of times, but it was charming.
- Italian Importing Co. I don't think I ever ate there honestly, or maybe once? I am pretty picky about sandwiches
- 524. This one hurts. I should make it out to the remaining one on Northgate but man the Yelps are bad! I ate there one millon times when I was a poor student
- Pho Bac on Broadway. That was my introduction to Vietnamese food and it used to be hella good! It got hella bad. Saigon Street Eats (not good) is closed and now it's empty and slated to be demolished.
- Luigi's: the Stockton Blvd. one was never a big fave of mine (I prefer Roma's for that kind of cheesy pizza) but now it's sold to investors. Haven't been since it was sold
- New Canton. Used to be the best dim sum. Now my pick is Asian Pearl 2000
- Nationwide Freezer Meats. This one hurts too. It was never the same after it moved.
- Squeeze Inn. I only went to original one once.
- The Rubicon. No love lost for me on those Cisco waffle fries. I'm glad Alaro seeems to be bumpin'
- The original Luis'. Ok, that was not that great either, but all those pictures of Luis were the best
- Trails, then became Shoki, now burned up. Sad
- I'm sure I will think of more!
12 comments:
Wakano Ura! Who can forget that weird, sprawling upstairs restaurant with the chop suey sign. The sign is still there, right? I bet it was buzzing in its heyday. Scott always used to go and get the niku tofu.
Also King's Dim Sum. I am reminded of this one a lot because on my way in to work at Davis GPS will route me past it when the causeway is backed up. It wasn't that great but more dim sum options are always better than fewer. I haven't been to Happy Garden in forever I wonder how their dim sum is doing.
The Italian Importing company was great. Good sandwiches, but the highlight was always the foul mouthed guy making them, and the sort of creepy old man. (sadly suffers from dementia now) didn't know about 524. The 12th street site was a great post-show place, until the fire. Took forever to remodel, prices went up. Luis's was only remarkable for the cheap pitchers of Mai tais.
Wow. When you listed them like that it's a bummer.
The meatball subs on Saturdays from the Italian Imports place were good.
I like Saigon Street Eats: they were never crowded and they used a Street Fighter 2 font.
Luis’s was great since soup was filling and only like 3 bucks.
Luigi's wasn't sold to "investors" it was sold to "local restaurateurs" who own and operate it.
Luis Jr.'s apparently moved down to Old Sac (Downstairs from the Mini Donut place on 2nd Street). 524 has become Culinerdy, a burger, sandwich and fried brussels sprouts place run by Guy Fieri's buddy Keith Breedlove - 2015 State Fair executive chef. I had high regard for 524 but it ultimately never won me over enough to make the 5 block walk to the edges of downtown. Culinerdy is pretty good, though, a nice sitdown experience for not too too much with a broader menu than their truck.
The Wakano Ura sign is still there--it's the third location of the restaurant and the second location of the sign. I got some backstory from a member of the family who started it in the 1920s: it was a Japanese restaurant with Japanese owners, but Chinese food was really popular so the owner hired a Chinese cook and had both Japanese and Chinese menus in order to sneak Japanese cuisine into the mouths of Sacramento diners. The last location was closed because of a threatened ADA lawsuit (the only way up is via the stairs, no elevator.)
Pretty positive that June's is closed. Went there last year and they said that it was going to be their final season.
Those Rubicon wawful fries had Sacramento hoodwinked for years. Bye, fry, I didn't cry.
Sakurabana Japanese restaurant on Capitol Havin' You is very gone, and I have missed it. But I guess summer doesn't last forever. Apparently it can get long a/f along the equator, though, is that true?
June's is by far the saddest for me, I can't even think about it (despite knowing there was no way she would keep running it for much longer). June promised me the recipe for the macaroni salad when she retired, but since this was pretty abrupt I couldn't go for one last visit to get it. Though my last visit was pretty perfect, I told her I couldn't decide between Chicken Katsu, Chicken Teri and Curry so she made me "smaller" versions of all 3 (still huge, it was on 2 plates!) and charged me $6.00. She's the best. We had her macaroni salad at our wedding.
Oh jeez how did I forget Maalouf's! It was so sad in later visits when he was all estranged from his wife and daughter and complained to us about it. He didn't seem very nice to them though. That fuckin' chicken schwarma!!
Oh yeah that was a big one. Even if you were in a food coma for hours and smelled like Maalouf's for a week.
Yet 'Pieces' keeps right on ticking...
-- Patrone
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