A Travel Insider's Tips for Great "Eats" in Sacramento!

Nobody knows Sacramento like legendary travel writer Barbara Steinberg,who's known nationally for her spectacular stories on unusual places and things. The award-winning journalist objectively critiques restaurants, hotels and events for magazines, newspapers and on her blog, "California Travel Insider" ( www.CaliforniaTravelInsider.com ). She is the perfect person to ask this question: "What are your Top 10 favorite food 'joints' in Sacramento?" We know that there are many outstanding cafes, restaurants and diners in California's State Capitol. But here are some of Steinberg's Selections:

Funky or otherwise and not in any order. What do all of these favorites have in common? All local. All fresh. All mainstays in the Sacramento dining scene for many, many years.

1. Waterboy  2000 Capitol Avenue
Waterboy Deluxe Burger. It's been a local fave for years.

2. Tres Hermanas  2416 K Street
Steaming plates of Chili Colorado. Oh, yeah, the house-made cilantro salad dressing. Yes, there really are tres (three) sisters.

3. Wiener Works  5207 Madison Ave # C
What do you think? The "dogs", of course. However, the biggest, best(est), baddest order of fries on the planet. Large...how about two pounds of fresh cut spuds!

4. Biba Restaurant  2801 Capitol Avenue
Lasagna Verdi alla Bolognese, 10 layers of house-made pasta laced with a Bolognese meat ragu and creamy bechamel sauce (Thursday and Friday only). Followed by Zuccotto Fiorentino. Chocolate coated, dome shaped, rum scented pound cake filled with whipped cream, chocolate, almonds and hazelnuts. I don't know how they construct these things, but trust me it's a labor of love.

5. The Fortune House  1211 Broadway
Lettuce wraps with chicken and plum sauce. Followed by tofu with dipping sauce. Hugely popular especially now that they are serving Dim Sum...every day!

6. Nopalitos  5530 H Street
They are only open Monday-Friday, breakfast and lunch. Sadly for us, but works for the owners. It's all good, but the tamale in a bowl for lunch....OMG! I order mine with chile verde.

7. Opa! Opa! 5644 J Street
Opa! Opa! Traditional Greek Salad with big side of hummus and warm pita.

8. Sunflower Drive-in
10344 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Old Town Fair Oaks
The best...I do mean best...nut burgers! This vegetarian landmark is home to the famous Fair Oaks chickens, which wander totally range free. They know they are safe here!

9. Harry's Cafe  2026 - 16th Street
Harry's Special Chow Mein with crispy noodles. Order it with a little spice.

10. Goodie Tuchews  1015 L Street
It's all about the cookies! All 19 varieties. My personal favorites the Snickerdoodle and the Chocolate Chip with MaMacadamiauts. Terry's been baking these bad boys for more than 25 years. And on those warm summer days, how about an ice cream sandwich? Vanilla ice cream from local Gunther's wedged between any two cookies. Yumm.....EEEEEE!
 

Here are some Southern California Top 10 Choices: Downey TD's Top 10 Food Joints; Huntington Beach Top 10 Food Joints; Long Beach Bud's Top 10 Joints; North Orange County Top 10 Food Joints; Tustin Top 10 Food Joints from Raul

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