Every culture’s cuisine has its signature ingredient. For the Italians, it’s garlic. The French put burre (butter) on almost everything. Mexican food just wouldn’t be authentic without chilies. Would a good Thai meal be the same without coconut milk? For Hungarian food, dishes just don’t hit the spot without that smoky red spice called paprika.

Although most Americans probably only know paprika as that “red stuff” on top of the haute hors d’ouvre deviled eggs, paprika actually has flavor. Paprika—derived from various dried and ground peppers—offers a complex flavor as well as a gorgeous color to your favorite foods.
Not only is paprika a pretty addition to the presentation of many delectable dishes, it’s available in sweet, smoky, mild and spicy varieties. But, like many a regional/cultural cuisine, paprika is important to Hungarian cuisine that stars meaty stews, handmade gnocchi-like pasta (spaetzel) and sour cream-a-licious sauces. And, hot ‘n’ spicy paprika can really help heat things up.
So, in response to the recently declining degrees of the greater Sacramento area, I set out in search of some spicy paprika to warm me up. The foggy winteriness of last Thursday was the ideal opportunity to visit Café Marika on J Street in the heart of Midtown.

I’ve walked past this hole-in-the-wall restaurant during many a Second Saturday promenade and peered in to see the little place packed with diners. Each time, I made plans on my mental calendar to return—I was excited to actually experience Hungarian cuisine.

When I entered the café, the mom and pop of the shop welcomed me and invited me to seat myself. I was oddly delighted with the Old World dusty charm that only your grandparents’ house seems to have. With lovely symphony music and conversations of travel setting the scene, the inside of Café Marika felt like being in another country.

The lunch menu offered seven options at $7.25 each. Being the smart girl that I am, I chose the combo plate to taste both the old standard Hungarian goulash and the chicken paprikash. To accompany my assiette of poultry, meat and paprika, I couldn’t resist trying the Egri Bikavér—or “Bull’s Blood,” Hungary’s best-known red wine.

The stewed dishes are made fresh daily (believe me, you can taste it); my dish was delivered promptly and accompanied with white bread and butter. The paprika-colored plate of half flavorful-pork-goulash-over-rice, half comforting-chicken-over-spaetzel was nicely garnished with bright purple pickled cabbage.

Both the pork and chicken were wonderfully tender; the former seasoned with a richer, spicier paprika and the latter seasoned with a milder one. If I had a complaint about my meal, it would have been that the chicken could have used more flavor. But, hey, if you’re afraid of bold flavors (it happens), there’s a dish here that you’ll like.

My favorite part of the meal was the cabbage. It had that lovely rubbery, crunchy quality that makes good cabbage dishes so spectacular. Co-owner Eva openly shared with me that Café Marika’s pickled cabbage is marinated, but never cooked. Ah ha! Brilliant.

Café Marika does not offer the kind of trendy food that you think to crave. Instead, you actually feel satisfied with your meal. I ate my whole meal, and even though I didn’t need to eat the whole thing, I didn’t feel stuffed or bloated when I finished it all.

During the hour-and-a-half I spent in Café Marika, only three other customers came in. But, they all knew owners Louie and Eva by name; and have for years. I chatted with the owners a while and they shared recipes with me. Louie even grabbed spices off the shelves for me to smell. I couldn’t resist and grabbed a piece of homemade apple strudel to go for just $2.50. That’s cheaper than Starbucks pastries.

Café Marika serves lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and dinner is only Thursday through Saturday nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eva said that Café Marika has limited hours because there was no reason to be open if they had so few customers. That logic makes sense, but what doesn’t is why they have so few customers. The food is good and moderately priced. It’s the type of local restaurant that all true Sacramentans should visit to enjoy some “Bull’s Blood” and paprika with friends. Its no-frills atmosphere will quickly make it your neighborhood spot.

As Louie said, “We [Café Marika] are not a commercial business. We are more like coming to my house.”

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Sweetwater
5641 J St. | Sacramento
By Corey Bloom

Most people utilize Sunday as a day of rest, or a day to catch up on laundry, yard work, or other things with the word -work attached to the end of it. For myself, it’s a day of false optimism, but usually fun false optimism, centered around one meal: brunch. And not just brunch, champagne brunch, preferably the type that is preceded by the word “bottomless.” My logic goes, if I’m going to have to do laundry, I might as well be drunk. As a 49er die hard who actually believes every week we have a chance, if I’m going to have to watch them get torched, I might as well be torched myself. The idea of champagne brunch is never a bad one, and while other responsibilities and/or emotions can be displaced by the libations, it does make for one awesome Sunday.

What’s funny to me about champagne brunch is that I don’t really like champagne. The first couple sips are always painful, similar to the reaction some get when drinking whiskey or tequila, but like they say, it just takes persistence. In a sense, it’s probably a good thing that I don’t like champagne, mostly because I don’t care if it’s good or bad. For the most part it’s all the same to me. Naturally for any champagne brunch, it’s not about the quality but the quantity of which you can consume in one sitting before the last morsel of food enters your mouth.
After being spoiled by college town brunches that catered to a similarly minded crowd, it took a while for me to find a restaurant that was on the same page in Sacramento. To no surprise, I had to ask a college student to the get the low down. I should have prefaced this earlier by saying that typically a champagne brunch doesn’t mean a good meal, because it’s really not about the food. However, upon finding Sweetwater Restaurant and Bar, that philosophy has been poured down the drain.

Located at 5641 J St. (conveniently across the street from last issue’s feature, Opa! Opa!) Sweetwater is a dynamite find. The restaurant itself is pretty big, with three separate dining areas including a patio (we’ll get to that later). The decor is modern and clean; it’s nothing over the top and a tacky theme hasn’t been utilized to establish an identity as either a family or fine dining spot. On Sunday, the large flat screen TVs have football on, with bar seating giving you a front row seat to the action and the pours. The staff is always on point; they give you time to order (and enjoy champagne) and let you eat while you snail through your meal (and enjoy champagne).

What makes Sweetwater the ultimate champagne destination, aside from the great food and generous pours, is the patio. On any given Sunday, rain or shine, you can enjoy fresh air under the protection of a canopy and relax to the sounds of their waterfall. It makes for an experience, an outing for friends or couples to hang out in a cool atmosphere with good food and drink. I’ve written 500 words, and we haven’t even gotten to the food yet….

Aww, the food. While I’ve never eaten another meal at Sweetwater, their menu does look impressive. From Hawaiian tuna in a mustard crust, to veal saltimbocca, they got you. But it’s the brunch we are concerned with, and just as the aforementioned items elude to, it’s not your run of the mill brunch menu. I always start with the crispy Monterrey calamari, which is breaded and mixed alongside jalapeños and onions. So bomb, and again, allows extra time for some pours. As far as entrees go, they range from your typical egg, bacon, potato breakfast, to steak and eggs and a vegetarian crepe. My personal favorite is the not-so-unusual, but oh-so-awesome BLTA served on a croissant with an herb mayonnaise. My girl goes back and forth between the California Benedict, also served on a croissant, and a breakfast burrito (which no longer appears to be on the menu) and never complained once.

All in all, it’s safe to assume that at Sweetwater you’ll get what you’re looking for in terms of champagne and the brunch rivals any of the other places that don’t serve champagne. Like the Black Sheep said, “the choice is your’s.”

Post from: Submerge Magazine

By Corey Bloom

“Eat well…eat Greek!” is the motto of Opa! Opa!, and in agreement with the restaurant and their philosophy on life, I’d like to add one more exclamation point to this sentence! In all seriousness, Opa! Opa! is perhaps the finest establishment I have discovered since starting this column. I’ve always known of its existence but was wary of its brightly colored exterior, and do I ever feel stupid now.

I worked at a Greek restaurant for a couple years in college, so I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the food. By no means do I consider myself a seasoned Greek cuisine critic, but Opa! Opa! is pretty damn good. If you don’t believe my overly glowing words yet, Opa! Opa! has won SN&R’s “Best Of” and has received rave reviews in Sacramento Magazine and The Bee, amongst others. Nearing their third year of being open for business it’s very clear that Opa! Opa! has found a formula for success.

Located at 5644 J St. (near Sac State) Opa! Opa! stands out to the drive by eye. It’s a decent-sized restaurant, with plenty of dining space and an outdoor area as well. You order at the counter, are able to see all the meats and condiments as you pass, which I always admire because you know they’re not hiding anything from you. And while the colorful decor strays from the traditional feel, the food and menu maintain authenticity while also throwing in a couple fun items for good measure.

For the first time visitor like myself the menu was a little overwhelming, flooded with so many different options, all with enticingly detailed descriptions. The Greek meatloaf made of lamb, onions, parsley and secret spices and the pastitso (Greek lasagna) all sounded amazing, and I’m sure they are, but I was easily led to the lunch special of any sandwich or gyro, with fries and a drink, for $7.99. Smart choice. Looking for something other than the typical gyro I selected the barbecued leg of lamb sandwich (which itself costs $6.99). No exaggeration, it was amazing. Served on a warm and fluffy roll, with a goat cheese and feta spread that is pureed with spinach and mint (my mouth is watering again just thinking about it), and accompanied by lettuce and tomato the sandwich was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. The meat was tender and also full of flavor, and was only complimented more by flavors in the spread. Following suit, the fries were also something to brag on; thick and crispy. It was healthy portions all the way around, and the meal held me down all day without feeling like I overdid it.

The perennial lunch buddy Bocephus was there, and also sided with the lunch special but with the regular beef/lamb gyro. His praises were also plentiful, commenting on the freshness of the meat and the pita, and the robust flavor of the meat itself. The tzatziki tasted homemade and the tomato and red onion helped accentuate all the flavors.

Judging from the menu, it doesn’t appear that you can do any wrong at Opa! Opa! In preparation for my next few visits I have already planned out my next meals. First up, pita pizzas (which are exactly what they sound like), more specifically “The Big Cheese” which is made with fresh feta, goat, casari, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. I’ll have to go for a dinner and do the Greek meatloaf and convince the person I’m with to get the moussaka. All of their salads looked excellent and hearty, from the homemade tabouli to the orzo pasta salad with tomatoes, artichokes and Kalamata olives. They also serve beer and have a good-sized wine menu. And lastly, the prices were very good considering the quality of the food and the portions.

What made the experience even better was the generosity of owner and staff. I will see you guys very soon.

Post from: Submerge Magazine

By Corey Bloom

Over the past two years I have, for the most part, cut fast food out of my life. I don’t know if it’s a coming of age thing or realizing that cooking is fun and often times more economically the way to go, but for the most part I don’t miss fast food. I get the cravings, though, and when they come on, they hit hard. It’s like I’ll wake up, and my body will tell me that I need a gordita and my mission for that day will be to get a gordita. I didn’t wake up today with that craving, but for this installment of Refined Tastes, I will contradict that claim and discuss the coveted dollar menus. I’m broke, and it seems fitting.

In my opinion, the best dollar menu item has to be Jack in the Box’s two-taco deal. I know it seems a little sacrilegious to dub a taco the ruler in a hamburger nation, but for years these questionable pockets of fried stuff have held me down. It’s never really been clear what the meat it is, but it’s masked by something that’s sharp to the tongue so it gets a pass. In fact, when at Jack in the Box, I approach the dollar menu strategically. After some tacos drenched in additional hot sauce, a chicken sandwich makes for a nice palette cleanser, leaving the taste buds with a nice gluttonous mayonnaise flavor. Basically, every time I walk into Jack in the Box, I come in with exact change. $2.12, out the door with a full and balanced lunch (in terms of low grade meats). Their fries are arguably the best, and the dollar portion is proper, and before the Jumbo Jack graduated to the regular menu, they made an awesome combination. If a letter grade had to be given, they’d get a B+

I can’t front though. In terms of tacos, Taco Bell trumps Jack, but when going cheap, quantity plays a major factor. However, Taco Bell recently stepped up their dollar menu game a couple notches, launching the .79, 89 and .99-cent menu. In terms of dollar options, Taco Bell has got the game in a stranglehold. It’s basically the same five ingredients, but they dress them up well. I’m a fan of the newly introduced, and .89-cent, volcano taco, although the red shell is a little suspect. I’m not mad at .79-cent triple layer nachos, and I’ll go to town on some .89-cent soft tacos. As ridiculous as it sounds, the .99-cent menu is almost off limits with so many great and cheap options. Letter grade: a strong B.

I’m not a McDonald’s fan, but I have been known to wreck their Wednesday/Sunday hamburger or cheeseburger specials. I guess McDonald’s dollar menu turns me off on the strength of the parfait. It seems so out of place, and almost comical to me. The McChicken is decent and the apple pies get props, but I don’t go to McDonalds because of their dollar menu. Overall grade: C+

Wendy’s is the sleeper dollar menu. They’ve got quality items, from a Frosty and junior bacon cheeseburger, down to the five-piece chicken nuggets. It’s not the most extensive, but what they offer for cheap they do it well. Despite what BK might try to plant in your head, I’m a big fan of the sour cream and chive baked potato, and while never an urge, the chili gets a pass too. Dave, you’ve got the right formula and earned yourself a comfy A.

At first I was quick to crown Burger King, thinking back to summer of ‘97 when a van full of stoned teenagers would combine to eat 15 Big Kings, but in hindsight BK is not the King. In fact, their dollar menu is pretty wack, and I’m ashamed to have even held the idea that it was on point. The chicken nuggets are bomb, but the hamburger is pretty lack luster. I mean, it has the word “regular” in it, so that shows that there is not much going on. Bring back the Big King, and we can talk, but until you step up your game, BK shall reside somewhere in the B/C range.

The winner: Wendy’s. Congratulations! HA!

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Tamaya Sushi & Grill
2131 J St., Sacramento

By Corey Bloom

It seems odd that in spite of the worst economic conditions this country has seen in decades that we are just now coming around to reviewing a sushi restaurant. Trust me, my wallet is just as malnourished as yours, but if I’m going to indulge in one meal, it would have to be sushi. For one, I can’t make it (very well), so going out to sushi is always a treat. Most importantly though, whenever I eat sushi I always feel good afterward, not greasy or bloated, but refreshed and in a Zen-like food coma. If I’m going to splurge, at the very least I want to feel good about myself afterward, and sushi is always that meal for me.

In the time I’ve been in Sacramento, I’ve tried a good chunk of the sushi restaurants. I’ve gone through phases where one spot will be my favorite, and I will frequent that spot almost exclusively. About six months into my Sacramento experience, I discovered Tamaya Sushi & Grill, located at 2131 J St., a couple doors down from Tappa the World, and directly across the street from the One Man Band if you come on a weekend night. The décor is modern, and the energy is lively in both the main dining area and in the back bar area, which also doubles as a nice place to chill and grab a drink. The wait staff is attentive and helpful while giving you space and letting you enjoy your experience. Yes, this is going to be another one of those glowing reviews, but in all the times that I have been to Tamaya I have never had a bad meal, or even a bad dish.

It’s hard to look past Tamaya’s extensive menu. Picking it up is like lifting a book, with detailed descriptions of each dish or roll. I’m not even going to begin to count everything they offer, but sections include over 30 appetizers, noodles, Donburi, a healthy amount of Nigiri rolls, as well as 17 special rolls, 13 for “everyone” and 20 spicy rolls (which I generally choose from). Deciding what to get is the biggest dilemma you will face at Tamaya.

Starting with the appetizers, the spicy sashimi salad has always been a favorite to kick the meal off. The hot factor is not overbearing, and pairs nicely with the bite sized pieces of fish and the flavor of the marinated onions. I can also testify to the barbecued albacore, which is not comparable to another local variation, but nonetheless a nice start to any meal. I’m a sucker for barbecued tuna and garlic. Glancing down the menu, though, all the appetizers appear to be excellent and elegant.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve never ventured into the entrees section of the menu, because, let’s face it, if you’re going to Japanese food, you’ve got to get sushi. With that said, let’s get into the good stuff.
To be honest, I don’t even know where to start. There are so many good features on the menu, but perhaps what stands out the most is the portions and quality of Tamaya’s fish. The portions are so generous that sometimes two rolls can make a perfect meal for two, especially for lunch. All the rolls are huge, sometimes almost too big to fit in your mouth in one bite. Oftentimes my girlfriend will get three bites out of a roll, which she has convinced herself helps her savor it more. This could hold some truth, but it’s just something I can’t do. Aside from the rolls, the sauces vary, so unlike some places that use the same three sauces on every roll, Tamaya’s rolls are all very distinct. Some of my favorite rolls on the menu include the 007, which has creamy spicy tuna, with torched salmon and avocado on the top. The Used Car Salesmen (quite a paradox) is also delectable, boasting spicy tuna, crab, avocado, shrimp tempura and then topped with red and white tuna.
Special and spicy rolls range from $9–$18, but as mentioned you can get by getting one or two. Love is a powerful word, but I love Tamaya.

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Streets of London
1804 J St., Sacramento

I love to gorge myself with food 100 times more when I’m drunk as opposed to when I’m high. I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t get the munchies like that; however, after two beers I’m eating whatever I can get my hands on. That being said, bar/pub food (there is a difference, as Streets of London will show) is one of my favorite indulgences because, well, if I’m eating it, I’m probably already happy. At any establishment that serves liquor, you can always find burgers, fries, nachos, nacho fries, fried chicken whatevers or mozzarella sticks, but for a seasoned bar stool eater this fare can be numbing. For this reason alone, many bar crawls have been planned around landing at Streets of London around dinner time or the fourth or fifth drink, whichever comes first. Later for the one sided menu with a handful of items, Streets has a five-pager boasting sandwiches, appetizers, soups and salads, entrees and most awesome, breakfast (which is served all day). It’s almost as if the drinks take a back seat to the loaded menu; it’s that good.

On my last trip to Streets on J St., I was joined by a couple friends who really opened the menu up to me. Half drunk, one friend was adamant about ordering the fried pickles. The idea itself sounded kind of disgusting, but my taste buds knew something my stomach didn’t. Those fuckers are amazingly good. Thinly sliced, similar to how fried zucchini is served, the pickles had an addictive buttery and bitter taste. The breading was crispy, but strangely the pickle itself maintained the champion of crunch. A cup of ranch was offered as a dipper, and while ranch can make anything better, it wasn’t necessary as the pickles had so many other flavors going on. Even the French guys next to us approved, and even after them everyone in our party got their fix in one plate.

The entrees followed, and since I was splitting a plate with the vegetarian, I had chosen the traditional fish and chips. It’s not the most vegetarian friendly menu. There is nothing more British than fish and chips, so it is expected Streets has a pretty good recipe. Each piece is pretty hearty, definitely one of the bigger single servings of fried cod I have seen, and paired with a large portion of fries there is no way you’ll be hungry afterward. The taste was great, but on this particular visit, the fish and fries were both a little soggy, but I would credit that to it being a busy Saturday evening. When it was all said and done, I was not mad at all. My face was a little greasy, but yo, I wasn’t trying to eat anytime soon. In short, two people got stuffed for under $10.

Bocephus was included in the party and sided with the sausage roll, which was described as “a British style banger wrapped in a puff pastry and baked.” I’m not schooled on the schnitzels or anything like that, so the sausage roll was a new concept to me. With one bite, I can testify that it was the truth. It was baked to perfection, flaky and sweet, and the banger balanced it all out with its juicy saltiness. Also served with a (un)healthy portion of fries (or chips, whichever) and baked beans, for $8.50 this was an undeniably successful choice. After I try all the curries and shepherd’s pie, I’m going to roll with the sausage roll.

The winner of the three dishes though was the homie Erik’s corned beef sandwich. It was unbelievably good. The corned beef was stacked almost 2 inches high between two slices of delicious rye. You have the option of a hot or cold sandwich, and while Erik rocked the hot, there is no way you could go wrong with the cold either. I’ve been to Katz’s Deli in New York, and I want to go on record and say that Streets of London’s corned beef could at the very least rival a Katz’s sandwich. Plain and simple, it was bomb.

In conclusion, bar food is played, hit up any of the three Streets of London spots and get down with some real pub grub. You can’t do wrong.

Corey Bloom
corey@submergemag.com

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1226 20th St.
Sacramento

I know how hot dogs are made, but I forgot what I did yesterday, so I have no problem indulging in a true American favorite. Matter of fact, just thinking about the words “encased pork,” I envision a happy wiener dog wearing a chef’s hat. Me and hot dogs got no beef. Wow, that was lame. Let’s get to the food.

I’ve driven by Capitol Dawg (located at 1226 20th St.) numerous times, and the bright colors always catch my eye. While I do enjoy a good hot dog, it’s not something I crave or necessarily pursue. Of the last 100 dogs I’ve eaten, 85 of them have been after midnight and the only evidence I have of eating one is mustard and ketchup stains on my shoes. This also means that those 85 dogs have been from a cart, which if you read this column is a definite plus for me, and also that each dog was no more than $2.00 (peace to Scrappy Dog in Chico!). That being said, stepping into an official hot dog (sorry, I can’t do the “-awg”) joint was a little bit of a reality shock.

Let me start off though by honoring the décor. The autographed Tesla record stood out amongst traditional photos of you guessed it, hot dogs and hot dog stands, but without question the crown jewel was the full sized David Stieb autographed poster, fitted in vintage Blue Jays attire. There was a lot to look at, so in terms of decorations, they get the nod.

But yes, there was food and after staring at the menu for a good five minutes I decided to go for the obscure and ordered the Gold Rush Dawg. The Sacramento Dawg looked interesting (guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa), but Swiss cheese, crushed pineapple and teriyaki sauce sounded a little more appealing. At $4.29 it seemed a little bit pricey and as much as I wanted some fries and a drink (an extra $3), I couldn’t bring myself to paying almost $8 for a dog. The dog itself was pretty good, not too plump but still juicy and full of flavor. As a diehard pineapple fan, its pairing with the pork hot dog was nice. The added teriyaki provided a familiar flavor. My only complaint, aside from the price, was that the teriyaki made the bun soggy which for me is an ultimate no. On top of that, I left hungry…

To provide some variety, the homie Bocephus joined and opted for the Prop. 51 Dawg. In his own words, “In true Chicago fashion, the fixings are lavish on this bad boy. Your frank comes smothered in mustard, onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, celery salt, dill pickle and nuclear green relish (despite its appearance, the relish is free of any gene altering materials). As you can imagine, the Prop. 51 is big on flavor; but unfortunately, it’s also big on price. At $3.89 for the wiener or $6.99 with fries and a drink, this ain’t your late night hot dog cart.”

Aside from the above mentioned there are 23 other combinations, most of which are relatively tame with the condiments with varieties of mustard, cheese and onions. You can upgrade to a polish, hot link or brat for $1, and then over 33 extras to choose from ranging from .30 to .60 cents. The fries were good, and they offer beer!
The verdict: good food, a little pricey, but you won’t walk out swearing you’ll never come back.

Corey Bloom
corey@submergemag.com

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Kasbah Lounge
2115 J St.
SACRAMENTO

Deciding upon a worthy and not-too-frequented dining spot around central Sacramento that featured ethnic eats was no easy task. There were a lot of worthy and affordable international restaurants, but many only open until 3 p.m. or 5 p.m., or only open on the weekends for dinner. But truly desiring delicious Moroccan delights, I was stoked to find the Kasbah Lounge was open (every night from 5:30 p.m. until 3 a.m.), moderately priced and located at 21st and J streets in the Midtown “Kasbah” or older/vital neighborhood (generally in cities of Northern Africa).

If you’ve never been to Morocco, it’s a vacation spot for Europeans that is diverse and disorienting to the senses. Like Mexico to the vacay-ers of the U.S., venturers to Morocco are skeptical of food illness and un-bottled water. After my last four days spent in Morocco dining on spice-stewed meats, fluffy couscous and sweet mint tea, I spent three days dealing with food poisoning; which thus led to my one-year boycott of Moroccan food that ended with a worry-free dinner at Kasbah Lounge.

Although Kasbah Lounge’s Web site boasts Middle Eastern food, the restaurant/lounge/bar/hookah hook-up offers more of a mix between Mediterranean and North African food. Choosing to sit on benches with comfy decorative pillows and a billowy canopy of cloth, I reviewed the rustic rough-cut leather menus with crude copper fixtures holding food and beverage lists in place. I decided I had to have the $5 authentic mint tea and $12 lamb tagine. Thé de la menthe de Maroc is often referred to as “Moroccan Mint” in the U.S. and is usually very strong and very sweet. Tagine is a Moroccan dish, but also the pot the dish is cooked in. A tagine is a clay pot with a wide bottom bowl/dish with raised sides (much like a deep sauté pan) and a cone-shaped lid with a hole at the top to release steam. A tagine can be used on a stovetop or in the oven. The dish tagine usually involves combining large-cut seasonal veggies (zucchini, carrots, squash and potatoes), garbanzo beans, big pieces of meat (lamb, goat or chicken) and a lot of rich spices like cinnamon, cumin and coriander.
How did my food stack up? Well, since I’ve had the real thing, I could tell you that it wasn’t the most authentic Moroccan food. But, lucky for you, that means you’ll feel more comfortable eating it; and there’s no question about where it came from or if it will make you sick. As far as quality control goes, Kasbah Lounge used fresh, high quality products that ultimately made the experience surprising and satisfying.

However, the total package wasn’t cohesive. While my lamb was perfectly cooked and not at all gamey (tends to happen with lamb), there weren’t enough veggies, the sauce was thick and gravy-like, there was too much cinnamon on the plate and the portion of couscous was very small. Regular small grain couscous should’ve accompanied this dish, but came with larger Israeli couscous that tasted like it was warmed in some type of stale animal fat. You can imagine my surprise when receiving a dish twice as heavy as expected. But the food was hot, good, very flavorful and delicious and was served with freshly grilled pita bread (although I think it wasn’t made fresh).

The mint tea was served beautifully in a metal pot with little, whimsically shaped glasses; but the flavor and preparation basically sucked. There was little straining of the leaves and no instruction was given on steeping time. At first the tea was too watery, then it was too medicinal tasting. Plus at $5 per person, the tea was expensive and should have been better; especially for a place that claims they’ve got the “best mint tea in Sacramento.”

I would definitely go to Kasbah Lounge again. The vibrant colors and attention to decoration detail create an invigorating ambiance. But, I would make sure it was at a time when I was looking for a lighter, whimsical dining experience. If you’re super hungry and/or looking for early bird specials or value meals, this isn’t the place for you. But there is a weeknight happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. I’ve marked my calendar to try out the happy hour deals like the $3 pints of sangria and the $2 or $3 appetizers. Think of this place as a great starter for a night out or a destination experience with good friends.

By Josselin Basaldu

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I’ve been waiting weeks for this one, often fighting cravings in fear of burning out on America’s crown jewel of ground beef and its accompanying deep fried golden strands of starch. Yes, friends, I’m talking about the cheeseburger and freedom fries. Say what you will, but few meals beat the comfort and subsequent comatose of a fat greasy burger and crispy fries. And now that I’ve planted a seed in your subconscious cravings, let me now give you the only successful plan of attack: four great burger spots in the greater Downtown area.
Mind you it wouldn’t be fair to try just one, so instead I enlisted a team of Submerge staffers to help make the call and most importantly finish the food. Hunger overcame creativity, and thus was born the glorious challenge dubbed “Burger-Off.”

We tried to make the playing field as even as possible, so we decided to try each restaurant at the most basic level with the cheeseburger/fries combination. With that established, we created a complex rating system that involved tasting and thinking.

First off, the contenders: Located on 816 12th St., and with over 74 years of experience, our first spot is Jim Denny’s, a classic All-American burger joint.

For our second contender, located at 1948 Sutterville Rd. we chose Ford’s Real Hamburger, with an emphasis on the real.

The third contender, nestled at 7918 Fruitridge Rd., is the Squeeze Inn, which boasts over three decades of hamburger excellence.

And last but not least, located at 1630 J St., we have a local downtown favorite: Hamburger Patties.
Four heavyweights, three hungry judges. Let’s get it on.

Jim Denny’s
James Barone: Loved the thin, fast food-style fries—not as plastic-y tasting as the shit you’ll get at McDonald’s. Grilled onions on the burger were a plus, flavorful patty, but the bun was pretty weak.
James Pitner: Strong mustard flavor, quality meat, good cheese and grilled onions. The grilled onions made this burger.
Corey Bloom: The patty and fries were a little thin for my liking, but the flavors are good. A good burger, not a great one.

Ford’s Real Hamburger
James Barone: Biggest patty by far, but not as well seasoned as the other entrants. Tasty onions and fresh-tasting fixings, but the fries were also pretty boring.
James Pitner: This one comes with a cool layer of shredded lettuce and fresh fixings. I think they could have been a little more liberal with the seasoning.
Corey Bloom: I like a homemade patty, and this is definitely one of those. Very big and juicy, great bun and a good secret sauce. I remember them having different fries, which I liked better; but again, not bad.

Squeeze Inn
James Barone: Delicious hamburger patty and toppings plus a sesame seed bun all made for a great sandwich, but the copious melted cheese and cheese flap were a bit much—too salty
and distracting.
James Pitner: This burger is not for the weak hearted. The bun is delicious, the fixings handle their biz and the place is greasy as hell!
Corey Bloom: Great fresh, hand-cut, unfrozen fries. The cheese skirt that draped the burger was a little much for me, but once you get past that the rest is great.

Hamburger Patties
Corey Bloom: A good burger, and the most straightforward of the bunch. The fries were okay as well.
James Barone: Tastiest hamburger patty for sure, though the fries were pretty bland.
James Pitner: The charbroiled taste of this burger set it apart from its competition.

In the end, it was the Squeeze Inn who took it all, winning unanimously in the fries category and tied Hamburger Patties in the meat department. Propelled by great fries, their overall victory was an upset and a surprise to some (mainly me). However, as much as we tried to make it a competition, everyone agreed that all of the burgers were good in their own right and we would undoubtedly eat at each spot again.

Post from: Submerge Magazine

427 Broadway
Sacramento, California

You could drive past Jamie’s Bar and Grill 100 times without realizing it was even there. Located at 427 Broadway, Jamie’s is not extravagant by any stretch of the word. Other than a green awning there isn’t a sign that would attract the eye, and without the large concentration of cars surrounding a vacant lot, I probably could pass it fully knowing where I was going.

Some people might look at the bland exterior and be turned off, but for me this is a great sign. I’m a simple man, and all I need is good food.

I had heard tales of Jamie’s for a while now, but always from the middle age professionals not my peers. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and then from 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m., which explains the latter. On the Wednesday afternoon, I made it out to the place, and it was filled with khakis and collared shirts. I was definitely the youngest person in there by 15 years. The bar (to eat no doubt) was completely filled and a line of a few others waited for their turns. I was immediately seated and taken care of from the start. Off the bat, I was immediately at home in the dimly light restaurant of maybe 20 tables. There weren’t any windows so light was minimal, and the huge mounted Bison head really ties the room together. It was easily recognized that most of the clientèle were regulars, which is always a testament to a restaurant’s food.

Their menu was one page and very straight forward. I had heard good things about their burger and steak sandwich, but it all sounded good to me. All the menu items were sandwiches of some sort, with a few salad options and some specials, which mostly consisted of sea food, but the $15 price tag sounded like they were more of a dinner thing. All sandwiches came with a choice of fries, onion rings or salad and were mostly in the $7–9 range.

After much debate over the hot turkey sandwich, which came with mash potatoes and gravy, I sided with “Jamie’s Club.” It sounds a little boring I suppose, but the food was far from that. Obviously catering to the lunch crowd, the food came relatively quick. Served on a large plate, the entire surface was covered with thinly cut and crispy (and flakey but not over cooked, which is good!) fries and a monstrous sandwich. Between lightly toasted slices of fresh sourdough they managed to fit avocado, tomato, lettuce, chunks of white turkey meat and recently cooked bacon. It was impossible to taste it all with one bite, so I had to plan my bites accordingly…or maybe I’m just weird like that.

So many things made the sandwich great, but the turkey was the stand out flavor. Carved straight from the carcass, the meat was moist and cut in thick slices. They definitely weren’t shy with the portions either, which was greatly appreciated. Aside from the turkey, and again I’m a simple man, but the tomato was peppered. This might not sound like a big deal, but it added a distinct taste. And more than that, it showed that they were actually mindful of what they were doing and not just mindlessly throwing stuff on bread. The bacon was greasy and hot, not heat lamp hot, and did what bacon always does: make whatever you’re eating that much better.

They had me before I walked in, and the food was everything I had imagined it would be; simple and awesome, with quality ingredients and hearty portions. I will be undoubtedly be going back to Jamie’s on a regular basis, and just may have a new place to eat/drink before a River Cats game.

Post from: Submerge Magazine