It’s so good to be here with you. Really, the pleasure is all mine. It’s hard to believe it’s been more than six months but not quite a year that I have been writing to you about local restaurants. I’m sure if you’ve followed throughout you could get a good idea where I live, because while I’m down to experiment and try new restaurants, I’m not as willing to explore the Sacramento’s outer regions. I feel I have tried almost every kind of food available in the six-mile region, and while it could be said I’m easy to please, I’m glad that for the most part I haven’t had to write a negative review. Congratulations to you, Sacramento restaurants. People don’t refer to this city as a dine-out town just because of the abundance of eating establishments.

This week, instead of spending money and then trying to convince you to try a spot out, I’m going to save a couple bucks and remind you of all the great restaurants I visited in the first volume of this column. Don’t worry; it’s not another “best of” list, but rather a refresher on what’s fresh—and, of course, what’s not.

In my time at the dinner table that is Sacramento, by far the one restaurant where I wish I could eat every day is Tamaya, located at 2131 J St. It is the best sushi in town, and they crush the competition across the board. One of my biggest peeves with sushi restaurants is that some places use the same sauce(s) on every roll to the point that everything starts to taste the same. That is not the case with Tamaya, which has an extensive menu and equally creative pairings of flavors. The prices match or beat any other sushi restaurant, and their quantities are ridiculous in the best way possible. I had a sushi spot I frequented regularly, but after one meal at Tamaya, I haven’t been back. Trust that.

From the uncooked to the slow-cooked, my most memorable review has to be my visit to Sandra Dee’s (601 15th St.). My Southern state experience doesn’t venture out of Austin, Texas, so you could say my BBQ palate is amateur at best, but Sandra Dee’s has turned me out. When friends come to town, it’s where I take them—and needless to say, they get turned out too. Their ribs literally fall off the bone, and their BBQ sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Their Po’ Boy sandwiches are packed with flavor, their fried chicken is flawless and their seafood is everything I’ve mentioned and then some. I’ve been countless times since and have never had anything short of an incredible meal. Deciding what to eat is hard enough, but choosing a side order even more difficult when faced with options like mac and cheese, hush puppies, red beans and rice and more. As the saying goes, “It’s all good.”

I suppose from the slow-cooked, a good segue would be cooked on a spit? Opa! Opa! was the biggest surprise of all the spots I have reviewed. I’d driven by this place hundreds of times, but I couldn’t get past the decor from the outside. It looked like it could be a chain restaurant, but I couldn’t have been more off. There aren’t many affordable lunch/dinner spots that can boast a menu created by an in-house chef, but Opa! Opa! not only has an incredibly dense menu, it is also very unique from other Mediterranean restaurants. They definitely had fun with the menu: alongside Mediterranean mainstays like the beef and lamb or chicken gyro, they also offered up interesting dishes such as a Greek meatloaf (lamb) and pita pizzas. I still have flashbacks to my barbecued leg of lamb sandwich and the rich feta and goat cheese spread. Opa! Opa! is located at 5644 J St., don’t sleep!

With the good comes the bad. Coincidentally, the one bad review I gave is to a restaurant that is no longer open. My apologies to Fins. I didn’t know my words held so much weight in this town, but you honestly didn’t think that white linen tablecloths, high prices and red plastic baskets would be a winning formula, did you?

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.