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The diversity in California’s capital city has led to the establishment of numerous restaurants serving up delicious foods with inspiration from all over the world. With fresh ingredients from local producers and farmers, it’s not hard to find a great place to eat in Sacramento. From Italian to Thai to Hungarian to Japanese, Midtown Sacramento’s restaurants have some of the best locally crafted and world-inspired cuisine.

Sampino’s Towne Foods

Restaurant, Deli, Italian

In a cozy little place with a lovely fenced patio out front, Sampino’s Towne Foods serves up great homemade pastas and sauces, sandwiches, and salads to locals and visitors who love authentic Italian food. Several glass display cases full of Italian foods, meats, and cheeses, as well as loaves of bread sitting on the counter and wines lining the wall, set the mood for a great Italian meal. The beautiful white linen covered tables with red place mats out in the patio also make for an excellent place to sit and people watch while enjoying the popular meatball sandwich, sampanini, fresh lasagna, or Le Rustique, which is composed of Prosciutto de Parma, melted brie, caramelized onions, balsamic vinegar, and garlic aioli on delicious bread. If you want dinner, the Italian restaurant only has special Friday night dinners at 6pm, which change monthly and consist of an incredible seven course meal for which reservations are required.

The Rind

Bar, Wine Bar, American

The Rind, Sacramento
© MellowFood/Flickr
A cheese-centric bar that allows you to experience unique artisanal cheeses paired with delightful and complex wines and beers, The Rind has been providing Sacramento cheese lovers with an amazing place to explore different kinds of cheeses since 2013. From buttery to blue and nutty to stinky, The Rind has it all. They also serve delicious and elevated twists on classics, like the grilled cheese sandwich and mac and cheese. Some favorites are the BrieLT sandwich, the apple walnut mac and cheese, and the tomato soup. People also love to order salads like the Bright and Briezy to balance out the heaviness of all the cheesy dishes. With the absolute best ingredients in exquisite dishes and amazing wines and beers to pair them with, The Rind is one place you definitely do not want to miss.

The Coconut Midtown

Restaurant, Thai

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© Barbara Haven/Flickr
Located in one of Midtown’s most vibrant neighborhoods, The Coconut Midtown brings to town Thailand’s distinctive cuisine and profound flavors complemented with the quality and essence of local ingredients. From pumpkin curry to cashew chicken to pad thai to spring rolls, this restaurant has every Thai favorite at multiple levels of spiciness, and all at affordable prices. For vegans and vegetarians, The Coconut has 24 vegan menu options, including an amazing eggplant entree and drunken noodles. The cheese wonton appetizer, the Pra Ram chicken, the spicy basil, and the sweet potato fries are all extremely popular among the restaurant’s patrons. They also have a delicious fried banana with ice cream dessert and one dollar beer specials. The restaurant is a bit small, so the wait may be long, but this is the best place to go for authentic yet local Thai food and fantastic prices.

Mulvaney’s B&L

Restaurant, American

Mulvaneyís B&L
© Kevin Cortopassi/Flickr
In a firehouse dating back to 1893, Mulvaney’s B&L offers a handcrafted new American menu that changes daily with the subtle changes of the seasonal harvest of the local farms. It is an ideal place for celebrating special occasions, thanks to the classy atmosphere, friendly service, and amazing food. The pork chop, rib eye, smoked salmon, and foie gras are loved by all, and the ding dong and Thai iced tea ice cream are also extremely popular desserts that Mulvaney’s offers. They always go above and beyond to help you celebrate an occasion, with customized menus, special decorations on your plates, and staff members constantly approaching and wishing you congratulations or happy celebrations.

The Sandwich Spot

This popular lunchtime hangout got its starts in 2005, when Colonel Tom Slick decided to open the first Sandwich Spotin Midtown Sacramento. Its unique, cheekily-named sandwiches and great customer service prompted the creation of numerous other spots all throughout California. Patrons love to come back again and again for the consistently fresh and delicious sandwiches, as well as for the friendly staff who often remember familiar faces. A cute little building houses the shop, with a cozy front porch and both indoor and outdoor seating. It can definitely get very crowded because of its popularity, but if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind quality sandwich, this is the place to go.

Ramen House Ryujin

If you’re in Northern California and you’ve got a craving for authentic Japanese ramen, then you have to stop by Ramen House Ryujin. With perfectly balanced and seasoned broth, tender slices of pork, perfectly cooked seasoned egg, and fresh, delicious noodles, ramen lovers from everywhere make a habit out of visiting this place. A popular choice for the ramen is the Kuro Tonkotsu, and the black garlic oil that comes with the black ramen is also a favorite. Their culinary skill is not limited to ramen, as they also serve amazing takoyaki (octopus and cabbage cake ball) and geso (fried squid tentacles). The Japanese staff are all extremely friendly as well, and they give great recommendations.

Sawasdee Thai Cuisine

Restaurant, Thai, Seafood

Sawasdee Thai Cuisine, Sacramento
© David Berkowitz/Flickr
For excellent traditional Thai food and great beer, Sawasdee Thai Cuisine has become a local favorite. The family came to Sacramento from a refugee camp in Northern Thailand near the Chiang Rai region, and has since immersed themselves in the Thai Food scene. Head Chef Meuy combined her own recipes with those of her father from Thailand in order to create a unique style of traditional Thai cuisine. The robust Thai flavors, beer towers, and elegant presentation of the dishes all work together to give patrons of the restaurant a traditional Thai dining experience. Popular menu items are the avocado curry, the drunken noodle, papaya salad, Tom Kha, and Kao Pad Pak Taii, a fried rice made with coconut milk. The fried bananas and coconut ice cream also make a fantastic dessert, and guests love the Thai iced tea served in a large carafe as well.

Easy On I

Known for its delicious made-from-scratch brunches with cheap bottomless mimosas, Easy On I is a popular spot on weekend mornings. Often filled mostly with regulars, it can be awkward for first time visitors who walk in without knowing how it works. You just have to find an open table and seat yourself to avoid stares from the regular crowd. Other than that, though, servers are extremely nice and friendly, and the food is amazing. Especially popular are the Hot Mess with eggs and two meats of your choice on top of a biscuit and covered in gravy, the croissant breakfast sandwich with eggs and hot link sausages, the breakfast burrito, and the crispy Southern chicken and waffles. Weekday lunch favorites include the delicious salmon reuben and the tri tip sandwich. Thanks to the quality of the handmade foods, all of the menu items are crowd pleasers.

Café Marika

Cafe, Restaurant, Hungarian, European, Dessert

Café Marika, Sacramento
© Geoff Peters/Flickr
Serving up delicious European eats for over twenty years, Café Marika’s cozy little restaurant is a favorite for everyone who loves homemade comfort food. The owners are friendly and welcoming, and the Eastern European-style blue porcelain decorating the walls add to the homey old world atmosphere of this quaint place. Patrons love the Hungarian goulash, the chicken paprikash, the pork schnitzel, and the spatzle noodles. The restaurant also serves an amazing apple strudel for dessert. Anyone looking for a wonderful place with home cooked food and a taste of Hungary should definitely come to this adorable cafe.

Kru Restaurant

Restaurant, Japanese, Sushi, Asian, European

Since 2005, Kru Restaurant has brought innovative cuisine to Sacramento in a fusion of Asian, European, and American ingredients and cooking techniques with the heavy influence of Japanese sushi and traditions. The top quality ingredients have made it one of the most loved Japanese restaurants in the area. With popular menu items like the sashimi tapas, sunshine roll, lobster tempura, hapa hapa, poke trio, warm mushroom salad, and hamachi carpaccio, it’s not hard to see why this place is always crowded. They also have an amazing tempura fried cheesecake for dessert, composed of a cheesecake coated in egg roll wrapper and topped with green tea ice cream. The laid back, trendy atmosphere and great service also keep customers coming back.

About the author

Catrina is an aspiring editor and recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles with degrees in both English and Psychology. Her passion for the written word is only matched by her love of adventure and trying new things. She enjoys volunteering, hiking, dancing, drawing, and making music videos in her free time, and her goal in life is to own a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast. One day, she hopes to be able to travel to France so that she can practice her French and eat all of the delicious food.

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