Take the valley’s enviable agricultural bounty and combine it with our noted cultural diversity and ever-growing appreciation for all things food, and it’s no wonder the region’s dining scene is flourishing. It seems our appetite for dining out is as strong as ever, with many new restaurants sharing the spotlight with tried-and-true favorites. Here, we present this year’s dining awards as chosen by Sacramento magazine and e-newsletter subscribers and a delicious assortment of picks from dining writer Kira O’Donnell and dining editor Marybeth Bizjak. Dig in!

S U B S C R I B E R S’
P I C K S




Best of the Best (money no object)
1. The Firehouse
2. Biba
3. The Kitchen


Best of the Best (middle-of-the-road prices)
1. Ella and The Waterboy (tie)
2.  Scott’s Seafood
3. Zinfandel Grille


Best of the Best (cheap!)
1. Jack’s Urban Eats
2.  The Old Spaghetti Factory
3. Paesanos


Best Special-Occasion Restaurant
1. The Firehouse
2.  Ella
3. Biba


Best Sunday Brunch
1. Delta King Pilothouse
2.  Tower Cafe
3. Vines Cafe at the Hyatt Regency


Best Seafood
1. Scott’s Seafood
2.  McCormick & Schmick’s
3. The Firehouse


Best Steakhouse
1. Ruth’s Chris
2.  Morton’s
3. Cattlemens


Best Barbecue
1. Texas West Bar-B-Que
2.  Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
3. JR’s Texas Bar-B-Que and Sandra Dee’s (tie)


Best Pizza
1. Chicago Fire and Round Table (tie)
2.  Zelda’s
3. Hot Italian


Best Burger
1. Squeeze Inn
2.  In-N-Out
3. Habit


Best Chocolate Cake
1. Rick’s Dessert Diner
2. Ettore’s
3. Freeport Bakery


Best Ice Cream Parlor
1. Leatherby’s
2.  Vic’s
3. Gunther’s


Best Romantic Restaurant
1. The Firehouse
2.  Slocum House
3. Delta King Pilothouse






Best New Restaurant
1. Ten 22
2.  OneSpeed
3. Grange and Matteo’s (tie)




Best Old Favorite
1. The Firehouse
2.  Tower Cafe
3. Biba


Best Vegetarian
1. Andy Nguyen
2.  Sunflower Natural Foods Drive-In
3. Fresh Choice


In Auburn
1. Latitudes
2.  Monkey Cat
3. Awful Annie’s and Katrina’s Cafe (tie)


In Davis
1. Bistro 33
2.  The Mustard Seed
3. Seasons





In Downtown/Midtown
1. The Waterboy
2. Ella and Mulvaney’s Building & Loan (tie)
3. Lucca





In East Sacramento
1. OneSpeed
2.  33rd Street Bistro
3. Selland’s Market-Cafe


In El Dorado Hills
1. Bistro 33
2.  Sienna
3. Bella Bru


In Elk Grove
1. Boulevard Bistro
2.  Silva’s Sheldon Inn
 Palermo Ristorante Italiano


In Folsom
1. Bidwell Street Bistro
2.  Fat’s Asia Bistro
3. Chicago Fire


In Lodi
1. Wine & Roses
2.  Rosewood Bar & Grill
3. Pietro’s Trattoria


In Natomas
1. Bella Bru
2.  BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery
3. Carino’s Italian


In Placerville
1. Cafe Luna
2.  Zachary Jacques
3. Sequoia


In Roseville/Granite Bay
1. Crush 29
2.  Hawks
3. Paul Martin’s American Bistro


In West Sacramento
1. Club Pheasant
2.  Emma’s Taco House
3. Vince’s Ristorante


In Woodland
1. Morrison’s Upstairs
2.  Tazzina Bistro
3. Ludy’s Main Street BBQ


Best Budget Lunch
1. Chipotle
2.  La Bou
3. Subway


Best Business Lunch
1. The Firehouse
2.  Esquire Grill
3. Grange and Il Fornaio (tie)


Best Lunch With  Girlfriends
1. Roxy
2.  The Firehouse
3. Bistro 33 and Danielle’s (tie)


Best Deli
1. Corti Brothers
2.  Beach Hut Deli
3. Dominick’s Italian Market & Deli


Best Gourmet Takeout
1. Selland’s  Market-Cafe
2.  Nugget Markets
3. Whole Foods Market   


Best Coffeehouse
1. Starbucks
2.  Peet’s
3. It’s a Grind and Temple (tie)


Best Chinese
1. Frank Fat’s
2.  P.F. Chang’s
3. Chinois City Cafe and Fat’s Asia Bistro (tie)


Best French
1. La Bohème
2.  La Provence
3. Cafe Rolle


Best Greek
1. Opa! Opa!
2.  Greek Village Inn
3. Daphne’s


Best Italian
1. Biba
2.  Il Fornaio
3. Lucca


Best Japanese
1. Mikuni
2.  Kru
3. Nishiki


Best Mexican
1. Ernesto’s
2.  Zócalo
3. Tres Hermanas





Best Thai
1. Thai Basil
2.  Lemon Grass
3. Taste of Thai





Best Pub Food
1. de Vere’s Irish Pub
2.  Fox & Goose
3. The Boxing Donkey and Streets of London (tie)


Best Happy Hour
1. McCormick & Schmick’s
2.  Ten 22
3. Chevys


Best Place To  See and Be Seen
1. Mix Downtown
2.  The Firehouse
3. Ella


Best Theme Restaurant
1. Joe’s Crab Shack
2.  Elephant Bar
3. Buca di Beppo


Best Wine List
1. The Firehouse
2.  Enotria
3. 58 Degrees & Holding Co.


Best Wine Bar
1. 58 Degrees & Holding Co.
2.  L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen
3. Enotria 


Best River Dining
1. Rio City Cafe
2.  Scott’s Seafood at Le Rivage Hotel
3. Delta King Pilothouse and Pearl on the River (tie)


Best Outdoor Dining
1. The Firehouse
2.  Slocum House
3. Tower Cafe