Nick on the Town

Hot Spots for when Sacramento Goes Cold

December 16, 2008 at 10:12 am 1 comment

Winter actually came to Sacramento this week and everybody is freaking out. Sure, we like to wear a superfluous scarf on a mild autumn evening for fashion’s sake, but to legitimately require a scarf to keep warm is a foreign concept to us Sacramentans.

I, for one, welcome the cold as a rare chance to pair comforts foods and hot cocktails with a chilly day. Go ahead and make fun, but I like that kind of thing. For those of you who are like me, I now provide you with my favorite ways to warm up on a chilly Sacramento day…but remember winter is short lived here, so hit these up while you can.

* Minestrone soup from Espanol. This is my favorite soup in town and I like that fact that that they give it to you “family style” in a big old green bowl from the 70s. For those who don’t know, Espanol is an Italian restaurant despite its name. I think it used to be a basque restaurant in the 20s. Whatever the case, it’s awesome.

* Goulash from Cafe Marika. Oh man, I love Cafe Marike. It’s a tiny little joint on J Street that has quietly been pumping out delicious eastern European food for over 20 years. The spaetzle is ridiculously good and I recommend finishing your meal with some strudel.

* Gumbo at Celestin’s. I like Celestin’s gumbo year-round, but nothing will warm you up in winter like a bowl of this spicy goodness. For a special treat, mix in some sweet potato fries and like 7 or 8 Red Stripes.

* French Onion Soup at La Bonne Soupe Cafe. Get here early if you want a seat. La Bonne Soupe is enjoying some real good press lately as it scored an underdog victory over a lot of fancy-schmancy places to be the top-rated restaurant in the new Zagat guide of Sacramento. I think it’s also #1 on Yelp. It’s real good though.

* Oaxacan Hot Chocolate from Ginger Elizabeth. A chocolate shop that makes Mexican hot cocoa? Sign me up!

* Hot cocktails at the Pine Cove. I probably shouldn’t list this here since I’m basing it on a drink menu from like 4 years ago, but in 2004 you could go to the Pine Cove and get yourself a hot buttered rum, snuggler, Irish coffee, hot toddy or whatever other booze-filled hot beverage you wanted. I hope you still can and I intend to find out ASAP. I’ll report back.

Welp, that’s about it. Try to stay warm out there.

Entry filed under: Bars, Random Awesomeness, Restaurants. Tags: .