Great Sacramento Lunch spots?

[Helen MS]

Hi you lucky chowhounds! (I love Sacramento!)
I will be visiting my folks in Hayfork over the 4th weekend and will be coming back on Monday, July 7. Want a fabulous lunch to cap off my trip. I've looked on the board and am leaning toward Scott's Seafood or Waterboy. I love patio dining and/or historic buildings (and fish, as you might have guessed).
Any other suggestions?
TIA
Helen

[bennyboy]

you are partially out of luck. Waterboy is not open on Monday's. Scott's I believe is. (Not historic, not outside) (Fair Oaks and Munroe). The Rio City Grill has outdoor dining (overlooks the river and it's denizens)and is in a historic district. (Old Sac) may have what you are looking for. Tapa the World (JSt)(outdoor dining)has some fantastic (expensive) small plates that feature seafood.

[Helen MS]

Thanks for your quick reply...just checked the weather and its predicted to be 91, so maybe outdoors isn't crucial...although a view would be nice. (But then again, I'm from Las Vegas, so a little shade and low humidity would probably make it bearable...what do you think?)
BTW, thanks for your previous posts, bennyboy...learned a lot!
Helen

[bennyboy]

Thanks for the kind words. We don't get much action here about Sac so it is good to see a Sac-centric post. Sacramento is tree lined and beautiful this time of the year. Outside is really nice if temps below 95 or so. the Paragary's recco is a good one. they are a local dynasty (Celebrity Chef and the major news person/Limbaugh friend),but a lot of people are just jealous of their success and their ubiquitousness. Every time I go there I am amazed that I don't go there more often. The food is really good. Fresh seasonal foods. Good Cali pizza. For Sacramento they are very good. maybe in the City or some of the finer places in Vegas they are not but for here pretty darn good. In a very happening spot in town, too. Fortunately Waterboy is not the only restaurant in town.

[Ann Vuletich]

I think the problem with the Parygary's restaurants is that they are copycats and none of their food is very original. I once saw Kurt Spataro (executive chef/partner with Randy Parygary) at a cooking demo. He was preparing a chile sauce of some kind (don't recall details) for enchiladas. I had a copy of his recipe in the booklet for the event. I then went home and compared it to one in a Diana Kennedy book and lo and behold, would you believe, that it was precisely the same recipe. Of course she was not credited anywhere on "his" write up for that dish.

I don't agree that "for Sacramento they are very good." Sacramento has many restaurants (not just the Waterboy) that turn out food that is much more daring and better than the Parygary restaurants.

One of my favorites is the Firehouse in Old Sacramento. It's in a historic building, wonderful outdoor seating on a patio that always reminds me of New Orleans. Food is wonderful too as is the service.

[FWIW]

For what it's worth, Kurt learned everything he knows about Mexican food from Dianna Kennedy.

[Ann Vuletich]

That may be, but I wonder how that entitles him to rip off her recipes without any acknowledgement or attribution.

[bennyboy]

but is the Firehouse open for lunch (seems unlikely)on Mondays? I have not been in quite a while.( I did not like it much ). I hear they have upped the food a lot. And added some style to the cooking. Too bad about Rio (and that is a symptom of Old Sac in general) once good, now not. Man, the places down there never have the same staff. The quality (or lack thereof) varies so wildly I hate to even mention anywhere down there. IT always seems like there are rookies, everytime.

[Kelly]

Hate to bring it up again, but this is exactly the reason we kept going back to the Waterboy because they have the same faces serving you for years.

[SLRossi]

...and the staff even came together from previous places. There's a few new faces around, but the core servers remain the same. I was there for 3+ years and was the short timer!

[bennyboy]

Jazzman's Art of Pasta (Old Sac) has a great courtyard too. Reminds me of NOLA as does the Firehouse. The food, though, is changeable as is the staff. Paragary's is consistent. I don't go there much because I ain't into it but everytime we go, it s a very good meal. Yes, they do the cliche cooking of the day. But who don't? Yes, they rip other chef's off, but who don't? This is the same rap against Emeril- no comparison, just example- and his cooking is wonderful. I would be interested in starting a thread about some of these other places that are great but not the Waterboy. there are never many Sac posts here. Let's hear it, where are they? Harlow's? Firehouse? Maces? Zen Toro? Il Fornaio (outside dining,Capital Mall).

[Helen MS]

I go to one of the Il Fornaios here occasionally (Green Valley Ranch Casino). It is a beautiful room and the food is decent; nice view patio, too. I've heard mixed reviews about the one in NY NY. Like most Chowhounds, I generally keep away from chains, but sometimes you still go...

This is probably somewhat amusing...here I'm planning lunch without consulting my Sacramento friend! Last time we went on an old boat on the river. We had a nice smoked fish platter but the rest was fairly forgettable...including the name...sitting on the river was really nice, though.
Helen

[Helen MS]

I go to one of the Il Fornaios here occasionally (Green Valley Ranch Casino). It is a beautiful room and the food is decent; nice view patio, too. I've heard mixed reviews about the one in NY NY. Like most Chowhounds, I generally keep away from chains, but sometimes you still go...

This is probably somewhat amusing...here I'm planning lunch without consulting my Sacramento friend! Last time we went on an old boat on the river. We had a nice smoked fish platter but the rest was fairly forgettable...including the name...sitting on the river was really nice, though.
Helen

[Mr Grub]

This LA hound just spent a lost weekend in & about Sacto.

Must report that the Grubs' experience at Rio City was flat-out awful. Too hot for the river-view patio, which looked quite nice. Opted for lunch indoors. Must have been waiter's first day on job (or he's a dreadfully slow learner). If it was his first day, had he so informed us, we might have been a bit more understanding.

Slow, painfully slow, everything. Ordered champagne & were brought red wine glasses. One in our party dumped over full glass of ice water. Waiter gave him a napkin from another table & departed. No cleanup offered or provided, ever -- not even of the ice left on the paper placemat. 3 asks & 15 mins for more bread -- orig basket had 4 rolls for 6 people. No refills of anything. I could go on & on, but you get the gen'l vibe here.

The food ranged from dreadful to mediocre: Burgers w any trace of flavor burned out. A fun concept -- "Asian" nachos made w fried wonton skins instead of tortilla chips -- gone awry. So overdressed to be virtually soup. Edible but uninspired "special" play on eggs benedict.

Bottom line -- don't go to Rio City Grill. Check out other choices.

[SLRossi]

Hard to believe I could give a reco to Paragary's, but the patio at the 28th St. location is lovely... food is no better or worse than Rio. Wait a day and go to Waterboy.

[Helen MS]

Oh, I wish I could stay another day!
Actually, Paragary's web site looks pretty good. Part of a local dynasty?
So many great choices!
Helen

[SLRossi]

Dynasty is right. Not even sure what the total count is these days, but 10+ restaurants and bars. I worked for them for several years, and was always put off by the corners they cut in the name of profitability. Granted, it is a business. Order a martini, it's so small it's cute. Arrive early if you can, the patio is very popular and fills up FAST. Ask for Gary to wait on you... he's a pro and trust his food judgement.