They have the Ten Commandments too, ya know...

Queen Sheba
http://www.queenshebas.com/
1704 Broadway
Sacramento, CA
95818-2320
916) 446-1223‎

So, when I usually mention this next style of cuisine, most people don't know what to expect. Stereotypes, biases, confusion; nobody quite knows how to react to these simple two words: Ethiopian food. What is Ethiopian food? Amazing, that's what! And whenever I want some delicious enjeera or awazie tibbs, there's only one place I'll go: Queen Sheba restaurant.

I have been going to this restaurant for many years which is odd to say considering it was discovered randomly. My family and I often frequented the Mongolian BBQ located in the same plaza and, on a whim, my brother and I decided to eat at Queen Sheba. Having never experienced Ethiopian food before, we didn't know what to expect. Looking over the menu I remember being treated with kind customer service, a slight explanation of how to eat (you eat with your hands), and the style of food. There's nothing quite like going to a restaurant and getting an explanation prior to ordering. Plus, there's nothing quite like going to a restaurant where they expect you to eat with your hands. How I so ever love it. I've already named one of three dishes I highly recommend but here they all are in full detail:

Introduction) I am going to introduce the two ways in which Ethiopian cuisine is served. The traditional way is served on enjeera bread, a spongy sourdough that one uses to grab the entree and eat with one's hands. The entree is served on top of a plate-long sized enjeera and served with enjeera on the side. The other way is served over rice and eaten with a fork. The following reviews will be based on the assumption that the former is chosen.

1) Awazie Tibbs: I've often said if you douse anything in enough berbere sauce, I'd eat it without contention. Given the choice, however, I'd want my berbere sauce served in the style of the awazie tibbs. (Did that sentence flow? I don't know, it sounded good in my mind...oh well, moving on). This is my favorite dish at this restaurant and, for some time, prevented me from trying other dishes as it was just that good. To quote from the menu, it is, "Tender chunks of lean beef sautéed with special berbere sauce, garlic, onions, bell peppers, and herbed / spiced butter." This has the perfect blend of spices and meet all covered in the tangy and spicy berbere sauce. It is a tad spicy so be wary if you are highly sensitive to spicy foods. For me, it is just the right amount of zing. The beef is cooked to a tender yet firm texture, making each chunk of beef easy to chew but not so easy that it vanishes. Served with a side salad and another vegetable side (usually lentils [yes, not a vegetable, moving on] or corn), this is a very filling meal. Also, if you'd prefer to not have beef, there is a chicken and lamb version.

2) Key Wot/Firfir: These are unique dishes and ones that almost made me stray from choosing the Awazie tibbs as my default. The flavor is more spicy and not as saucy as, say, the Awazie Tibbs but it is a delightful experience that should not be missed out on. In this dish the texture of the meat is a bit more like steak and a definite choice for people who love the flavor of quality beef. This dish definitely relies more on the flavoring of the meat that the Awazie tibbs which relies more upon the flavor of the sauce. The reason I have two listed is that the Firfir is a variation on the Key Wot in which smashed bits of enjeera are included in the dish itself. Personally, I prefer the Key Wot but the Firfir is such a nice variant on it that I felt they should be included together.

3) Miser Kik Wot: Oh lentils...how I love your perfect blend of legume and meat substitute. There was a time, I remember, when most legumes (those most bean-like) where my greatest enemy. It was you, my separated category of legume, that opened my eyes to the wonder of your kin. 'Twas also at the Queen Sheba restaurant that I first chanced upon such heavenly taste...*ahem* Okay, enough of that. Seriously. I could live on the lentils served at this restaurant. Cooked and served in a slightly-thick sauce, the flavor is not too salty and not too bland. They have a bit of a kick but have you begging for more. The lentils, I'll admit, go amazingly with the rice but work just as good with the enjeera.

Price Ranking: Looking at the menu, you can see the prices range from about 8-12 before tax and not including drink. All-in-all, not a bad price considering you get all the enjeera you could want and an almost guaranteed food coma. Plus, they have a lunch buffet of vegetarian food that only costs $7.50 so I highly recommend it. I know their vegetarian buffet saved me during lent!

Scores:

Food: 9/10

I love the food here, without a doubt, and it is always a treat to eat it. However, it is a restaurant that is very niche and, when looking for a wide variety of flavors, doesn't always supply the greatest of selections. For this reason the score is lessened to a 9 but it should be noted that it isn't measured based on the quality of the food, just the variety of flavors.

Presentation: 4.5/5

The restaurant is nicely decorated with Ethiopian art, music, and even instruments adorning the walls at times. In fact, I have purchased two said instruments during my times visiting the restaurant. It is only sad that I often have to park in the residential area behind it to get to the restaurant, but it is definitely worth the little walk. The restaurant has a nice touch and very comfortable when seating large groups.

Service: 5/5

The nicest people run this shop and every employee I have come into contact with has had the most charming personality and/or smile. On constant visits I have sometimes been given larger portions or other complimentary sides and what nots. The owners have to be some of the nicest restauranteurs I've ever met. I always feel welcome and like family.

Final Score: 18.5

One of my favorite restaurants in the Sacramento area that, unfortunately, I haven't frequented too often lately. No matter how many times I get the same dish, I'm always as happy as I was when I first had it. Great food, great service, and the ability to eat with your hands; how can you go wrong? Sacramento is lucky to have Queen Sheba restaurant, without a doubt.

All dogs DO go to heaven...

Heavenly Dog
http://www.heavenlydoghotdogs.com/Home_Page.html
9160 E. Stockton Blvd. Suite 130
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 714-7877

So, I'll admit, while I pretend to be an elitist gourmand, there's nothing I like quite as much as good, old fashioned, on-the-go food. No, I don't mean the burger; I mean the hot dog. The hot dog, as history tells us, comes to us from European sausages. As it was intended as a quick-and-easy street food on-the-go (wow, I used that same phrase twice), the sausage was wrapped in a bun and the hot dog was born. That's the brief; there's a lot more to it and the development of the hot dog in American culture is actually quite fascinating. But, I digress...

Most of us are familiar with the hot dog's many incarnations: the movie hot dog, the ball park hot dog, those Oscar Meyer ones that were good but never as good as the aforementioned dogs; hot dogs have been a staple of American cuisine for a while. In big cities like Chicago and New York, I hear, they're quite the rage. However, growing up in the Sacramento area, my idea of a fancy hot dog came in the form of Wienerschnitzel (a fast food chain in case you're not familiar with it). While these were good, I never realized just how good a hot dog could be...until I stumbled upon Heavenly Dog.

Heavenly Dog opened up sometime in late 2008 in the Elk Grove area and, while I often passed by its location, never actually found the time to stumble in. One day before my trip to Japan last summer, though, I decided I wanted a good ol' fashioned American dog before five weeks of Katsu and Ramen. So, I went inside and was enchanted with a long loved smell; hot dogs. The menu is quite extensive and has the home-made feel as it's all hand written out for you to see. And goodness, who ever knew hot dogs came in so many shapes and sizes? Skippy dogs, Po-boys, Chicago style, Chihuahua dogs, even a Breakfast dog! Each distinct with its own flavors and toppings. I could list them all out...but I'll just show you. http://www.heavenlydoghotdogs.com/Page_3.html And, as you can see, reasonably priced for a hot dog. Also, you can modify any dog to be beef, turkey, polish, or a hot link. And yes, for all you hot dog eating champions, a hot dog and a side of fries will definitely fill you up.

The rest of the restaurant is nicely decorated with various bits of dog art (real dogs), created by the owner's sister. Pretty nifty, eh? Dog art while you eat hot dogs...hmm...okay, maybe kinda disturbing but also pretty nifty. Elsewise, the restaurant is neat, clean, and has a wonderful condiment bar. A condiment bar, which I should mention, that is made of entirely home made condiments (excluding your standard ketchup and the like). If you like spicy, try the jalapeno relish. Trust me; I eat this stuff like it's salad. But enough of the side stuff, let's get to some of these dogs that I love.

1) The Chihuahua Dog: This was my first experience at this restaurant and my first experience with their jalapeno relish. Spicy nacho cheese, mustard, and jalapeno relish top this delectable sausage wrapped in an amazing bun of delicious goodness. My mouth waters at the mere thought of this amazing dog. It also kinda burns at the kick of the relish. Yikes! The one thing to note is it's covered in a lot of nacho cheese so, if that's not your deal, just a heads up. Personally, I love it.

2) The Skippy Dog: Man, who'd have thought that peanut butter would go well on a hot dog. Yes. Peanut. Butter. No joke. It's amazing. Peanut butter, onions, jack cheese, and an onion ring make this hot dog a scandalous waltz upon the dance floor of the tongue. Stoppard's embrace from Arcadia is fully expressed in variety of flavors in this hot dog. Well...maybe not that far, but still it's an amazing experience and one that needs to be tried.

3) Garlic Fries: These things are amazing. Absolutely. Amazing. Some of the best garlic fries I have ever had and, I imagine, I ever will have. They need to be tried. They need to be eaten. You need to have these garlic fries. End of story. END. OF. STORY. I'm not sure what it is about these garlic fries that are so amazing but the flavor and crispness of the fries really has yet to be beat. It's such a simple dish, too, but for some reason, it's a gem amongst gems.

4) Ice cream sandwiches: Okay, these aren't on the menu but every once in a while, the owner makes ice cream sandwiches out of home made cookies and Gunther's delicious ice cream (Gunther's Ice Cream is an ice cream shop in the Sacramento area). These things are so simple yet so tasty I gladly ate one (and they're quite large) on a full stomach.

I have yet to try all of their dogs but I can only imagine that each has its own delicious taste and unique flavors, wanting you to come back for more. This place is great and I just love it. In fact...I might head there sometime this week just to get myself a dog.

Price Ranking:

To get a dog, fries, and a drink, expect to spend about $10 per person. Not too bad for how full you'll be and how good it'll taste.

Scores:

Food: 8.5/10

Yes, I know I went on and on about the food but, unfortunately, as it is a hot dog place the limitations on types of food are limited. Say, for example, you went with a friend who's trying to watch their weight or somebody who's a vegetarian. You can't really criticize the restaurant for being specialized, but it does bring the score down a bit as it's only for a crowd looking for hot dogs, fries, and the like. Still, I want to emphasize that the food is ridiculously amazing.

Presentation: 5/5

Simple is the theme here. Nothing overly cliche and no fancy gimmicks; it's all about good, simple, food in a good, simple, environment. Honestly? I like this look. There's nothing overly amazing about it but, at the same time, that's what gives this place its homey charm. The dog art is both nice to look at and amusing, considering the primary cuisine of the restaurant. The food, too, always looks nice as it waits for you to tear it to delicious shreds in your mouth.

Service: 5/5

I've always been treated very friendly and had the owner's husband, frequently, come by my table and talk with me about how I like the food. I've had a few discounts given on my meals when I frequented the restaurant 3+ times in a week. Also, I'm always greeted with a hello and good-bye upon entering and exiting. It's like Japan...except without the annoying "Irrashaimaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" and "arigatou gozaimaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasu" from every employee. Genuine, friendly service; something that seems lost amongst many of our eateries now-a-days.

Final Score: 18.5/20

Wow, I didn't realize I gave this place such a high score. But, it's true. It really is the best place I know of in the Sacramento area to get a hot dog. The food is to die for, the service is great, and it's really just an experience. The only thing that brings it down is the lack of non-hot-dog food but that's really okay for me. I can get non-hot-dog food anywhere but I would rather get a good hot dog at Heavenly Dog than any other place.

Though...there is that other place...*foreshadowing*

Happy Garden makes a Happy Masa

Happy Garden Restaurant
9010 Grant Line Rd
Elk Grove, CA 95624

Today's review is of one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the Elk Grove area. Happy Garden is located off of Grant Line Rd inbetween Sheldon Rd and Bond Rd and is pretty easy to spot while driving by. Note, this is not the same Happy Garden on Elk Grove Blvd. It's nothing tremendously fancy from the outside but the inside is nice and quaint, offering a nice and cozy atmosphere. The restaurant is clean and the service has always been tremendously friendly; even when we have last minute large gatherings. If you do plan to go with a large group, however, the size of the restaurant may cause some awkward seating arrangements as it isn't the largest of locations. That being said, as long as you're not stuck in the corner and have to go to the bathroom, you should be fine once you're settled in.

Perusing the menu offers a nice variety of choices from the typical Sweet and Sour pork to the more imperial Eight Immortals. I have frequented this restaurant for a year or so and every dish has dazzled three of my five senses (and if you're not sure which ones I mean, those are taste, smell, and sight). Even the simplest of dishes like Egg Drop Soup offers an amazing flavor on the palette. Alas, I could go on and on, but I do have a few dishes that truly must be had should you chance upon this restaurant:

1) Pot stickers: The pot stickers can only be described as huge and filled with awesome (yes, awesome). Filled with pork, vegetables, and other drops of hidden goodness, one bite of these delicious appetizers might be enough to satisfy your cravings of food for a week. One warning though, they can be quite hot and the juices may burn your mouth. Eat with a bit of caution and don't try to put a whole one in your mouth.

2) Eight Immortals: Chicken with vegetables in brown sauce, stir fried beef, eight deep fried shrimp, and scallops. Really, can you go wrong with that combo? This dish can only be described as elegant beyond elegant. Large enough to share, it gives a good variety of flavors that can cause an overwhelming mix of delightful flavors. To quote the menu, "What an elegant dish!"

3) Seven Stars and Full Moon: Seven fried prawns (stars), sliced chicken, all cooked with bamboo shoots, onions, bell peppers, and snow peas, served in a delicious hot sauce. This is one of my absolute favorite dishes in this restaurant and my internal struggle of choosing this dish as opposed to others drives me to near insanity. Trust me, you will not regret getting this dish!

While these are some of my staples, there are so many good dishes that I could simply put the whole menu online. In fact, I just might have to snag a picture of it and do just that...some day. Seriously, the food here is amazing. The only problem with the food here is my stomach isn't large enough to eat it all at once.

Price Ranking:

For dinner time, expect to spend about $7-$11 a plate. For lunch, go for a lunch special ranging from $6-$9.

Scores:

Food: 10/10
A large variety of delicious food, large portions, and moderate prices make this one of the best Chinese restaurants in the greater Sacramento area. Seriously, I have never gone wrong here.

Presentation: 3.5/5

The food always looks so tasty when presented to you, especially the imperial dishes like the Eight Immortals. The restaurant itself is nothing tremendously fancy, but it gets the job done. The biggest problem here is space for large crowds. Also, restrooms are for individuals so on the off chance there's a line (albeit I've never had a line), you might have to wait.

Service: 4/5

I have always been treated courteously and with respect at this restaurant. The staff are all friendly and accommodating in any ways possible. That being said, when things get busy you might have to wait a bit before you are able to be helped. While that's fully understandable, it's just something to take into consideration.

Final Score: 17.5/20

This place is great for so many reasons and, if you want Chinese food, I can't stress how much I love coming to this restaurant. And, there's nothing quite like an evening with good friends, good stories, and good food. Happy Garden has, so many times, provided this experience for me.

Welcome!

Hello e-world! After being constantly asked by my friends and family, I have finally broken down and begun to write a food blog. This is, primarily, a guide for those in the greater Sacramento area who are looking for a good restaurant, but will also include places I've visited in my random excursions away from my home town. I will try to include pictures when possible but can not guarantee always including images.

My rating system:

The rating system will be a 20 point system split between three categories. As this is a food blog, I will be focusing the primary amount of the score on the quality of the food. 10 points will be dedicated to the quality and taste of the food. 5 points will be dedicated to presentation; a score which will include the presentation of the food as well as the restaurant itself. The final 5 points will be reserved for the quality of the service.

My basis:

I usually will try a restaurant at least twice before I write a review on it. My rule of thumb is that I should try at least two different items before writing any sort of review so that my rating is not based entirely on one type of food.

A little about me:

I am a man who loves his food. Sometimes, I love food too much. I was raised in a culture that used food not only as sustenance, but as a basis for gatherings. Because of this love I have taken up cooking as a hobby, enjoy finding new restaurants as a thrill, and even go out of my way to explore some of the more niche areas of cuisine. I am, by no means, an expert of the culinary world but, simply, a "Foody".

So, for those who have stumbled onto my blog, I hope that my recommendations and reviews provide you new experiences in the food world, but also new looks onto old favorites.

~ Antonio (Masa)