Jan 13

Chicago’s Pizza

5960 Freeport Blvd

Sacramento, CA 95822

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Located inside the Airway Market on Freeport Boulevard, you will find a very unlikely location for a pizza joint. Chicago’s Pizza is located in the back of the market past all of the snacks and goodies. I had reviewed their menu online and called in my order, where I spoke with friendly staff and was provided my total.

Today, we decided to order the cheese bread, hand-tossed pepperoni pizza, and a Chicago-style all meat pizza. We had arrived a little early, and the friendly staff were able to take my payment via credit card. All three pizzas came steaming fresh. The cheese bread was very cheesy but did not have much of any flavor. The pepperoni pizza also tasted a bit bland, but the crust was nice and fluffy. The all-meat pizza had a deep crust, but was not a true Chicago-style pizza because there was not a lot of sauce. The pizza also tasted a bit bland. Luckily, with such a large order, there was plenty of leftovers. The leftovers actually tasted better than the fresh pizza and the crust maintained its fluffiness.

Overall, Chicago’s Pizza serves up some decent bland, yet fresh pizza. Service is great and prices are reasonable. Location seems a bit sketchy inside a market, but we had no issues at all. If you are looking to try something different, Chicago’s pizza may be a good alternative to mainstream pizza.

Jan 10

Sushi Hook – Part 2

807 Howe Ave

Sacramento, CA 95825

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

On this follow-up visit to Sushi Hook, my intentions were to try out more of the menu and monitor the quality of service received with just the two of us. The restaurant was busy, but we had no trouble getting a table near the bar. We were able to review the menu provided by the hostess prior to the server arriving for our drink orders. Once the server arrived, we were able to place our drink order and dinner order.

Today, we decided to order the dinner bento with tonkatsu, tempura, and salmon teriyaki as well as two rolls: Crack Cocaine and Magic Mountain. The bento came filled with a basic side salad that I did not really eat. The tempura consisted of a variety of vegetables and one shrimp tempura. The tempura tasted fresh and went well with the tempura sauce. The salmon teriyaki tasted delicious like last time, but the glaze was saltier than last time. The tonkatsu was quite dry and hard to chew, which was quite disappointing. The provided sauce was also very strong and overpowering. There was also a ball with mushroom and crab, but I did not like the flavor. The crack cocaine roll is actually not on the menu, but can be ordered any time. The crack cocaine comes with shrimp tempura (I think?), cream cheese, cucumber, crab meat, sauce, and crispy flakes. Each bite tasted delicious and no additional sauce was needed. The roll was quite large, so it may be hard to eat in one bite. The magic mountain roll came with shrimp tempura, cucumber, spicy crab meat, and avocado. The magic mountain was also flavorful with its unagi sauce and did not require any additional sauce. Both rolls were very satisfying and tasty.

Overall, sushi hook does serve up some good tasting sushi, but the bento box is a bit varied. Service was not any better than last time as refills were not really observed. Sushi prices are “50%” off, but the menu prices are quite inflated. The bento price is very acceptable for the amount of food received at $16. If I wanted to come again, I would probably stick with the sushi as it all tasted fresh. If you are in the Arden area and want to try something different from Arigatos and don’t mind paying a bit more, then give Sushi Hook a try.

Jan 06

Iron Grill – Roseville, CA

2030 Douglas Blvd

Roseville, CA 95661

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Located in an unassuming strip mall in Roseville off of Douglas, Iron Grill serves up a variety of Korean food options including Korean BBQ. Since we arrived pretty late at night, there were not many other tables occupied. As we entered, staff asked if we wanted a BBQ table or a regular table. We opted for a regular table since we were not in the mood to cook anything. After a quick review of the menu, we were ready to order.

Today, we decided to order hot stone bibimbab and the bulgogi BBQ bento. We were provided with a variety of banchan (side dishes) before receiving our food. The japchae tasted pretty good, but the potatoes tasted a bit off. The pickled cucumber and radish tasted OK, but did not taste authentic. The hot stone bibimbab came in an extremely hot bowl with a variety of vegetables, beef and rice. There was no seaweed or mushroom in the bowl tat we got. After mixing everything together and adding the red sauce, the rice dish was ready to eat. The bibimbab tasted delicious and fresh, however was catered towards the greater community and was not as authentic. Each bite consisted of rice with a varying degree of meat and vegetables. The bulgogi BBQ bento was a bit weird because instead of just having the meat, the meat was effectively stir-fried with various vegetables, causing there to be less meat. The meat itself was flavorful, but not plentiful. The side salad came with honey mustard dressing, but was not special. The gyoza was not very fresh, and seemed like it came from a frozen bag.

Overall, Iron Grill provides a much-needed Korean food option in Roseville, but does not compare to the options available in Rancho Cordova. Prices were much higher than the already high prices in other Korean restaurants. Service was very good and refills were provided, but the quality and volume of food does not reflect the price paid. If you are in Roseville and must have Korean food, Iron Grill will satisfy those cravings.

Jan 03

Les Baux

5090 Folsom Blvd

Sacramento, CA 95819

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Located on Folsom Boulevard just past the fab 40’s, Les Baux serves up a variety of American cuisine with some Vietnamese flare. In addition to the restaurant, the front of the site serves as a bakery. After being seated in the  rear of the restaurant, menus were provided and drink orders taken. Complimentary fresh cranberry and walnut bread were provided with butter and olive oil. Both types of bread tasted delicious with butter or olive oil. Soon, the server was back to take the order.

I decided to order the mac n cheese from the happy hour menu and the bistro steak. The mac n cheese was delicious and came with crispy bacon. The dish was cheesy and flavorful throughout and comes in as some of the best mac n cheese I have ever ate in a restaurant. The bistro steak, was savory and extremely tender. The meat was fresh and cooked medium as requested. There was a small mug of ketchup provided with the fresh fries, which taste hand cut. Although the steak looked to be only 8-10 ounces, each bite tasted amazing with the savory sauce.

Overall, Les Baux serves up some delicious tasting food. There were also some Vietnamese options on the menu that I did not partake in. All of the food was fresh and prices were very accepting. Service was OK, but it would of been nice to get a water refill. If you are looking for something different, Les Baux will satisfy your cravings.

Dec 30

Pacific Wharf Cafe – Anaheim, CA

Disney California Adventure

Pacific Wharf

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Serving up soup in Boudin bread bowls, Pacific Wharf Cafe is a simple counter service restaurant with a small variety of options. Fresh Boudin bread is baked behind the restaurant at the Boudin bakery tour. Lines can get long here if the weather is right. After around a 20 minute wait, we finally reached the cashiers to order.

Today, we decided to order the clam chowder and the turkey pot pie soup. While waiting for our order, we found that our order seemed to be missed as other customers were already getting their food before ours. Once we pointed it out to the staff behind the counter, our bowls were quickly filled. The bowls were fresh and there was a lot of bread still attached to the lids. The bowls were not very large, but were decent size. The clam chowder was creamy and had an adequate amount of clams. The turkey pot pie had tons of large chunks of turkey. I would of liked the chunks to be smaller, but it was nice to have so much protein. Both soups tasted fresh and flavorful, but was a bit bland at times. The bread was soft and tasted great when dipped into the soup. Still hungry, we ate into half of the remaining bread bowl as well.

Overall, Pacific Wharf Cafe serves up a warm tasty soup perfect for a cold night in the park. If you are looking for some fresh soup-bread combination, this is the perfect place. Prices are high for the volume of food received, but the annual pass discount helps a bit. If you are in the park and don’t want to leave, then Pacific Wharf Cafe will be a great eating option.

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