Voting for the 2018 Best of Sacramento A-List has begun and will run through April 29th, so make sure you vote for your favorite local Sacramento hot spots! We love sharing our recommendations, so we’ve created our own list!
Best Asian Fusion Kru Restaurant
Kru is actually a nominee for Best Sushi, but we think “Best Asian Fusion” or “Best Restaurant in Sacramento” is a better category. Make no mistake, their sushi and sashimi are both amazing, but literally everything else on the menu is so delicious, too. Our faves are the bone marrow, sunshine roll, tempura lobster, chef’s sashimi or tasting menu, honestly you can’t make a bad choice here. The ambiance and service are top notch. Don’t even try to get in without a reservation!
Best Sushi Mikuni
If you want good ole sushi or don’t want to spend as much as you would at Kru, Mikuni is our most reliable choice. Their fish is guaranteed to be fresh and they have really unique sauces. Their ramen is pretty good, too! They have a bunch of Sacramento area locations, so if you’re feeling fancy you can go downtown; if not, they have suburban locations in Arden, Roseville, Fair Oaks, Elk Grove, Folsom, and Davis.
Best Breakfast Rivers Edge Cafe
Marcy is a huge fan of eggs benedict and John loves chicken fried steak. Rivers Edge Cafe has both, so whenever we have a lazy weekend day, we head here for breakfast. Caution: You won’t be able to accomplish anything the rest of the day because you’ll be in a food coma.
Best Brunch Bacon & Butter
Bacon & Butter has an eclectic menu of the most delicious brunch items! Like it’s name suggests, it’s the poster child of gluttony and indulgence. If you don’t get there at the crack of dawn, there will be an hour wait minimum. PRO TIP: Put your name in, then go get a coffee at nearby Starbucks or kill some time at Target down the street.
Best Healthy Lunch Make Fish Sushi Burrito
Make Fish Sushi Burrito deserves a category of it’s own. We like to say it’s the “Chipotle” of sushi because you go down the assembly line building your own sushi burrito. The fish is fresh and all of the other ingredients are delicious!
Best Greek Greek Food Imports
Kostas at Greek Food Imports is a character! He makes you feel like part of the family. Stepping into Greek Food Imports is like being transported to a sunny Grecian island. We love coming here for lunch because it’s like a little escape from the day. It reminds us of our honeymoon in the Greek Isles!
Best Pizza Wenelli’s Pizza
Best pizza is a highly controversial topic in our household, but we can both agree that Wenelli’s is the bomb. They have creative topping combinations with cute Sacramento neighborhood names, like Garlic of the Gods. Our favorite is Erick’s Home Run (with no olives or bell peppers). To be honest, we could probably eat a whole pizza to ourselves in one sitting.
Best Burrito Ray Azteca Restaurant Bar
Confession: We’re not absolutely positive that Ray Azteca has the best burrito in town. We do know that they have really great Mexican food. What really love is that they have pina coladas and other delicious drinks that remind us of our honeymoon! Maybe we should rename this category “Best Drinks at a Mexican Restaurant,” so as not to be confused with…
Best Mexican Tres Hermanas
Tres Hermanas is hands down the best Mexican restaurant in town. It’s named after the “three sisters” that started the business. Try not to fill up on the chips and salsa (they’re so good) because the food is even better. If you didn’t drive, order the Cadillac margarita (they also come in pitchers)! The wait can be long, but trust us, it’s worth it.
Best Chinese The Mandarin Restaurant
We’re not sure if The Mandarin is ironically decorated like an 80’s nightclub or just actually stuck in the 80’s, but we don’t care because they have the best potstickers ever. It’s on the pricier side for Chinese food, so we come here to celebrate a closing or a new listing. They also have Mai Tai’s that are sickeningly sweet but so much fun (they limit you to one per customer, so you know it’s good).
Best Romantic Restaurant Scott’s Seafood on the River
We’re partial to Scott’s Seafood on the River as the Best Romantic Restaurant because we got married here! It brings back all the feels. But it really is a romantic setting with great food. During the summer and fall, they open the patio that overlooks the river. They have firepits and heaters for chillier nights! The inside is romantic, too, with low lighting and a good drink selection. They also have a killer happy hour!
Best Chocolate Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
Nothing can compare to a good-old-fashioned box of See’s, but we got a box of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates as a gift and WOW, were they good. They don’t just have chocolate, they have macarons and ice cream, too. The storefront is in an incredibly chic location at 18th and L, next to Make Fish. If you need a romantic gift for someone and can’t find one of those See’s pop up shops, don’t forget about Ginger Elizabeth.
Best Ice Cream Shop Leatherby’s Family Creamery
You might think that ice cream shops are just for kids, but you couldn’t be more wrong. We go to Leatherby’s more than we’d like to admit. You can dine in or take out, and we usually opt for the takeout option so we can watch TV while we eat our Black & Tan (John) or Banana Royale (Marcy). Don’t judge. It’s amazing and you should try it.
Best General Fitness TEAMride
You’ll need a workout after all that eating and drinking. TEAMride is Sacramento’s first spin studio and they’ve fostered an inclusive community vibe. Be ready to sweat A LOT and have the most fun you’ve ever had on a stationary bike. Fun fact: Marcy was a spin instructor here for about a year!
Best Dance Studio Sac Dance Lab
Sac Dance Lab is the best dance studio in Sacramento because Marcy teaches there! They offer different types of dance including pom (Marcy’s class), jazz, ballet, hip hop and jazz funk. These adult-only classes are geared toward aspiring and current professional dancers for sports teams, music artists, and community events.
Best Golf Course Ancil Hoffman Golf Course
John’s chance to shine is out on the golf course. Our actual favorite golf course (Del Paso Country Club) is not nominated because it’s private for members only. So the next best thing is located right in Carmichael at Ancil Hoffman Park. In addition to the golf course, Ancil Hoffman Park has a nature center and trails located on a riverfront preserve with ancient oak trees. A beautiful setting!
Best Day Spa Mellow Me Out
When you need to relax, get a massage or facial from Mellow Me Out! They are a local business, so you don’t need to commit to a year-long contract like you would at a corporate massage chain. Also, all of their services have cat nicknames which is so cute!
Best Manicure and Pedicure KB Nails
KB Nails actually has two locations now, both on Fair Oaks Blvd. within one mile of each other. They get really busy on weekends, but sometimes they are able to get you in at the other location! Marcy personally prefers the newer location but they have great technicians at both!
Best Children’s Clothing Puddles
Our friend and fellow Dunnigan-er, Maddy Spitz, owns and operates this adorable children’s shoppe. If you need a children’s gift or just more clothes for the kids, Maddy is excellent at helping you pick something out! It is also located next to our favorite gift shop…
Best Gift Shop Mono Mia
You never know what you’ll find at Mono Mia, which is what makes it so fun! Our Aunt Dawn runs this gift and monogram shop so it’s obviously the best in town. It’s a treasure trove of cute gifts and Dawn always has great recommendations for whatever you need. If you got a closing gift from us, it’s probably from Mono Mia!
Best Car Wash Pavilion Car Care
Realtors need to keep their cars spic and span so when things get too crazy and we can’t wash our cars at home, we take them to Pavilion Car Wash. They are fast, reasonably priced, and do a great job. They do get busy on the weekends so if you can sneak away and go during a weekday, you’ll be in and out in no time.
Enough about us, tell us your favorites below or cast your vote for the 2018 Best of Sacramento A-List here!
