Cafeteria 15L

Location: Sacramento

Food: American

Nearby: Sacramento Theatre Company, Capital Stage Company

Cafeteria 15L, located close to the State Capitol and the Sacramento Convention Center, deserves praise for a number of reasons: Friendly staff, a beautiful interior, and a varied drink menu. However, this modern American eatery stands out most for its across-the-board quality of its food.

When I recommend a restaurant, I usually point out a particular dish that excels from among the restaurant’s menu. Doing so with Cafeteria 15L’s offerings would be almost unfair – in fact, it offers so many good choices I would suggest you go there at least twice during a trip to Sacramento. There is no way to experience all this restaurant has to offer in just one visit.

One can judge an American restaurant by the quality of its burgers, and Cafeteria 15L’s do not disappoint. These thick and juicy burgers (starting at $10.95) are cooked perfectly, and come with several topping options that include the always-welcome choice of goat cheese. Also available is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich ($11.95), which makes excellent decisions as to its bread and cheese, though it may be too buttery for some people. The tomato soup served alongside the sandwich is tangy and comforting without being too rich.

Like many modern diners, you have the option of ordering your burger or sandwich with mixed greens instead of fries – don’t take this for granted! The greens are paired with a tart champagne vinaigrette that enhances, but doesn’t overpower, their crisp sweetness. If you’re heart-set on fries, you can also order the greens as an appetizer salad, along with medjool dates, goat cheese, and candied pecans ($6.95). Also on the salad menu is the beet and pear salad ($8.95), which uses two varieties soft, brightly-colored beets for visual excellence as much as they are used for their delicious flavor.

Keeping in line with the Cafeteria's comfort food theme, entrees include a meatloaf ($16.95) and spaghetti and meatball ($15.95, dinner only, not a typo, it’s a huge meatball). The meatloaf doesn’t do anything astonishing with the format, but it falls apart to the fork, the generous helping of sweet and tangy sauce combining marvelously with the taste of the meat. The meatball is well-seasoned and not incredibly dense, working well with the tomato sauce and spaghetti.

The dessert menu puts simultaneously comforting and innovative spins on classic dishes. Cafeteria 15L’s crowning achievement is the Skillet S’mores ($6.95), which takes the uniquely American campfire dessert and spins it. Marshmallows, the basis of any good S’more, are layered over a chocolate brownie in a hot skillet and studded with chocolate and graham crackers. The result is a dessert that is light, rich, and satisfying, though it could have used a few more chocolate squares.

Cafeteria 15L is an excellent choice for people on an extended trip in Sacramento because of its across-the-board quality. If you’re staying at one of the nearby hotels, you can be assured that no matter what you order off the menu, you’re going to have an excellent meal.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel

Location: Sacramento, CA

Food: Upscale Mexican/Tequila Bar

Nearby: Sacramento Theatre Company, Capital Stage Company

When Ernesto Delgado created Tequila Museo Mayahuel several years ago, he intended to recapture the classic Mexican recipes he had eaten as a child. This dedication is apparent in the authenticity of the food and the quality to which it is prepared. Boasting a thoughtful cocktail menu that makes use of over 150 varieties of tequila, Tequila Museo Mayahuel is an excellent choice for upscale Mexican dining in Sacramento.

For social drinkers, or cocktail enthusiasts new to the available varieties of tequila, the drink menu suggests an affordable tequila for each option. However, substitutions are encouraged, and the knowledgeable bar staff will help you determine what to try. The Maya Margarita ($8) is beautiful in its simplicity: Only lime juice and agave nectar enhance the subtleties of the tequila. For more complex cocktails, the Mayahuel Fresca ($9) uses cucumber and grapefruit juice to create a more bitter flavor profile, making it better to order as an aperitif.

Many Mexican restaurants serve chips at the start of the meal; Mayahuel replaces this with a bowl of soup, themed to the season and changed every week. During my visits, I had lentil soup, which was warm, comforting, and just the right portion. Chips are available for $3, with guacamole for $8.50; the guacamole was good and the chips were crunchy and satisfying, but if you aren’t a big fan of chips you may want to save room for the rest of your meal.

One of the most outstanding entrees was the Mole Poblano con Pollo ($18), chicken in a chocolate mole sauce. I have a high standard for poultry, but Mayahuel exceeded it: The chicken was moist and flavorful, the mild white meat contrasting with the rich and warm mole. Also excellent were the Trocitos de Puerco en Salsa Verde ($15), pork in a tangy green tomatillo sauce that makes me hungry just thinking about it.

For vegans or those who like their food wrapped, the Enchiladas Yashu de Zapoteca ($13) feature blue corn tortillas stuffed with guacamole and served with seasonal vegetables and a chili sauce. These enchiladas are as colorful as they are delicious, the guacamole adding heft to the dish without overpowering the sauce.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel is, in effect, an authentic Mexican dining experience that can meet a wide range of expectations. Whether you’re looking for dinner a little out of the ordinary, the perfect cocktail to round out your evening, or even a breakfast burrito before a conference (Mayahuel offers a breakfast menu as well), you’ll find what you’re looking for here.