{"id":182025,"date":"2026-02-17T22:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T22:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/182025\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T22:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T22:17:09","slug":"how-to-become-a-regular-customer-plus-thai-food-and-2-new-cafes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/182025\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become a regular customer, plus Thai food and 2 new cafes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is from City of Treats, a food and drink newsletter by Abridged Senior Food Editor Benjy Egel. Want it sent directly to your inbox?\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once a week throughout the summer, my softball team heads to Tallac Lounge in Tahoe Park for postgame drinks. We come in 3\/4 sleeve shirts, sit at the same booth when open, tip well and generally end up chatting with another patron or two.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been playing with this team for several years now (it\u2019s how I bonded with my Abridged colleagues Ryan and Dan, incidentally), and I\u2019m not sure exactly when I became a Tallac Lounge regular. But reading Helen Harlan\u2019s latest story, published this morning, I can see that those repeated actions cemented me as such. It helps me feel an intangible connection to Tallac Lounge and its staff, and allows me to get away with a bit that only I find funny: ordering tequila sunrises at a crusty dive bar. There\u2019s a serious side to the connection, too: I\u2019ve never seen Tallac Lounge as full as it was for bartender\u00a0Peter Winters\u2019 celebration of life<\/a>\u00a0last summer.<\/p>\n

Helen\u2019s a cocktail server at\u00a0Freeport Bar & Grill<\/a>, a 30-year-old institution at the mouth of the Delta. She drew on more than 20 years of her own experience, as well as insights from other Sacramento hospitality pros, to\u00a0author this guide on how to become a beloved regular<\/a>\u00a0at your favorite local spot. Follow her lead, and your barista may have your order ready the next time you hit the counter.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in today\u2019s newsletter, Mike Dunne has\u00a0local wine recommendations for all sorts of occasions<\/a>, from a milestone birthday party to horror night at book club. I found comfort in steaming Thai rice bowls, and pasta with a local grocery store\u2019s much-heralded meatballs. And we\u2019re approaching a great weekend to explore the Capay Valley, as an almond festival takes over five small Yolo County towns in the agricultural region.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n

Benjy\u2019s Bites<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my favorite item or two from a local restaurant this week. Send me yours at begel@kvie.org.<\/p>\n

Tuk Tuk Thai<\/a>\u00a0| 4400 Freeport Blvd., Suite 140, Sacramento and 1600 Ethan Way, Suite 70, Sacramento | 916-897-4561 and 916-505-9261<\/p>\n

\"TukTuk Tuk Thai\u2019s Thai basil bowl. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

Named for the motorized rickshaws ubiquitous throughout Southeast Asia, Tuk Tuk Thai has a pair of compact dining rooms in high-traffic areas \u2014 one just south of William Land Park, the other in Howe \u2018Bout Arden shopping center. Vitoon Assavarungnirund\u2019s restaurant serves familiar dishes in disposable takeout containers branded with Tuk Tuk\u2019s name, plus a few creations such as\u00a0mango sticky slush\u00a0($6.45), a frosty, drinkable imitation of mango sticky rice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Thai basil\u00a0($16) rice bowl is the move here. A steaming bowl of peppers, green beans and the namesake herb are joined by your choice of protein and a sweet-savory gravy. For smoky and fruity flavors, try the\u00a0mango cashew chicken\u00a0($19) rice bowl with its charred nuts and onions. Be warned, though: spice level rises drastically from \u201cmild\u201d to \u201cmedium\u201d (and \u201chot,\u201d I\u2019d imagine).<\/p>\n

Egel\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

I live, play and cook in this community just like you. This recurring section is a window into my life outside of restaurants and bars, always with a food and\/or drink angle.<\/p>\n

The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op\u2019s butchers make a product they simply call\u00a0\u201cthe best meatballs,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and I suspect they may be correct. Priced at $11\/pound, they\u2019re a savory mix of beef and pork with flavor that jumps out no matter the vessel. I\u2019ve enjoyed them \u00e0 la carte, over polenta and, last week, with boxed bucatini from a nearby shelf.<\/p>\n

I halved the XL meatballs and browned them on the stovetop while the bucatini bubbled on the next burner. When the meat was a couple minutes away from being done, I carefully blotted the grease and dumped a jar of\u00a0Rao\u2019s Marinara Sauce<\/a>\u00a0into the pan. Finished with shredded Parmesan and a sprinkle of porcini mushroom salt from San Francisco-based\u00a0Omnivore<\/a>, I devoured them with a side of steamed broccoli for a craveable weeknight dinner.<\/p>\n

In the news<\/p>\n

\"Wine\"Baker Family Wines\u2019 Sierra Foothills \u201cHammerin\u2019 Hank\u201d cabernet sauvignon. (Cameron Clark)<\/p>\n

Need a bottle of Sacramento-area wine for a friend\u2019s milestone birthday? A Gen Z housewarming party? How about the Winter Olympics\u2019 closing ceremony? Mike Dunne knows a standout local wine for any occasion and budget, and paired up 13 of them in this guide published last Friday.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BartenderBartender Paco Canto talks to a patron at Freeport Bar & Grill. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. Follow this guide from Helen Harlan<\/a>, an Abridged contributor and local waitress, to become a beloved regular at your favorite restaurant, bar or coffee shop. Her tips include showing up consistently, sitting in the same seat and, well, tips.<\/p>\n

Happening this week<\/p>\n

The 111th annual\u00a0Capay Valley Almond Festival<\/a>\u00a0will flow through five Yolo County towns (Rumsey, Guinda, Brooks, Capay and Esparto) on Saturday and Sunday. There\u2019ll be\u00a0celebrations all throughout the weekend<\/a>\u00a0in each town, with the main bash slated for Sunday in Esparto.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Juice Time<\/a>\u00a0held its grand opening Feb. 13 at 7887 Madison Ave., Suite C in Citrus Heights. The Middle Eastern juice bar and dessert shop has several Dubai chocolate-inspired items, including cr\u00eapes, waffles and brownies.<\/p>\n

Cr\u00e8me Coffee<\/a>\u00a0will open Sunday at 1011 7th St., an old Victorian building in Downtown Sacramento. Gina and Inga Arakelyan\u2019s cafe\u2019s signature drink will be a creamy, Einsp\u00e4nner-inspired latte, with salads and pastries available for purchase as well.<\/p>\n

Benjy Egel\u00a0is the senior food editor at Abridged. Born and raised in the Sacramento region, he has covered its local restaurants and bars since 2018. He also writes and edits Abridged\u2019s weekly\u00a0food and drink newsletter,\u00a0City of Treats.<\/a><\/p>\n