{"id":302008,"date":"2026-05-06T04:04:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T04:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/302008\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T04:04:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T04:04:16","slug":"inside-sacramento-countys-biggest-eastern-european-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/302008\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Sacramento County’s biggest Eastern European restaurant"},"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

Sacramento County communities such as Antelope, Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights are full of first- and second-generation Eastern European Americans. So why, I\u2019ve long wondered, doesn\u2019t the region have more of their restaurants?<\/p>\n

That dichotomy between what the region\u2019s Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Romanian immigrants eat at home and what others can access via restaurants makes\u00a0Elena\u2019s Kitchen & Catering<\/a>\u00a0all the more noteworthy. The North Highlands restaurant, cafe and event center has taken that heavy mantel to provide a depth of dishes you won\u2019t find at any other local restaurant.<\/p>\n

A walk down Elena\u2019s long buffet line yields mimoza (layers of egg yolks, tuna, carrots and potatoes under dill and shredded cheese), kharcho (tangy Georgian beef stew) and syrniki (pancakes stuffed with farmer\u2019s cheese), among dozens of other options. Not feeling so adventurous? Elena\u2019s also whips up all-American dishes such as grilled salmon salads, mashed potatoes and fatty brisket smoked for 18 hours.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in today\u2019s newsletter, I started Cinco de Mayo festivities a few days early with a look at why and how we should celebrate this Mexican American holiday. Contributing writers outlined how to spend a great day in Folsom and where to stop along I-80 in Placer County for a surprisingly stellar gas station meal. And looking ahead to the weekend: check out one of two major Yolo County festivals, or get in line for East Sacramento\u2019s hot new bakery.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n

\t\tSign Up for the City of Treats Newsletter<\/p>\n

Get the latest Sacramento food news from Benjy Egel in City of Treats \u2014 delivered every Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Benjy\u2019s Bites<\/p>\n

Elena\u2019s Kitchen & Catering<\/a>\u00a0| 4604 Roseville Road, Suite 112, North Highlands | 916-750-5030<\/p>\n

The Sacramento region\u2019s most comprehensive Eastern European restaurant sits in a North Highlands office park. The long counter inside Elena\u2019s Kitchen & Catering, owned by Elena and Leonid Melnychuk, sits below menu boards beseeching each section\u2019s offerings \u2014 hearty salads, entrees, cakes by the pound and house-baked dark breads. An adjoined cafe has modern coffee drinks as well as ukha (Russian fisherman\u2019s stew with salmon dumplings) and tofu-mushroom buckwheat toasts, and a pair of\u00a0private dining areas<\/a>\u00a0can house up to 200 guests for catered events.<\/p>\n

Elena\u2019s is only a secret, it seems, to people outside Sacramento County\u2019s large Eastern European community. Those in the know opt for buttery\u00a0pelmeni\u00a0($13\/lb), craggy dumplings filled with chicken or beef and also available in Elena\u2019s freezer section alongside their cousin vareniki. There\u2019s classic red\u00a0borscht\u00a0($4.50 for a 16-ounce container) along with a dill-forward green variety made with sorrel leaves and chicken, and\u00a0cabbage rolls\u00a0($13\/lb)\u00a0stuffed in both the Ukrainian (chicken, beef and rice) and Moldovan (pork, onions and rice) styles by women behind glass panes.<\/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

Cinco de Mayo isn\u2019t Mexican Independence Day<\/a>, as we hopefully know by now. But the commemoration of Mexico\u2019s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla gained prominence in California in the 1960s, when Chicano residents sought to express some cultural pride and landed on May 5. While it\u2019s much more of an event in the U.S. than Mexico and has unfortunately produced some cringeworthy costumes over the years, it\u2019s ultimately a celebration of our relationship with our southern neighbors, as well as the Cali-Mex and Tex-Mex inventions such as chips with salsa, carne asada fries and frosty margaritas. So dress culturally appropriate and go have a blast on the busiest day of the year for many Sacramento-area Mexican restaurants \u2014 and make reservations, if it\u2019s not too late!<\/p>\n

I was able to join my aunt and uncle\u2019s annual Cinco de Mayo party in the East Bay on Saturday, and walked up to a table of treats. Black bean enchiladas, refried beans, carnitas and my uncle\u2019s signature picadillo (ground bison, green beans, carrots and peppers) laid out next to tortillas and several salsas, including thick salsa macha from Oakland micro-producer\u00a0Kuali<\/a>. A small crowd of mostly seniors sipped margaritas and New Mexico chile-spiced mochas, with passion fruit bars and sugar-dusted Mexican wedding cookies on backyard picnic tables for dessert.<\/p>\n

In the news<\/p>\n

\"Hotel\"The Folsom Hotel is located at 703 Sutter St. in Folsom. (Cameron Clark)<\/p>\n

Cassidy Myers-Sims is a lifelong Sacramento-area resident who\u2019s lived in Folsom for the past decade. In her opinion, it\u2019s the region\u2019s best suburb. Read through her guide on how to spend a great day there<\/a>, from morning coffee to afternoon walks and a nightcap at a local pub, to see if you agree.<\/p>\n

\"BeerVintage gas station pumps have been customized to house 12 beer taps at Penryn Grill. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

In a small Placer County town along Interstate 80, there\u2019s a gas station restaurant growing its own produce for dishes such as salads, jambalaya and short rib burgers. Penryn Grill is both a community hub and a place for travelers to fill up their cars as well as stomachs, with locally-made IPAs pouring from vintage gas pumps repurposed to house kegs. Becky Grunewald has the story.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"sundae\"Sweet cherry sundaes. (Zoe Barrie)<\/p>\n

Cherry season has come early this year, with San Joaquin County growers stocking local farmers markets with Bings over the past couple of weeks. Pick up a bag, along with some almond extract and vanilla ice cream, to make a cherry compote sundae that balances sweet and tart<\/a>. I made Zoe Barrie\u2019s \u201cCooking in Season\u201d recipe on Friday night and also loved it over yogurt and oatmeal the following morning.<\/p>\n

Happening this week<\/p>\n

BerryFest Strawberry Festival<\/a>\u00a0will take over the Yolo County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, with a farmers market and more than 40 food vendors selling fruity treats. You can buy joint tickets to both the festival and its morning pancake breakfast for just $15 per adult ($7 for kids and seniors), though the monster truck jam costs extra.<\/p>\n

Further south, UC Davis is hosting\u00a0Whole Earth Festival<\/a>\u00a0from Friday-Sunday. While it\u2019s billed as a music, arts and crafts festival, there are dozens of food vendors hawking fried as well as health-conscious options, including plenty of vegan and vegetarian dishes.<\/p>\n

Pastry Cat\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0soft opening was met with lines of customers last Friday at 533 53rd St., Suite 140 in East Sacramento. Nariya Charoensupaya launched her brick-and-mortar bakery after serving Asian-inspired baked goods at pop-ups, including a recurring spot at\u00a0Offbeat Coffee<\/a>\u00a0on Broadway.<\/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