(Okay, okay, that's a cheesy title. I couldn't resist)
As much as I love food and dining out in Sacramento, I inevitably get stumped on the "where should we go to eat?" question. It's not as though there aren't a lot of places to go, but for some reason it's awfully hard to decide sometimes. Carmen and I went to look at a friend's art exhibit yesterday and wanted to get a bite to eat afterwards. She drove (a little below the speed limit and in at least one circle) through midtown as we tried to decide. I ran through about 10 suggestions, but nothing stuck. Finally Carmen said she'd always wanted to try that "Czech-Italian place next to the pub in East Sac." That place is La Trattoria Bohemia on J Street.
The place has a real neighborhood feel. We were only the second table when we sat down, but the restaurant started to fill up by the time we paid our bill. The menu offers Czech specialties like Goulash and Chicken Paprikash, as well as Italian staples like pasta & pizza. Carmen ordered the Spinach Ravioli with Pesto ($13.50). I opted for a bowl of the Chicken & Dumpling soup ($4.50) & a Spinach Pizza ($11 for baby spinach, artichokes, chicken, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese and olive oil). The soup was piping hot with big pieces of chicken, veggies and delicious dumplings. My pizza had a doughy crust and was loaded with fresh spinach and piles of cheese. The 8" personal size is enough for last night's dinner and today's lunch. Carmen really enjoyed her pasta and remarked on the freshness of the spinach in her homemade pasta.
Surprisingly, we both had a glass of wine. She chose the Castello d'Albola Chianti ($7.50) and I went for the Hey Mambo! red ($6.75), just because it had a fun name. The desserts looked good too (apple struedel, tiramisu) but I already had my heart set on Big Spoon across the street (http://sachappyhour.blogspot.com/2007/10/fro-yo-faceoff.html).
La Trattoria Bohemia is a great, little place with a warm atmosphere. Next time you can't make up your mind, it's definitely worth a stop.
Showing posts with label frozen yogurt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frozen yogurt. Show all posts
Monday, December 10, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Fro-yo Faceoff!
My sister just returned from spending the summer on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. While I was jealous of the idea of island living, she was missing the simple pleasures of Target, Trader Joe's and restaurant selections. The grass is always greener.
Anyway, one of her cravings upon her return was frozen yogurt. We took the opportunity to try two of Sacramento's newest fro-yo offerings: Big Spoon on J Street and Yogurtopia on Freeport Boulevard. They both share the same self-serve concept: customers can fill their cups with as much frozen yogurt and as many toppings as they want. You pay based on weight - which can be dangerous for those who's eyes are bigger than their stomachs!
Big Spoon was first. When we walked in we were like kids in a candy store. Literally. The place has six kinds of yogurt (chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, NY cheesecake & two fruit flavors) and more than 75 toppings to choose from. There were the traditional candy bar pieces, sprinkes, cookie dough, yogurt chips... even Nerds! They also have a variety of sauces like hot fudge, strawberry and caramel.
My sister admits to being a little overwhelmed by it all. She felt rushed into choosing her yogurt (she opted for cheesecake & I took the peanut butter - good choice!) and didn't have time to "think through" which toppings she wanted. There were so many that we felt like we had to try a little bit of everything - even ones that didn't exactly compliment our yogurt. When we got to the counter our desserts were close to $5 each at 33-cents an ounce.
We took a smarter tack at Yogurtopia. They also have six yougurt flavors - again I went with the peanut butter - including two "Euro-style" flavors. Sis had the Euro-style Wild Berry and couldn't tell what made it European. Yogurtopia has a lot of toppings too, though noticably fewer than Big Spoon, which isn't really a bad thing. However, one big plus was the fruit toppings. Here there were fresh berries. Big Spoon had fruit sauces - almost like pie filling. Also, the nutritional information for the yogurt is painted on the wall which is nice if you pay attention to those sorts of things. Since we had time to think through our purchases this time, we managed to get a very manageable serving of yogurt for less than $4 a cup at 39-cents an ounce.
Frozen yogurt seems to be the new sushi in Sacramento. I haven't checked out Mochii Gourmet Yogurt on 16th & P yet. Yogurtopia's website mentions another location opening on 20th & J Street this fall. In the meantime, you can go to their current location at 2992 Freeport Boulevard from 12pm to 10pm daily. Big Spoon is at 3644 J Street and is open from 11am to 11pm daily. They also have locations in Rocklin, Natomas and Folsom.
Anyway, one of her cravings upon her return was frozen yogurt. We took the opportunity to try two of Sacramento's newest fro-yo offerings: Big Spoon on J Street and Yogurtopia on Freeport Boulevard. They both share the same self-serve concept: customers can fill their cups with as much frozen yogurt and as many toppings as they want. You pay based on weight - which can be dangerous for those who's eyes are bigger than their stomachs!
Big Spoon was first. When we walked in we were like kids in a candy store. Literally. The place has six kinds of yogurt (chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, NY cheesecake & two fruit flavors) and more than 75 toppings to choose from. There were the traditional candy bar pieces, sprinkes, cookie dough, yogurt chips... even Nerds! They also have a variety of sauces like hot fudge, strawberry and caramel.
My sister admits to being a little overwhelmed by it all. She felt rushed into choosing her yogurt (she opted for cheesecake & I took the peanut butter - good choice!) and didn't have time to "think through" which toppings she wanted. There were so many that we felt like we had to try a little bit of everything - even ones that didn't exactly compliment our yogurt. When we got to the counter our desserts were close to $5 each at 33-cents an ounce.
We took a smarter tack at Yogurtopia. They also have six yougurt flavors - again I went with the peanut butter - including two "Euro-style" flavors. Sis had the Euro-style Wild Berry and couldn't tell what made it European. Yogurtopia has a lot of toppings too, though noticably fewer than Big Spoon, which isn't really a bad thing. However, one big plus was the fruit toppings. Here there were fresh berries. Big Spoon had fruit sauces - almost like pie filling. Also, the nutritional information for the yogurt is painted on the wall which is nice if you pay attention to those sorts of things. Since we had time to think through our purchases this time, we managed to get a very manageable serving of yogurt for less than $4 a cup at 39-cents an ounce.
Frozen yogurt seems to be the new sushi in Sacramento. I haven't checked out Mochii Gourmet Yogurt on 16th & P yet. Yogurtopia's website mentions another location opening on 20th & J Street this fall. In the meantime, you can go to their current location at 2992 Freeport Boulevard from 12pm to 10pm daily. Big Spoon is at 3644 J Street and is open from 11am to 11pm daily. They also have locations in Rocklin, Natomas and Folsom.
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