The Morning Fork is a Busy Place!

The Morning Fork is a diner located in midtown Sacramento. It has a retro vibe that is really inviting. On a Saturday morning expect to wait around 30-minutes before being able to get a seat. It's quite popular with customers just waiting around outside on the sidewalk to get in. There are plenty of breakfast items to select from on the menu with good-sized portions that should fill you up!

Food -
The menu at the Morning Fork is quite tantalizing. I think most people would be able to find something on there that they would want to try. There's everything from omelettes to burgers. I heard the pancake at Morning Fork is very good. Sadly, I wasn't in the mood for one... but maybe I should have gotten one anyway because I saw someone at another table get it and I immediately wanted to reach my fork over and give it a taste.

The breakfast that I did have was of the savory variety. I ordered the breakfast sandwich and I've got to say that I was a bit underwhelmed. Looking at it is impressive. It comes open-faced with a perfectly cooked sunny side up egg on top of the burger patty. Once put together though... the taste is a bit one-note. The texture has that same quality as well. What should be a mountain of flavor ends up being a bit muddled. It's probably because everything in the burger has a similar texture. For example, the bacon they use is nice and thick, but it doesn't have any crunch. It sort of just mixes in with all the other ingredients. There also isn't any sort of veg on the burger (besides cooked onions) so that freshness that it needs is lacking.

I actually found the other dishes to be this way too. While they all looked amazing, the taste lacked complexity. I was just left wanting a bit more from the food.

To wash it all down I tried the almond seltzer water. It sounded very interesting as I've never had or even seen a drink like that before. It turned out to be very sweet with a heavy almond extract taste. Again, it had one-note to it when I wanted something a bit more refined.

Bottom line for the food is that it looked and sounded better than it was. I won't say the food is bad - because it isn't - but I was expecting more from it.

Service/Atmosphere - 
I'm a big fan of the atmosphere here. It just has a really cool retro vibe. The service was also pretty friendly. Never were the servers pushy or had a bad attitude even though the restaurant was bursting to the seams with guests.

The biggest issue is with the wait times to get in and to get food. I'd say from the time we got seated to the food arriving was a little over 30-minutes. And that doesn't include the wait time when we got there. We actually tried to reserve a table via the Yelp app, but the restaurant was saying that it wasn't working. Bummer.

Price -
The portions here are generous and large, but the price is also a bit on the higher side. I'd say that if you'd like a full meal it'd be about $18 or so per person.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
If you're coming here on a Saturday, you can sign in and then head on over to the Sac Farmers Market just a couple blocks away to kill the time!

Bottom Line - 
The Morning Fork has such an awesome feel to it, I just wished that the food experience was on par with the vibe. It's a nice place for breakfast or brunch, but there are certainly other options around Sac that might trump it.

Letter Grade

B -

Morning sausage.

The menu is highlighted for your convenience.

If you like really sweet drinks, this almond seltzer water is for you.

Doesn't the egg look absolutely perfect on the top of the burger?

The omelette creates a nice blanket for the main ingredients.

Trying Jack in the Box's Loaded Mini Tacos

Food Review -
When I saw the commercial for these mini tacos, I told myself I had to get my hands on some! The concept looked really cool and it had a very nice price point. I pulled up to my local Jack in the Box and ordered up some loaded mini tacos. Here are my thoughts!

The price is really nice with these tacos. The container they come in reminds me of a Chinese take-out box. The container is stuffed with the mini tacos. For $3 or $4, it's a good amount of food. In fact, I think if you eat the entire thing yourself, you'll be pretty full and most likely will not be feeling too well. I'd say get these to share amongst a small group of friends. That's the best way to enjoy these tacos.

The tacos themselves are nice and small. They are like a round restaurant tortilla chip folded in half with some sauced up meat inside. The filling tastes just like the regular Jack in the Box tacos and the shell is crispy like them too. These do a surprisingly good job at emulating what the regular tacos are. There are no veggies or cheese inside the mini tacos. If you get the loaded tacos, then all the fixin's are included on top of the pile you get.

I thought that the taste of the tacos was decent. They really did remind me of the standard tacos, and there was flavor for days - especially the loaded tacos. My only complaint about the tacos was that they were a mess to eat. If you're on the go, it's probably a better idea to go for the non-loaded variety so that your hands don't get sauce all over them.

I don't think I'd get them again, but I'm not saying they are bad. They just aren't my cup of tea. But if you like the Jack in the Box tacos and want a pretty hearty snack, these mini tacos will knock that hunger right out of you!

Letter Grade

B

Tealicious on Freeport is New and Improved!

I recently visited Tealicious on Freeport Blvd. I had never been there before, but apparently the restaurant has recently undergone some improvements. With a name like Tealicious, you might think this is a boba tea place. While they have milk teas and drinks, there is much more of a focus on food items here.

Food -
You'll find a bevy of Asian dishes here at Tealicious. The hot pot and ramen are heavily advertised on signs outside and in pictures on the inside. I was very curious about the ramen (as it is a Japanese dish) so I went for it. I'd have to say that the flavor for it was good... but it wasn't ramen. This definitely was a Chinese take on ramen as the noodles were more in line with Chinese noodles as well as the taste. It was ramen in look alone. It sucks if you're wanting some legit ramen, but it really is its own thing. And if you look at it that way, it's not half bad.

My family ordered a few other dishes off the menu. The braised pork dish was absolutely killer. With some rice it made for an amazing entree with a sauce to die for. The sauce was both savory and sweet. The meat was tender and really had that melt in your mouth quality to it.

My least favorite item that I got on my visit was the crispy tofu. I've been looking for a really good crispy tofu dish but haven't found it yet. The one here had a bland taste with tofu that wasn't crispy enough.

But back to positives... the drinks here are really great. The signature tea with real fruit in it is excellent and refreshing. If you are looking for something a bit different, I recommend the ginger milk tea. It has a very Asian taste that I thought was wonderful. I haven't had a drink like this before as no other places have something like this.

Service/Atmosphere - 
The restaurant is decorated very nicely. The wood look is trendy and a good choice. You can tell that this recently renovated restaurant has gotten a huge makeover for the better.

The servers were very nice. You could kind of tell they were really trying to make a good impression so that you'd come back though. Well, I'd rather have that than bad service.

Price -
Some of the drink prices are a little bit higher than you might think - such as the signature all fruit tea which is about $6. But the food and everything else is very reasonable. You can expect to pay in the ten dollar range per person for dishes.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Check out the specials that they have here. Currently, the ramen is buy one get one 50% off during lunch and the same goes for hot pot during dinner hours.

Bottom Line - 
Tealicious is an excellent choice to satisfy your Chinese food cravings. Their entrees are very good and their drinks are excellent. All of this at a decent price point! I'd definitely come back for more!

Letter Grade

A

They probably have the nicest signage in the entire plaza.

The interior is very nicely furnished.

Kid seems to like the menu here.

Ramen?

A real Chinese noodle dish.

Melt in your mouth pork.

The tofu was just meh.

This fruit tea drink is so good!

Thai Farm House BBQ and Bistro on Broadway

Finding new Thai places in town is a lot of fun. Thai food is delicious, and I love comparing how the different restaurants around town do their dishes. I initially found out about Thai Farm House BBQ and Bistro from a Yelp search. It caught my attention because it had a 4.5 star rating with over 350 reviews at the time. With a rating that good, I just had to find out for myself what the fuss was all about!

Food -
The menu at Thai Farm is full of traditional Thai favorites. Most of the dishes here you'll find at other Thai places. If you're looking to satisfy your craving for pad thai or pad see ew, they have it here and it should give you exactly what your'e looking for. When I go to a Thai place for the first time I usually try their pad thai out first because I personally feel it is a good indicator of the food in general at the restaurant. While I did enjoy the pad thai, I felt that it was a little too zingy for me at times. Having flavor that pops is one thing, but the pad thai here was a bit much in terms of flavor. I still enjoyed it, but I think toning it down just a little would be even better.

The pad see ew was absolutely perfect. It came out piping hot and the savory balance of flavors in the dish was spot on. It was my favorite thing that I had there during my visit. A third entree that we ordered was a BBQ beef dish for my son. I got this because my kid loves meat, and also because I wanted to try out some of the non-traditional dishes. The word BBQ is also in the name of the restaurant so I thought I'd better get something from this category of food!

The BBQ beef was good - it had some nice grill marks on it and came in strips. The real star of the dish were the sauces. The sweet and sour sauce was especially a hit with the kid. He loved it and kept wanting more and more of it. My only complaint about his dish were the veggies that came with it. I prefer nicely cooked through veggies so that they are softer and tender. The veg in the traditional Thai dishes were just that way. These, however, were less cooked so that they had a more crunchy texture to them. I suppose that's the idea of the dish, but I would have preferred them cooked longer.

The Thai iced tea was excellent. It had a sweet taste, but with tea flavor shining through it. It wasn't as orang-y as some other Thai iced teas that I've had. It also wasn't as heavy tasting, which I appreciated. Overall it was one of the better Thai iced teas that I've ever had. It's definitely worth getting. Check out the recommendation section for a special tip about ordering it!

Service/Atmosphere - 
The atmosphere at Thai Farm BBQ and Bistro is relaxed. The decor has nice wood tones to them and everything is clean. The dining area definitely presents a pleasant atmosphere for dining in.

I also found the service here to be excellent. The servers were very friendly, helpful, and patient. We got everything we needed quickly, and I noticed that they treated all their customers in the same way as they were ordering. There isn't much more you can ask for in both service and atmosphere!

Price -
Prices at Thai Farm BBQ and Bistro are moderate. Entree dishes come in the ten to twelve dollar range. I'd say that portions are decent, but nothing that you would say is large.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Here's a nice tip for you! If you check in on Yelp, there is currently a special offer for a free Thai iced tea with a purchase of a meal. This is a great way to add this delicious drink to your lunch or dinner! You're welcome!

Bottom Line - 
Thai Farm BBQ and Bistro is a fine addition to the Thai restaurants around town. The prices here are comparable to other Thai places with some great choices on the menu to enjoy. I'd certainly love to visit this restaurant frequently as the food, service, and atmosphere are quite good!

Letter Grade

A -

This is a nice little chalkboard in front of the entrance.

The pad see ew was excellent!

Beef dish with some crunch veggies.

The Thai iced tea. Check out how un-orange it is!

Someone is satisfied with their meal!

Woodland Food Truck Mania

Woodland Food Truck Mania takes place usually on the first Sunday of the month. It's a food truck gathering put on by SactoMofo, a popular group that organizes food truck events. I had been to this event many years ago, but it fell off my radar for a little while as Sundays tend to be very busy for me. I enjoyed coming to Food Truck Mania so much that I've decided to carve out more time to make return visits. It's such a great food event that I have to come back!

Food -
I'm sure that the food trucks vary from time to time at this gathering, but the ones that were onsite on my visit were superb. Ma Sarap was there serving up traditional Filipino dishes. Jenn and my mom both got the chicken adobe which had a very authentic Filipno taste. It was definitely something that don't get to experience often. Being a fried food fan, I went for their fried chicken skins. I mean... the skin is the best part! Am I right or am I right? So basically it's just the fried part of fried chicken. It was as delicious as it sounds.

I also was able to try some fried ravioli with meat sauce as well as a gigantic Philly cheesesteak. Both items were perfection. The only bad thing was that my stomach was too small to get everything in. Thankfully, I did save a little room for dessert. I split a large egg puff with fruit and ice-cream with Jenn. The item was made extremely well and was perfect for sharing - a great way to end the meal.

My only regret is that there are far too many great options and only one of me to try and eat all of it. If I see some of the food trucks that were here next time I will be sure to give some new things a try!

Service/Atmosphere - 
The atmosphere was phenomenal. Basically, two streets are closed off to traffic and tables are set up right next to the food trucks. People can order and find a spot to enjoy their food. It gets dark very quickly during the winter months, but that is not a problem. The event organizers set up these giant flood lights to illuminate the area where people are eating. Perfect.

Alongside all of that you'll see entertainment happening around you as well as booths and music to enjoy.

Price -
The food trucks that are at Food Truck Mania aren't on the cheaper side. Most of the meals you purchase will be around the $12-15 dollar range. Drinks are also priced at a premium here. You can end up spending quite a bit of coin if you want to give lots of different items a try.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
I totally recommend coming to this (and other similar events) with a group. That way, people can buy all sorts of different food from different trucks and then try everything family style! It's a great way to budget and get everything you want a taste of.

Bottom Line - 
It's totally worth it to come out to Woodland Food Truck Mania. There's delicious food and a fun and festive atmosphere all around!

Letter Grade

A

The lighting here sets a really nice mood.

Fried ravioli with meat sauce for dipping.

Cheese steaks, lots of options.

I went with the standard cheesesteak.

Chicken sandwich and fries.

Fried chicken skins.

Plenty of places to get dessert.

This was satisfying.

There is now DIM SUM at UC DAVIS!

After being in Davis for over 20 years, I don't think I'd ever thought there would be a traditional dim sum place there. But you know what... it happened! Push carts and all are rolling around the former Applebee's location. Well Season has taken over and is brining this authentic Cantonese style of restaurant to cow town.

Food -
Dim sum is very specific. If you're going to get dim sum, you're going to be looking for things like pork buns, har gow, shu mai, and the ever popular chicken legs. And yes! Well Season has all those items and more. Coming on a weekend, the dim sum ladies were rolling their carts around the restaurant and serving a packed dining room.

The dim sum at Well Season is good - not the best ever - but definitely good enough to frequent. It's a lot better than I thought Davis would ever get! The dim sum in general has less of a greasy sheen than most other places. It may be a little less flavorful and authentic, but I think people who don't want to feel really lethargic after the meal will appreciate Well Season's light on the grease approach.

As always, we enjoy ordering a few noodle dishes from the kitchen to round out the dim sum meal. The Hong Kong style noodles were great. It had the right taste, and if you're into seafood, you'll enjoy their version of it. The wet chow fun was excellent as well. The sauce was well-balanced and complimented the noodles nicely. The chow fun dish was one of my favorite things from our meal.

My only disappointment from the meal were the rolled noodles with beef. I thought the texture of the noodle in that dish wasn't as velvety as most places have them. But that's just a small gripe, the overall meal was above my expectation.

Service/Atmosphere - 
Weekends will always provide for a festive atmosphere with many people. At around 12:30, the restaurant was packed with a crowd outside waiting to be seated! The interior of the restaurant is decently spacious as the owners of well season basically just hollowed out the entire Applebee's restaurant so they could put in as many tables as possible. You can hardly tell it was once the place that you'd eat good in the neighborhood.

Service is ok for a dim sum restaurant. The ladies that push the carts do their jobs just fine. Flagging down someone for menu items or getting the final check can be tricky as everyone is running around, but that's just like any other dim sum place on the face of the planet.

Price -
Well Season comes in moderately priced for dim sum. It's always great to go with a large party so that you can split the cost of the meal between everyone. For our party of six, everyone came out to be about twelve bucks each. That's nice for a group of our size, and we all left pretty full.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Don't overlook the sweet dim sum plates. One of the best items that I had was the 'egg yolk' bun. This is a medium sized bun filled with this runny yellow filling. When you open it up it just starts oozing out. The yellow filling is sweet and oh-so-good! Make sure you try some if you come to Well Season!

Bottom Line - 
If you're in Davis and enjoy dim sum, your prayers have been answered! It's awesome to have a local dim sum place that serves up good dim sum and is close.

Letter Grade

A

Beef with soft noodles.

The ever popular pork buns.

Wet chow fun.

Hong Kong style noodles.

Crispy taro dish.

El Patio comes to Davis

A few Woodland restaurants have ventured into the Davis food scene, but not many. El Patio travels down the 113 to give the folks in Davis a taste of their Mexican cuisine. The menu is full of favorites such as burritos, enchiladas, and tacos as well as tortas, Mexican style burgers, and salads. El Patio occupies a prime location in downtown that is hard to miss. Stop in if you'd like to have try what the people of Woodland have been enjoying for years!

Food -
The menu at El Patio is traditional Mexican food with a few special treats thrown into the mix. On my visit to El Patio I really enjoyed the enchiladas. I was able to get one beef and one cheese and they were heavenly. The wrap was soft and the enchilada sauce was perfect. I probably could have eaten double what I got as they were that easy to eat!

The super nachos were also very enjoyable. They come loaded with cheese, guac, sour cream, and the meat of your choice. All this topped a crispy bed of corn chips. The order was perfect for sharing - the entire family went to town on these.

A surprise for me were the fish tacos. The fish inside comes fried to golden perfection in a portion that was a little larger than I expected. The flavor was on point. I also had the shrimp taco, but given the choice I'd go with the fish all day long.

Overall the food at El Patio is quite good - it certainly has a cleaner, less greasy feeling than many other places. If you're into that style of Mexican food I think you'd enjoy El Patio.

Service/Atmosphere - 
Both the service and the atmosphere were top notch at El Patio. My interaction with the staff was excellent and they were very attentive and friendly. I felt that the staff was excited to be in Davis and that they wanted to give great customer service. In terms of atmosphere, I enjoyed the actual 'patio' inside of the restaurant. It's almost as if you're sitting in a neighbor's yard - excellent concept that works well. I found the inside of the restaurant to be very clean - something that I really look for in a place that I eat at.

Price -
Pricing is moderate at El Patio. I would say that the food prices are that of a mid-priced sit down restaurant (which it is). I believe the quality of the food pairs well with the price. Look to pay between nine and twelve dollars per person when enjoying a meal here.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
Not a lot of places have taco salad anymore, but El Patio does. I know of only one other place in Davis where you can get this famed 'salad'. I wouldn't say it's the healthiest option out there, but the fact that it is on the menu is pretty cool. Every so often I really want a taco salad.

Bottom Line - 
El Patio makes a superb addition to the restaurants in Davis. The food there tastes clean and fresh, and the atmosphere in the restaurant matches that as well.

Letter Grade

A-

You'll know you're there when you see this big window decal.

Salsa and condiments for you to partake of.

Super nachos smothered with cheese, guac, and cream cheese.

A duo of fish tacos.

The enchiladas here are legit.

The massive California burrito.

Churros.

Delicious and Fresh Mexican Food at Sol in Woodland

Woodland is full of good Mexican restaurants, so it really takes something to stand out. Sol gives its patrons a beautiful place to eat with fresh and tasty dishes that you'll feel good about. Located all the way down Main Street on the edge of Woodland, Sol can be difficult to find, but it's worth seeking out as this restaurant will definitely hit the spot!

Food -
Sol's menu is expansive with a wide array of Mexican dishes to select from. You'll find pretty much any of your favorite Mexican items on the menu. I personally enjoyed the enchiladas and the flautas. The enchilada plate came with 2 enchiladas filled with my choice of pork, chicken, beef, or cheese. I personally selected one with chicken and one with cheese. The enchiladas were exactly what I wanted as they were extremely flavorful - I just wanted to keep taking bite after bite! The flautas were amazing as well. I loved how light and crispy they were. Both plates came with a side of rice and beans with cheese. I'm not sure if there's any better side than Mexican rice and beans... so good! The beans came in a little tortilla shell that was pretty fun to eat out of. Overall the food was excellent.

Service/Atmosphere - 
Sol has a beautiful dining room that has a traditional flair to it. It's comfortable and cozy and makes for a great dining experience. If the weather isn't too hot, Sol has patio seating so that diners can eat outside.

My only small gripe about Sol has been the service. The wait staff is good, but I find that the time it takes to get a table and have them come by can be a little longer than expected. It's not a terrible wait, but I think service could be a little speedier.

Price -
Dishes at Sol are moderately priced. You can expect to pay around ten to twelve dollars a person. Like many Mexican restaurants, Sol provides chips and salsa for the table when you come in. The food portions match up well with the cost so I feel that you get your money's worth when you come here.

Special Tips and Recommendations -
I really enjoyed the light and crispy flautas here. If you've never had them, I'd say this dish is one that you should get. It was actually recommended to me by a friend and she was spot on. The flautas are so great!

Bottom Line - 
Sol is an excellent Mexican restaurant in Woodland. Their menu is full of delicious dishes that will capture your attention. Though it is deep in Woodland, I think it may be worth a visit to satisfy your Mexican food cravings!

Letter Grade

A

Sol has a really nice atmosphere. The menu matches well with the decor.

There are lots of options in the menu.

Sol is located in a plaza next to a Raley's grocery store.

Chips and salsa will be brought to your table when you come in.

The dishes are exactly as you would expect.