Where to find a great cup of coffee?

There are a few places I go to when I’m not at Insight. First, The Mill, which serves coffee from Heart Roasters and has solid baristas and very tasty waffles. Then I would definitely check out Chocolate Fish. They use have the best baristas on the best equipment, and source very high-quality coffee. Pachamama, a local roasting company, is cool too, because they’re very focused on the farms and the coffee-growers.

Best market or food hall to eat your way around?

The Sacramento Farmers’ Market underneath the freeway every Sunday is the best one. There are local farms, as well as butchers and fishmongers. There is a vendor I love that sells seasoned nuts. I always get the honey-citrus almonds and the smoky-spicy almonds.

Hottest new restaurants in town?

One that just opened near Insight is South, which has awesome fried chicken and seasonal vegetable dishes. I’m crazy about burgers and they—along with Formoli’s Bistro—have the best burgers you can get in Sacramento. I also really like Orchid Thai, which has great Thai food along with cheap drinks during happy hour. It’s the place I like to go and watch a game. The Shack isn’t totally new, but it’s still a great place to go for a bite, and has one of the best on-tap beer selections in Sacramento. Another one people are always talking about is Biba, an Italian restaurant with ridiculously good lasagna. Kru is another restaurant I like for its sushi and Japanese food. The same chef has a new place, Fish Face, with amazing spicy poke and just really tasty, fresh fish. If it’s cold—yes, it gets cold here—I’ll go to Shoki Ramen House for the spicy Tan Tan Men. If you have a sweet tooth, I’d say go to Pushkin’s Bakery, a completely gluten-free, dairy-free bakery that’s good regardless of the fact that it’s both of those things. I love their zucchini bread.

Old-school Sacramento institution?

Fox & Goose Public House. It’s been around since the 70s, starting with a small pub area and expanding into several large dining areas. The staff is very friendly, and they have live music and a weekly pub quiz. I go for brunch and get the Benedict Arnold—their version of eggs Benedict with a choice of meat (I get the corned beef)—and Welsh rarebit instead of hollandaise. The Nut Burger is the best vegetarian burger in the city, especially since it has creamy basil on the side. Shoutout also to Gunther’s Ice Cream, which does these fruit freezes—half ice cream and half sherbet. I love that place.