I came to Sacramento for a work conference and was able to try the eclectic food and coffee. To be honest, I was only really excited to come to Sac for Temple Coffee…I’ve been wanting to try this place…for years! Keep reading to see my food recs: both yay and nay as well as my thoughts on coffee! 

FOR CHOCOLATE and CANDY

Andy's Candy Apothecary

So cute and delicious! I was able to register Candy before I bought it, which was amazing. I actually came in for some gummy treats for my boyfriend's birthday and the store associates were so friendly and helpful! I saw a pre-packaged pack of gummies but I didn't think my boyfriend would like the selection of gummies in there so the associate offered to make me my own pack and I basically tried everything as I picked! They even have gummies from Germany! If you don't know much about gummies, Germany has the best! I also thought the pricing was very fair, too. It is located conveniently next to a Temple Coffee as well, which never gets old :) Would definitely return.  

FOR FOOD...

Lucca

Interesting flavors. Excellent service. I’m a sucker for stuffed pasta and although ravioli or tortellini were not on the menu, I opted for the gnocchi instead. Thankfully, it was tasty! I don’t usually like gnocchi because it seems to be made differently wherever I go and the stuffing can be boring but I was pleasantly surprised with this gnocchi. My server was amazing and offered to add other veggies in place of pancetta. The result was a lot of beautiful pieces of green cauliflower (no, it was not broccoli), yellow squash, and perfectly cooked zucchini; however, the sauce was a bit weird. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the taste. It wasn't bad...just different. I really appreciate the caring nature of our server, though; he was really helpful with the modifications I had to make and there was no extra charge, despite how many more veggies they put. I would definitely come back :)

Firestone

It is a fun sports bar and has a lot of beer options. Unfortunately, I'm not a beer gal. I wanted a glass of red though, so I opted for a Meiomi Pinot but...they didn't have it. So I had to opt for Lucky Rock, which was meh. Note: don't get wine at a sports bar no matter how fun and trendy it looks.

For my actual meal, I got a portabella burger and added avocado to it but it was pretty bland. The portabella had no taste and the garlic aioli was not very flavorful either. The only good part was that I also opted for a small salad with dressing on the side so some of the meal was healthy.

Brasserie Capitale

Very chic with delicious food! We came here for lunch and the location is right in the heart of downtown! Our server was amazing, too! We were a group of nine but she was very quick to combine some heavy tables for us. Bonus points: she even individually split checks (cuz it was a work cost) and gave them to us right as we finished eating so we didn't have to wait and could head back to our conference on time.  I ordered a butter lettuce salad with dressing on the side and added avocado; it was beautifully presented and very fresh. I felt like I had just grabbed everything from the local Farmers’ Market and brought it home for a delicious, healthy meal. We were all presently surprised! Highly recommend!

The Coconut On T

Wow…this wonderful mom and pop Thai place just a couple blocks from Midtown is extremely fresh and delicious. Lots of veg and meat options. My girlfriend and I ordered…a TON! Fresh rolls, green curry, brown rice, and drunken noodles. We were definitely drunk on food by the end and we still had a ton leftover. I can’t believed how reasonably-priced it was as well.

Temple Coffee Roasters

I’ve been dyinggg to try this place for the last three years and I am so glad I finally did! Their beans are very fresh and their espresso beans were given a 93 rating, so, of course, I had to take some home to try. Oh my goodness! So glad I did! I actually enjoyed brewing my own latte at home instead of getting their latte…and there is only one reason why: their almond milk. It’s the Califia Farms Barista brew and I just don’t like Califia Farms. Their milk is gross and in coffee, their bitter taste is amplified. I still gave a latte with their almond milk a try and the milk really took away from the beautiful taste of their espresso beans; thus,I got a nonfat latte the next day to test out the flavor and although the latte tasted better, I’m not a huge dairy milk fan so I was disappointed. I’m much happier with Three Trees Almond Milk or Malk Almond Milks instead…and these milks are healthier than Califia Farms! Please Temple Coffee, opt for a better almond milk option!

Insight Coffee

This was put on my list at the very end and…I’m so glad it was! My friend who lives in the area recommended it per her coffee lover friends and…they were right!

Insight is a cute coffee shop with a cool space to hang out or to grab your coffee and go. I came after my morning jog and was pleasantly surprised to find it that they make their own almond milk! Had I know, I would have skipped Temple (maybe not that beans...) and came here for my almond latte needs.

First, the almond milk is amazing. I also appreciated how the barista let me try the milk first to make sure I liked it.  He said it had a bit of Califa Farms milk in it but thankfully i didn't taste it; the taste was very smooth. After I tried my almond milk latte, though, wow...I haven't had an almond milk latte this good since Cafe 4 and Saint Frank! And those have been my top two coffee shops for years! The almond milk latte had NO sweetener but it had a hint of sweetness that was perfection. It didn't need anything else. I was definitely a happy camper all day!