From seafood to sake

I was pleasantly surprised recently after turning south on Forest Avenue from Highway 32 and seeing a new sign in the window of the strip mall there advertising Mariscos la Costa Mexican Seafood Grill. I’d mistakenly thought that the place had closed, but actually it just moved to a larger space two doors down.

I walked in to satisfy my curiosity and the nice young man who greeted me said the restaurant is doing quite well and the owners decided to move so it could have more space. The new spot is most definitely bigger, and the black booths really modernize the space. They reopened a few weeks ago and the menu is the same, he said, except they switched from Pepsi to Coke (good choice!).

Sake it to me Downtown’s hip ramen spot, Momona Noodle + Bao, just celebrated its first birthday last week (Aug. 31). Happy birthday! But wait, there’s more: Momona has a brand new sake menu, complete with a Sake 101 section so you learn about what you’re ordering. At the end of this month, they’ll hold their first sake tasting, featuring nine different varieties of the Japanese rice wine. Spaces are limited, so reserve yours now. Stop by at 230 W. Third St., call 487-7488 or visit momonachico.com.

On your mark! For more reasons than one, I am not a runner. But I certainly have respect for those who can—and do—put their feet to the pavement and propel themselves by their own power. Two local companies—Fleet Feet Sports, which specializes in footwear, and Under the Sun Events, which provides race management and timing services—recently reached out to me, letting me know their partnership over the years is changing a bit.

In the past, Under the Sun provided timing at races sponsored and organized by Fleet Feet—namely the Summer Sizzler and Downtown Mile. From now on, organizational duties for those races will be assumed by Under the Sun, while the shoe store will remain a sponsor. Additionally, they have decided to discontinue the Jack Frost 10k.

“We feel honored that Fleet Feet asked us to take over these races, since this is what we love to do,” Nikki Stadler, co-owner of Under the Sun Events, says in a statement. “We work very well together, so this collaboration makes sense.”

For more info on the local companies, go to www.fleetfeetchico.com or www.underthesunevents.org.

Open for business As I wrote about in a previous column, Chico’s amazing kitchen-supply store The Galley is opening a second location in downtown Oroville. All appears to be going well, as they’re ready to celebrate their grand opening this Friday and Saturday (Sept. 9-10), 10 a.m.-5 p.m. So, make sure to stop by to check out the new shop at 2005 Bird St. There will be food samples and drawings.