Bigger, brighter, cooler

Now in the Handle District: West Sacramento’s Broderick Roadhouse doesn’t really make sense—and owner Chris Jarosz has repeatedly acknowledged it.

The space is weird. It kind of feels like a Western biker bar, but it just happens to serve creative pub fare with farm-fresh ingredients. And the kitchen is crazy tiny.

So, what were we to expect from the new Broderick in Midtown (1820 L Street, formerly Wahoo’s Fish Taco)?

The restaurant officially opened last week and the menu is identical to the West Sacramento post. But the interior is an entirely different story. It’s Broderick the way Broderick is supposed to be—open and bright; rustic and casual; with a huge bar and, more importantly, a much bigger kitchen. The place just feels cool, in large part due to the striking number of vintage Edison-style lightbulbs strewn around.

Across the street, Eatuscany Caffe (1801 L Street) recently opened as well. Initial reports suggested that the place would be part gelato shop, part Italian cafe and part market—competing heavily with the neighboring Devine Gelateria and Italian Importing Co.

But now it’s clear that Eatuscany is chiefly an Italian cafe, with a sizable menu of antipasti (i.e., burrata salad, bruschetta), pasta (i.e., pesto lasagna, “Italian crepe” with speck), insalate (i.e., Caesar salad), panini (lots of cured meat combos on focaccia or ciabatta) and desserts (i.e., tiramisu, cannoli). There’s also imported Italian wine and house-made gelato in traditional flavors. And like Broderick, the interior really impresses—it’s intimate, with just a few tables inside, and feels distinctly European. The all-white color palate looks modern and clean.

I sampled the Opera gelato, with a base like crème brûlée and airy meringue crumbles on top. Delizioso.

About that poke trend: If you’re already hooked on poke thanks to Fish Face Poke Bar, you’ll have another area option come fall. Zuma Poke & Lush Ice will open at G and Third streets in Davis, serving a very similar style of build-your-own poke bowls. If those decisions prove too challenging, Zuma also offers predesigned pokes, poke tacos and poke nachos. On the sweet side of things, there will be Hawaiian-style shaved ice, which is typically light and fluffy. And knowing its collegiate audience, Zuma is creating alcoholic versions, such as Spice Islands (pilsner, ginger beer, lime) and Hawaiian Punch (soju, guava juice, pineapple, lime).