Cheap eats

It’s always nice to splurge a bit on a nice dinner someplace like Spataro or Paragary’s, but everyone needs a go-to place for a quick meal that won’t break the bank. I asked Kurt Spataro, executive chef and partner of Paragary’s Restaurant Group, what he gets when he wants to grab a bite for less than $10:

1. “A combination sushi takeout at Oto’s Japanese market—they have a futomaki/inari combination that’s good. For that matter, Whole Foods does something similar, and I’ll do that, too.”

2. “Just about anything at June’s Café—it might be tonkatsu or donburi, chicken and vegetables over rice.”

3. “A sandwich at the [Sacramento Natural Foods] Co-op. The turkey sandwich or baked-tofu sandwich they have is pretty good.”