Food Stuff

Sacramentans shook their heads in disbelief when Merlino’s Orange Freeze entered bankruptcy proceedings a couple years ago. It was as if someone had decided to move the State Capitol back to Benicia. One of the bankruptcy victims was the original stand on Stockton Boulevard, which was shuttered immediately. The stand had been there since the mid-1940s, and its customers included generations of Sacramentans, such as former Governor Ronald Reagan. Merlino’s eventually emerged from its financial woes, but the new owners elected not to return to Stockton Boulevard. But wait—now the stand is open again, with a fresh coat of orange paint, and the name The Old Orange Freeze. Purists might find it heretical that the new owners serve freezes made by Merlino’s arch-rival, Gunther’s, but never mind that. It is nice that Sacramentans can go there once again, have a hot dog and an icy freeze and reminisce about the days gone by. 2790 Stockton Boulevard.