Holiday in Cordova

Certain lowbrow white people refer to Rancho Cordova as "Rancho Cambodia," thanks to the large influx of Southeast Asians to the area during the past 10 years, but you’ll hear no such slur from me. That’s because, 1) I’m not a racist and, 2) interspersed between the fast-food joints that dominate your typical Rancho Caucasian landscape, you’ll find Vietnamese gems like Andy Nguyen #2. Here, in a space that’s considerably larger than the restaurant mini-chain’s Broadway location, you’ll find the same excellent, affordably priced Vietnamese cuisine that’s made Andy Nguyen a household name in Sacramento. From fat spring rolls stuffed with shrimp, mint leaves and vermicelli to rice plates brimming with barbecued shrimp, beef, chicken or pork, to clay pots steaming with Vietnamese-style soup, Andy Nguyen has the dish to match your appetite. Getting in for dinner is fairly easy, but be warned—the place is packed during lunch. Sometimes, being No. 2 can be a good thing.