Shake it up

Team Broderick FTW: Expect a Midtown restaurant scene shake-up this June, with a new Broderick Roadhouse and rebranded versions of Capital Dime and Trick Pony.

Broderick founder Chris Jarosz inked a deal last week to put a Broderick at the Wahoo’s Fish Tacos location at 1820 L Street, right across from Capital Dime.

“A large part of our demographic is Midtowners, and Broderick is really at a point that it’s so busy that the doors are falling off the place,” Jarosz said. “We really need to slow that Broderick down—it’s busier than the business can actually handle.”

And since Capital Dime’s and Broderick’s menus share pretty significant similarities—an emphasis on robust burgers, that pan-fried macaroni and cheese—it makes total sense to do away with Capital Dime.

Enter Saddle Rock. The name pays homage to one of Sacramento’s first-ever restaurants after the Goldrush, and Jarosz bills it as a totally “Sacramento” restaurant with farm-to-fork fare that’s more upscale than Capital Dime but still remains casual. And it’ll be prepared by the widely celebrated young chef Kevin O’Connor, previously of Blackbird Kitchen & Bar. Jarosz admitted to normally controlling his restaurants’ culinary directions, but he’s giving O’Connor free rein at Saddle Rock.

Trick Pony, meanwhile, has been closed for a few weeks. An announcement on Facebook suggested it would be rebranded as Piccola Citta, an all-Italian osteria concept, in May. As it turns out, that was a little hasty. Trick Pony will actually be a fine dining establishment called Localis—that’s Latin for “local.” Chef Christopher Barnum—most recently the executive chef at Cibo 7 in Roseville—will lead the kitchen. The cuisine won’t just be Italian, rather Mediterranean with potentially some Eastern European influences.

“[O’Connor and Barnum] are guys I feel are really ready to break out as the top chefs in town,” Jarosz said. “I’m totally excited about the fact that these guys are going to help us take our business to the next level.”

Divey: If you want a cappuccino and your friend wants cold-pressed juice, you finally have somewhere to go: Insight Coffee Roasters with Sun & Soil Juice Company at 16 Powerhouse (1615 16th Street). The spot opened last week, offering a few of Sun & Soil’s creations at a time inside a full-scale, beautifully designed Insight. We’re still waiting on Orchid Thai Restaurant & Bar and the new Magpie Cafe to open at 16 Powerhouse as well.