Sushi shuffle

More Japanese in Midtown: After nearly a year, a restaurant has finally opened in the former Tamaya Sushi Bar & Grill space: Sakamoto (2131 J Street).

Tamaya lost its lease last December after 10 years of operation—a somewhat confusing transfer of power, according to The Sacramento Bee. That same report suggested the replacement would be a fusion concept, but Sakamoto is actually more of a straightforward Japanese restaurant.

The menu features some fun, interesting appetizers, as well as the usual assortment of entrees, donburi, tempura and bento boxes. There’s also a selection of udon, soba and ramen.

As with Tamaya, though, the main attraction is the sushi bar. Sakamoto’s doesn’t shine from neon lights, though: the aesthetic is less nightclub and more contemporary simplicity. Yellow dominates, greatly brightening up what was once a very dark dining room—besides those neon lights, anyway.

The sushi roll selection accounts for two whole pages on the menu, divided up into regular, cooked, spicy and vegetarian. The spicy section, in particular, is quite strong, with 18 options. Most rolls and dishes cost $10-$15.

Expansion dreams: Finnegan’s Public House (3751 Stockton Boulevard) is too popular for its own good—err, space. The tiny, seven-table, breakfast-and-lunch spot can rarely accommodate all the folks lined up to feast on eggs and pancakes.

Now, the owners want to move down the street to the vacant Mighty Kong Cafe spot, which can seat more than 60 people and also features a new, bigger kitchen. They’re asking for $375,000 in help via www.gofundme.com.

Liquid chocolate, please: With the cooler weather settling in, it seems like the appropriate time to remind you that Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates (1801 L Street) recently debuted a new hot chocolate menu, doubling its offerings. In addition to its original three options, Ginger added a single-origin hot chocolate ($6), vegan hot chocolate made with almond milk ($4.50) and mocha ($6) made with espresso from Old Soul Co.

Food writing: If you’re an avid reader of local food news, you might have noticed the disappearance of Edible Sacramento. Well, it’s coming back. Amanda Burden and Jaci Goodman, who also run Edible Reno-Tahoe, bought the company from former publisher Kirk Stauffer, and they’ve brought back Andrea Thompson as editor. According to Thompson, readers shouldn’t notice any major editorial changes, but pages will likely see more advertisements.