Tacos forever

Mexico, for the win: Need to shake up your taco routine? Now is the time. Just in the past month, a bunch of Mexican eateries have opened in the Sacramento area.

The newest is the reincarnation of Cafe Soleil, formerly in Cesar Chavez Plaza. While Cafe Soleil served American food with some Mexican dishes, Soleil Mexican American Cuisine (2790 Stockton Boulevard) serves Mexican food with some American dishes. That means breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, street tacos, quesadillas, tostadas and enchiladas—plus some sandwiches, like turkey and tri-tip, and salads, including a chicken Caesar. The bright-orange kiosk most recently housed Sacto Chicken Co., which served Caribbean fried chicken until it closed in February. Prior to that, it was an orange-freeze stand.

Local minichain Carolina’s Mexican Food has opened its sixth location downtown (906 J Street). The menu offers breakfast burritos, rolled tacos, carne asada fries and chimichangas, along with the usual taqueria options. Another local minichain, Super Taco Mexican Restaurants, moved its Calvine location slightly to 8325 Elk Grove Florin Road. The space is bigger, sporting its usual Mexican cantina look.

Then there’s El Bramido Mexican Restaurant and Bar (2394 Northgate Boulevard) in north Sacramento, which features a full bar and emphasis on seafood. In addition to eight shrimp preparations, there’s fried fish, seafood soup, ceviche and more. El Bramido also offers the usual assortment of tacos, burritos, tortas and nachos, plus molcajete, menudo on weekends and all-day Mexican breakfast.

Chinese sweets: Another small Asian market opened in downtown Davis: Ho Ho Market (132 E Street, Suite 140). Ho Ho mostly sells Chinese products—noodles, beans, sauces—with lots of Chinese snacks and candies. If you grew up with Chinese parents, then you know: Yan Yan, Pocky, Hello Panda and Hi-Chew, those delightful, not-too-sweet gummies. Yum! Tastes like childhood. It fills the void left by the Inconvenient Store, the Asian snack shop that closed two years ago.

Downtown Davis still has Kim’s Mart (628 4th Street), which serves some Japanese and Chinese products but is chiefly a Korean market. And a Thai market, Tarad Thai, is due to open at 902 Third Street, Suite C.