Northeast suburbs along Fair Oaks Boulevard. Ettore's Bakery, Selland's Pavilions, Corti Brothers grocery and the Fair Oaks Village Sunday market.
Skip Kitchen on El Camino Avenue in Carmichael is the suburban gourmet burger counter north of midtown, the chef-driven greasy-spoon institution.
Signature: Gourmet burger, Mini beef Wellingtons
Order: The gourmet burger with the mac puppies; the mini beef Wellingtons; the hand-cut fries
Tip: Closed Sunday. Counter ordering and patio. The signature joker card draw gives one diner a free meal.
Ettore's on Fair Oaks Boulevard in Sacramento runs a European cake counter with afternoon tea service and the city's most-booked wedding-cake operation.
Worth the queue: Wedding and specialty cakes
Esther Son's Estelle Bakery & Patisserie on Arden Way, Sacramento, runs a French pastry counter with croissants, kouign-amann and tarts in a warm Arden cafe.
Worth the queue: Croissants and tarts
Chili Smith Family Foods in Carmichael runs Twyla's Table plant-based bean class, the small-batch heirloom-bean operation's recurring cooking series.