Sacramento makes Eater's list of 12 places to eat this year
SACRAMENTO — Sacramento's food scene is once again on a global stage as the city was named by Eater as one of its top 12 places to eat this year.
The popular food publication made a list of a dozen cities around the world that have vibrant food scenes. Some of those include cities in Egypt and Japan, and out of all the cities across the United States, Sacramento made the list.
Using a network of global contributors, Eater included Sacramento in a list of cities "hitting their stride" in 2024, noting California's capital city is in the midst of a culinary revival thanks to the city's access to fresh produce and wine.
"It's pretty cool that we get to hang our hat on ingredients first," said Chris Barnumdann, owner and chef at Localis.
Localis is a Michelin-star restaurant that sits at S and 21st streets.
Barnumdann's pride for farm-to-fork extends beyond his menu, describing where each ingredient comes from - and what makes it special in each dish.
"We just want them to know that this is a very personal restaurant," he said. "This isn't owned by a large corporation. It's just me and this incredible team."
This isn't the first time America's Farm-to-Fork Capital has been recognized for its restaurant scene.
Just two months ago, the city gained attention after being featured in a New York Times article highlighting its status as the farm-to-fork capital.
"Sacramento has long been thought of as a foodie capital, but it's really elevated that now to a higher level of sophistication," said Scott Ford, economic development director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.
With 14 Michelin-listed restaurants in the city featuring highly diverse menus, Ford expects the city's recognition to continue.
"It's really exciting to take a step back and really appreciate what Sacramento is becoming," he said.
Barnumdann shared what he thinks is next on the menu for Sacramento.
"It's not going to take long before big-name chefs want to start doing restaurants in Sacramento," he said.
There are more than 1,700 restaurants in Sacramento.