
Vegan Convenience
Plant-based fast food restaurants in the Capital Region target all palates
Just as meat alternatives have expanded, so have the eating patterns of people interested in plant-based food. A diverse set of diners are embracing plant-based restaurants, thanks to the proliferation of less restrictive plant-based diets.

Wine for a Cause
Jill Osur of Teneral Cellars hopes to open conversations and inspire change, one wine bottle at a time
As the founder and CEO of Teneral Cellars, Jill Osur believes in
doing well by doing good.

Startup of the Month: Optimized Foods
Davis company cultivates caviar without harming fish
Optimized Foods, a Davis-based food tech startup, has created a new kind of caviar that is sustainable, nutritious and, most notably, fish-free.

Neighborhood Favorite: For the Love of Malta
Maltese pastizzi comes in two classical forms, delineated by how the finely fissile pastry — laminated with both butter and lard — folds around its savory filling. Shell-shaped pastizzi, clamped tight like clams at low tide, conceal peas cooked to their melting point and spiced with a subtle curry that’s more English (Malta’s most recent colonizers) than Indian.

The Medium Is the Message
Boutique marketing and creative agencies parlay passion into brand identities
Boutique marketing agencies in the Capital Region consider the medium to be just as important as the message itself. They see the demand for more “unfiltered” video content on TikTok and YouTube as indicative of our need for human connection.

It’s All About the Mead
New Penn Valley establishment fills a niche
Nevada County Mead Company is one of the few places in the Capital Region that produces and serves mead, which the ancient Greeks called “nectar of the gods.”

Trust the Sushi Chef
Local chefs bring high-end omakase tradition to the Capital Region
From Japanese, omakase translates roughly to “I leave it up to you.” It is a covenant in which the diner cedes all decision-making power to the chef.

Startup of the Month: Advance Ag
Agtech company aims to bring real-time data tools to farmers
Using Internet-of-Things devices and sensors, the Sacramento-based startup analyzes real-time plant data to monitor the health and performance of crops and water soil saturation.

Neighborhood Favorite: Good Things to Eat
A mother-daughter team explore the cuisines of their heritage
With Good Things to Eat, Delcy and Elinor Steffy explore the cuisines of their heritage, including African American, Armenian, German, Hungarian and Jewish roots.

A New Year for a Changing Community
Iu Mien American leaders and entrepreneurs celebrate Lunar New Year
The Capital Region is home to the country’s densest concentration of Iu Mien people, part of a Southeast Asian nomadic tribe with roots in Southern China. Immigrant and American-born members of the community come together to celebrate the holiday and support each other.