![Marbella Sala, president of the Gardenland Northgate Neighborhood Association, was born in Mexico City and came to the United States at 5 years old. (Photos by Graham Womack)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/marbella_sala_gardenland_northgate_neighborhood_association_1.png?1713982311)
Burrito Boosterism
Northgate Boulevard revitalization effort builds on street’s Mexican food offerings
The street quietly has a lot going for it. Sacramento City Council member Karina Talamantes says that Northgate boasts a highly diverse community living up and down the boulevard.
![The premiere of the film “Behind the Apron” was followed by a reception for the art exhibit Mise-en-Place at the Sofia. (Photos courtesy of Mulvaney’s B&L)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/miseenplace.png?1713451785)
Restaurant Industry Confronts Its Mental Health Crisis Through Art, Dance and Film
Sacramento restaurateurs and artists team up to highlight and address the struggles of restaurant workers
By the end of 2018, Sacramento’s restaurant industry was reeling. That year, close to 20 industry workers — servers, chefs, bartenders and others — died from suicide or behaviors related to drug or alcohol use. In the last month of the year alone, four workers lost their lives.
![For her pop-up Pastry Cat, Nariya Charoensupaya sells classic French-style pastries with an Asian twist, like this Danish filled with kimchi and gruyere cheese. (Photos by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/dsc_1402.png?1712157960)
Pop-Up Popularity
Female chefs and bakers find success outside the traditional restaurant model
These nomadic eateries, which surged in popularity around the Great Recession, came in vogue again during the COVID-19 pandemic, often as the only option for cooks in lockdown.
![Neon lights and a playful dragon made up of colorful Japanese lanterns add a fun, whimsical splash to Journey to the Dumpling in Midtown Sacramento. (Photos by Gabriel Teague)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/gtp_5077.png?1711383953)
The Design of Dining
Restaurant owners put as much thought into their interiors as they do their food
Comstock’s took a look at three restaurants in the Capital Region where the interior design is as thoughtfully conceived as the cooking, places so special they’ll have you second guessing yourself the next time you’re tempted to order takeout.
![WowWow Chili’s Mark and Toni Groth at a chili cook-off in Bonanza, Oregon, in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Mark and Toni Groth)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/lead_groth_1.png?1710518534)
The Chiliheads of Sacramento
National chili competitions are the spice of life for Capital Region retirees — including the founders of Jimboy’s
We’re like a biker gang, but we make chili,” says competitive chili cook Toni Groth, who travels across the country with her husband Mark to fight for the title of World’s Best. Plus, Jimboy’s gives us the chili scoop.
![(Photo by Glynns Thomas)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/rayne.png?1710191595)
Women in Leadership: Rayne Thompson
Our annual salute to women at the top of their field
When Thompson attended college at Notre Dame of Maryland University, she chose to pursue her interest in psychology, hoping to “help people with their problems.” But, as fate would have it, she ended up doing that through policy rather than therapy.
![The focal point of Brissa & Co. is an oven shaped like a giant concha. (Photos by Gabriel Teague)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/gtp_1525.png?1708982460)
La Dulce Vida
Meet the Capital Region panaderos bringing creative flavors and techniques to Mexican bakery classics
Pan dulce (in English, sweet bread) is being reimagined by intrepid bakers across the Capital Region. Comstock’s recently spoke with three local panaderos who are taking pan dulce to new heights while simultaneously paying tribute to the cultural traditions and food memories that shaped them.
![The beet poke bowl at Sun & Soil Health Company, designed to be both tasty and nutritionally balanced, includes brown rice, beets and other vegetables in garlic-ginger dressing. (Photos by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/altlead_dsc_0851.png?1708564226)
Reset and Drink Up
These Capital Region cafes offer food and drink with a side of health care
Across the region, health food businesses are branching beyond acai bowls and chia-seed puddings to offer customers a broader spectrum of health programs and treatments. From juice cleanses to lattes with a side of ionic detoxification, the spread of these businesses demonstrates that customers are willing to invest in their health — and are looking beyond the traditional health care system to do so.
![Patrons line up early at Lotus Pub for a night of slow dining and drinking with friends. The inviting space was originally built in 1855 and was home to a general store and post office. (Photos by Steve Martarano)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/7-january_12_2024lotus_pub-7.jpg?1707877270)
Lotus Pub Is a Low-Key Gourmet Hideaway
A place to take your time by the South Fork of the American River
It’s the first night back after Lotus Pub’s annual two-week holiday break, and at 5 p.m. when the doors swing open on this frigid Friday in January, a line has already formed.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0224-startup-lead-template.png?1706898909)
Startup of the Month: AgriNerds
Mapping tool helps farmers track carriers of bird flu
In recent years, avian influenza (or “bird flu”) has been on a rampage, wiping out wild and domestic birds, disrupting the environment, and causing a shortage of eggs and poultry meat. The Davis-based startup AgriNerds aims to help farmers to identify potential risks and protect poultry against the threat of diseased ducks.