Silver Linings
The pandemic has crushed most of the tourism industry, but some businesses have defied the odds
  While many small and not-so-small businesses were roiled, some
  have seen a windfall with people desperate to hop in their cars
  and do something, anything, besides cook another dinner at home
  and watch more Netflix.
      Hooked on Hot Chicken
A confluence of food-business trends is behind Sacramento’s fried chicken fad
  Sacramento has been invaded by Nashville-style hot chicken.
      Flour Power
Long-term wheat research undertaken by UC Davis combats food insecurity
  A 20-year study led by a UC Davis scientist and his
  colleague at the University of Haifa in Israel was
  recently recognized by the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural
  Research and Development Fund.
      Neighborhood Favorite: South Area Market
  Neighborhood Favorite is a new monthly web column that profiles
  independent restaurants around the Capital Region to showcase the
  diversity and resilience of our local food entrepreneurs. In the
  first installment, we visit one of Sacramento’s longest-standing
  Lao restaurants.
      Taste of Normalcy
Placer County’s mandarin orange growers are having another bountiful season
  As farmers and event organizers adapt to climate change and the
  ongoing spread of the pandemic, mandarin oranges have offered a
  bright taste of normalcy during grim times.
      Businesses on the Brink
What do basketball, ballet and parties have in common? All 3 live-event industries are in trouble
As pandemic shutdowns intensify, more than a third of jobs in three California industries that rely on events — sports, performing arts and catering — have already disappeared. And they’ve been slower to recover than the state workforce as a whole.
      Promise for New Proteins
Advancements in the alternative-protein space ignite in the Sacramento area
  In September, UC Davis was awarded the first federal funding
  given to a university to research cultivated meat, positioning
  the Capital Region to serve as a hub of the advancing
  technology. 
      Brand of Brothers
Jonathan and Matthew Burgess are rebuilding a family legacy — and helping other food entrepreneurs start their own
  As they talk up their brands from Cambridge to Nashville, the
  brothers are working to build generational wealth for their
  families — and to reclaim the value that might once have been
  associated with the Burgess name.
      Startup of the Month: Unfold
Breeding seeds for vertical farms
The future of vertical farming begins on the genetic level. That’s the philosophy of Unfold, a Sacramento-based startup focused on innovating fruit and vegetable seeds to better serve indoor growing facilities.
      Getting to Know: Ryan Royster and Byron Hughes
Last Supper Society cofounders on building an experiential dining venture virtually
The cofounders of Last Supper Society describe their project as “a culinary collective that designs food experiences,” as well as “a first-of-its-kind interactive TV show.”