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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.