Jennifer Fergesen is senior editor for Comstock’s magazine. She writes about food for publications around the world and has received awards for her reporting on the restaurants of the global Filipino diaspora. See her work at jcfrgsn.journoportfolio.com and globalcarinderia.com.
By this person
Neighborhood Favorite: Chulla’s Cafe
A political-scientist-turned-restaurateur brings a globalist approach to African fusion
The Chulla’s Cafe menu borrows influences from African,
Asian, Latin American, South European and Pacific coastal
regions.
Neighborhood Favorite: Kehaulani’s Cafe
French technique meets Hawaiian and Filipino comfort food
At Kehaulani’s Cafe in Vallejo, the loco moco starts with short
ribs braised for 12 hours.
Neighborhood Favorite: Manchurian Indian Cuisine
A West Sacramento restaurant takes a gamble on Indian-Chinese fusion
This fast-casual restaurant serves a cuisine that germinated in
Kolkata’s Chinatown and is now popular across the
subcontinent.
How ‘Sewer Credits’ Are Bringing New Life to the Old Campbell Soup Manufacturing Plant
A first-of-its-kind credit program is helping to fund the
redevelopment of a former soup factory in south
Sacramento.
Following the Grapevine
Family business close-up
From the corporate world to a rolling piece of land, a
husband-wife team runs Bella Grace Vineyards in Amador
County.
Neighborhood Favorite: Taiwan Best Mart
A homemade sausage business grows into a popular restaurant
“It all started with the sausage,” says Christine Chang, the
second-generation owner of Taiwan Best Mart.
A Natural Selection
New Sacramento wine bars highlight the Capital Region’s natural winemakers
Small, iconoclastic wineries, vineyards and bars may be set to impact the California wine scene in the same way the microbrewery boom challenged “Big Beer.”
Status Check: University of the Pacific Reopens After Major Changes
The University of the Pacific’s three campuses in Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco have reopened — with COVID-19 vaccinations required.
Encouraging Economic Equity
Deneva Shelton, the Sacramento community manager of JPMorgan
Chase, wants to use her expertise to increase Sacramentans’
financial opportunities.
Neighborhood Favorite: Konditorei Austrian Pastry Café
How a ballerina and a baker built a Viennese pastry shop in Davis
Anyone who has visited the coffee houses of Vienna will see the
resemblance between those venerable institutions and Konditorei
Austrian Pastry Café in Davis.
How an Expert in U.S.-China Trade Adapted to the Pandemic
Margaret Wong, a leader in U.S.-China trade for over three
decades, used to travel between the two countries up to eight
times a year. Here’s how she shifted gears when the borders
closed.
Neighborhood Favorite: Gaspachos
Four siblings bring a Michoacan specialty to Franklin Boulevard
Gaspachos in south Sacramento does not serve gazpacho, the
Spanish chilled tomato soup. Here and in Morelia, Michoacan,
gaspacho is something else entirely.
New Life for Iconic Sacramento Spaces That Closed During the Pandemic
A new generation of entrepreneurs is bringing fresh concepts to restaurant and bar spaces that shuttered in 2020.
On the Rise: Juliana Almanza
Meet 12 young leaders who are shaping their industries and the Capital Region
Juliana Almanza is chief of staff of the West Sacramento-based construction trade association Associated General Contractors of California.
This Food Box Helps Families and Small Farmers
Growing the Table is a statewide initiative that connects farmers
from underserved communities with families in need.
The Oldest Opera House in the Sacramento Valley Reopens (Again)
The Woodland Opera House reopened June 15, 1896 after a fire destroyed the original building. On June 15, 2021, it reopened after a different crisis.
Neighborhood Favorite: Amazon Grill
A nonprofit serves Brazilian takeout out of a former school cafeteria
Amazon Grill is operated by the nonprofit Brazilian Center for
Cultural Exchange of Sacramento, which serves as a hub for the
Capital Region’s Brazilian community.
A Culture of Deeper Learning
Mary Wardell-Ghirarduzzi, University of the Pacific’s inaugural vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, on her plans for the role
Comstock’s spoke to Wardell-Ghirarduzzi about what she plans to
achieve at her alma mater.
Incubator Lab for Food and Ag Tech Startups Opens in Woodland
A startup incubator aims to bring a new generation of food and
agricultural technology innovators to the Yolo County
seat.
Neighborhood Favorite: Elena’s Kitchen & Catering
A Carmichael deli offers a culinary tour of the former Soviet region
To walk along Elena’s deli counter is to explore the diversity of
the former Soviet republics.
Comstock’s Wins 14 California Journalism Awards!
All our winning stories, designs, photographs and illustrations from 2020
Comstock’s stories, designs, photographs and illustrations won
awards in 14 categories in the California Journalism Awards,
hosted by the California News Publishers Association. Here’s a
list of all our awards, with links to the winning content.
How Cornish Pasties Got to California
Grass Valley’s Cornish pasties are a remnant of the town’s mining history
Cornish pasties are an edible trace of the gold rush, connecting
Grass Valley to a global history of migration and
extraction.
Neighborhood Favorite: Aria Afghan Restaurant
A former translator brings Central Asian flavors to North Highlands
Aria Afghan Restaurant in North Highlands serves a cuisine that
hails from the crossroads of South and Central Asia,
including one dish that takes over 10 hours to make.
Neighborhood Favorite: Chévere
A Salvadoran restaurant in Arden Arcade attracts a vegan fanbase
One year into the pandemic and two into its existence, Chévere
has managed to hang on with a combination of flexibility and
dedication to its craft.
Women in Leadership: Mary Paasch
Our annual salute to extraordinary women who are shaping our future
The Capital Region depends on water resources engineers like Mary Paasch, principal engineer and vice president of Stantec.
Changing the Skyline
How the National Association of Women in Construction is attracting women to a historically male-dominated field
Women make up less than 10 percent of workers in the construction industry. NAWIC sees opportunities in that gap.
Women in Leadership: Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou
Our annual salute to extraordinary women who are shaping our future
Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou is a partner and cofounder of the restaurant group WM Restaurants and holds the title of Advanced Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Art Exposed: June Steckler
A painter and curator learns it’s easier to manage other people’s art and finds gifts in aging
June Steckler is optimistic about the Capital Region’s art scene
and her role in it as both artist and curator.
Neighborhood Favorite: Naija Cuisine
Sacramento’s only Nigerian restaurant gets a boost from TikTok
Fufu is a West African staple food made from boiled, pounded
cassava or other starches, and it’s trending on TikTok.
Comstock’s Talks: Game of Skill (The Next Chapter)
PODCAST: In December 2019, a few months before the fastest drop in global stock markets in financial history, Mark Otero launched Alice Capital, a hedge fund designed to bypass emotion. This profile is part of The Next Chapter, in which we check in with Capital Region professionals who moved into new pursuits or retirement after successful careers.
Game of Skill
The Next Chapter: Mark Otero uses his gaming background in algorithms to program his quant hedge fund
In December 2019, a few months before the fastest drop in global
stock markets in financial history, Mark Otero launched Alice
Capital, a hedge fund designed to bypass emotion.
Comstock’s Talks: The Next Chapter Series
PODCAST: Listen to a six-part series about Capital Region professionals who found new pursuits after successful careers.
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.
Leading With Energy
SMUD CEO and General Manager Paul Lau on reaching zero carbon emissions by 2030
Comstock’s spoke to Lau about leading the country’s sixth-largest community-owned electric utility and about his plan to reach zero carbon emissions within 10 years.
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.
Our Top Stories of 2020
Look back on 2020 with a list of our top-read stories and our editors’ favorites.
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.
Bridging the Digital Divide
Sacramento funds free tech-training programs for workers displaced by the pandemic
The City of Sacramento is banking on the relative health of the technology sector and other insulated fields to help displaced workers get back on their feet.
Pellet Pitchers
Family business close-up: Knotty Wood Barbecue Company invents a new use for old almond trees
Tens of thousands of acres of almond orchards are pulled up each
year in California. Knotty Wood is out to put those trees to
better use.
Workforce Woes
Women have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic
In September, women made up 80 percent of the people who dropped out of the workforce. We asked the first female president and CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce about the reasons behind the discrepancy.
Great Expectations at UC Davis
University announces a $2 billion fundraising campaign
A wide range of projects and initiatives on and off the Davis campus are set to be funded by the campaign, called Expect Greater: From UC Davis. For the World.
Community Connections
Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Cathy Rodriguez Aguirre on the resiliency of the Latino business community
Comstock’s spoke with Rodriguez Aguirre about SHCC and how it has worked to meet the needs of its members during the pandemic.
Status Check: Culinerdy Cruzer Heads East
Food truck founders Keith and Amy Breedlove plan to open a restaurant in Oklahoma
Culinerdy Cruzer, which was part of Sacramento’s first wave of gourmet food trucks when it opened in 2014, is hitting the highway next month.
Resetting in Historic Folsom
The return of dining is important to the vitality of Sutter Street — but challenges exist
Folsom’s Sutter Street banks on its dining options to draw foot traffic. Now, the community is working to lift restaurants out of record-breaking lows.
Emerging Leaders: Chelsea Minor
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Chelsea Minor has spent the months of the coronavirus pandemic ensuring that customers are informed about new measures and adaptations at the 126 supermarket locations that Raley’s operates.
Emerging Leaders: Lisandro Madrigal
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Lisandro Madrigal knew 2020 would be a landmark year for Chando’s Enterprises, the Mexican restaurant group he started in 2010. But after dining rooms closed in March, every taco, burrito and mulita had to be packaged to go.
A Kick-Start for Startups
Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Executive Director Cameron Law on entrepreneurship and its role in the recovery
Comstock’s spoke with Law about the ways both the center and the local entrepreneurial scene are evolving in the face of a crisis.
Prepping for Success
Meal prep delivery services thrive in the Capital Region
In the Capital Region, a homegrown meal prep market has been thriving for years. There are more than a dozen meal prep services in the region, ranging from the home-based and dubiously legal to nationally distributed brands.
Business as Usual in Homebuilding
Construction workers are considered ‘essential’ in California’s shelter-in-place order
Across the Capital Region, construction continues as usual on housing, infrastructure and other projects, even as workers in other sectors shelter at home.
Follow Her Lead: Raksmey Arun Roeum-Castleman
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Raksmey Roeum-Castleman, administrator at Telecare Corporation, oversees 25 employees in three health care programs at Telecare, teaches health, kickboxing and yoga at San Joaquin Delta College and collaborates with Southeast Asian advocacy organizations around the country.