Crowds flocked to Apple Hill , including Abel ’ s Apple Acres , with many families looking for safe outdoors activities during the coronavirus pandemic . PHOTO BY KEVIN CHRISTENSEN give people an opportunity to come downtown and experience the urban core ? It promoted al fresco dining and outdoor yoga programs and , perhaps most visibly , rolled out a 65-foot Ferris wheel in October , which lured 11,000 riders in its first two months , Ault says . “ We ’ re trying to be creative ,” says Ault , although even the most inventive plans can struggle in the face of COVID : The Waterfront Wheel was forced to temporarily shut down because of updated pandemic restrictions .
Local businesses have embraced the same creativity , also to mixed results . The Firehouse restaurant in Old Sacramento shifted patrons to its outdoor patio , using dim lighting , fountains and an array of plants to maintain its highend ambiance , before December ’ s surge in COVID-19 forced it back to takeout only when Gov . Gavin Newsom instituted rules based on ICU bed capacity in five regions in the state . De Vere ’ s Irish Pub in Sacramento ’ s downtown similarly extended seating to the sidewalk after the City of Sacramento relaxed its rules , until December .
On Placerville ’ s Main Street , Enchanted Forest Dining Experience made its outdoor seating feel like exclusive enclaves . “ They ’ ve gotten pretty dang creative with moving their businesses outside ,” says Franklin . And in downtown Sacramento , chef Adam Pechal launched pop-up restaurants within Tiger Beer and Food Hall , focusing on takeout . The annual Farm-to-Fork Festival Tower Bridge Dinner was reframed as “ dinner to go ,” giving a lifeline to more than 30 local restaurants , including Mulvaney ’ s B & L , The Wandering Chef , Frank Fat ’ s , and Mayahuel .
Mayahuel , owned and operated by Ernesto Delgado , is a block from the Capitol . “ I always build my restaurants on destination types of location ,” says Delgado , so a drop in tourism and local foot traffic would be crushing . He tried a few things to stay competitive . He lowered prices , whipped up a new online menu , focused on to-go orders .
“ My whole concept was to deliver my indoor experience to their dining room at home ,” says Delgado , who hoped to offset the gap in tourism with more deliveries to locals . It has had mixed results . To-go orders can be a tough sell for higher-end restaurants such as Delgado ’ s , because part of what patrons are paying for is the ambiance . “ My limited menu didn ’ t quite work out ,” Delgado says . “ My guests always want what they want . If the guests want mole , I ’ m going to give them mole .” He soon switched back to the more complete menu and has stayed afloat , in part , thanks to the assistance of programs like Great Plates Delivered ,
February 2021 | comstocksmag . com 61