Comstock's magazine 0919 - September 2019 | Page 36

n TASTE
Patrons gather on the patio of the Shangri-la,
which opened this summer.
When she saw a for sale sign on a
large corner lot at the site of a former
mortuary, she was inspired. She loved
the “cool” vertical windows and flat roof
that had a 1960s architectural feel. She
envisioned a Palm Springs-inspired re-
sort, complete with palm trees.
Shangri-la features a 360-degree bar
that opens outdoors to a 6,000-square-
foot child- and dog-friendly patio with
fire pits and two bocce ball courts. “In
Sacramento, we love to be outside,” Pe-
terson says. “We have great weather nine
months out of the year. If I was going to
do something, I really wanted that out-
door space. I didn’t want to just build a
restaurant.”
Customers can order craft cock-
tails, such as the Corpse Reviver, which
pays homage to the former tenant, and
dine on homemade pasta. “I wanted to
do something different with more of a
fine-dining twist, but still keep it neigh-
borhoody and approachable,” Peterson
says.
Another restaurant, Wild Rooster
Bistro, opened in July 2018, serving Mex-
ican food such as street tacos, tostados
36
comstocksmag.com | September 2019
and burritos. And around the corner,
O Cafe opened in January 2018 with a
French flair. Owner and chef Christophe
Jusseaume was a pastry chef at Freeport
Bakery and went on to open his own
restaurant in France. Now settled back
in Sacramento, Jusseaume serves pas-
tries, including chocolate croissants and
lemon tartlets, along with quiches and
stuffed galettes, a thick crepe.
Along with the new restaurant scene,
the Fair Oaks business community is
working together to spruce up and mod-
ernize the village. The Fair Oaks Village
Enhancement Commission has created
new sidewalks, restriped walkways, in-
stalled new lighting and planted trees
using county and federal grant money.
William Mercado, co-owner of the Wil-
liam Charles Salon and president of the
commission, says FOVEC also has post-
ed street signs, called Way Signs, that di-
rect drivers around the winding village.
Their next project is to add parking.
Mercado says FOVEC wants to attract
the right mix of businesses to the small-
town feel but unique enough to attract
outsiders. Wright says a good example
is the Sunflower Drive-In, a vegetarian
restaurant that’s been around since 1978
and is well-known outside the area for its
nut burgers and tacos.
Carolyn Fisher and her husband,
Vince Nicholas, of Citrus Heights were
married at the park in Fair Oaks Village
after Vince discovered the village when
a friend invited him to Fair Oaks Coffee
Shop & Deli.
“It’s just off busy Sunrise Boule-
vard, but as soon as you enter the village
square, it’s like stepping into a different
world,” Fisher says. “It’s a charming,
quaint, insulated little area. It’s our fa-
vorite place to go for a romantic date, but
it’s also perfect to spend the day there
with our kids too.” n
Judy Farah is a veteran journalist and
writer who has worked in the New York,
Los Angeles and Sacramento markets.
Read more of Judy’s work at www.
judyfarah.com and find her on Twitter
@newsbabe1530.