Indian cuisine arrived at the corner of 16th and K streets last week when Monsoon Indian Bar & Grill opened Dec. 8, and the response has been positive, co-owner Paul Singh said. “I go to Yelp, and we’re getting reallygood reviews,” Singh said. “I think it’s a good barometer, and it also gives you feedback. People take the time to go and write, and I take them seriously, even though it’s only about 10 or so so far.” Some of the most popular dishes so far, Singh said, are thechicken tikka masala, lamb Vindaloo and the samosa pakora appetizers – vegetarian-friendly pastry wraps of peas and rice. “People are coming back for additional visits, and that gives me confidence,” Singh said. Many

Monsoon Indian Bar & Grill is scheduled to open the first week of December in the building at 16th and K streets that formerly housed Spin Burger Bar and Bistro 33. “It’s going to be fresh food, prepared daily,” said co-owner Chan Singh. “This is Indian food where we use spices to enhance the flavors of the food, not overkill it.” Singh, originally from Delhi, India, came to North America in the 1990s, getting into the restaurant business in Toronto, Canada, opening his original Monsoon location. Singh said his business in Toronto is well-run by his managers, allowing him to come to Sacramento and focus on the new venture. In India, the monsoon season typically lasts from June to Septe

One walks down 16th Street on the “grid” in Sacramento and comes across two large and empty buildings at the corners of L and K streets. Both once newly operating restaurants in this energetic area have since closed their doors. The buildings, a common sight for many pedestrians and grid commuters like me, are prominent icons within the mid and downtown areas of Sacramento. The old Firestone building at 16th and K streets with its art deco details and sidewalk-fixed spot lights stands lonesome among the moving traffic and thriving businesses in the suites next door. The contemporary O Street Lofts, built back in 2005, beg for a tenant in their corner, first-floor suite with a wrap-around

Trying a new dish or exotic cuisine for dinner doesn’t have to mean a trip out to a restaurant. In the greater Sacramento area, many grocery stores and small, often family-owned shops offer all the authentic, hard-to-find ingredients needed to make anything from Italian to Japanese to Mediterranean foods for dinner. The Sacramento Press hit the streets to round up some of these ethnic grocery stores here in the city. Sampino’s Towne Foods 1607 F St. 441-2372 Hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sampino’s Towne Foods carries the essential items needed to make an authentic Italian dinner at home as well as foods made from family recipes accumulated t

In an effort to honor and commemorate California’s Native Elders, the State Indian Museum will host the 34th annual “Gathering of Honored Elders” on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.   During this special event each year, the State Indian Museum and California Indian community honor the Elders—the keepers of the traditions—for their role in passing down the important history and culture of Native California people. In addition to complimentary admission for the special “Community Day,” a sponsored lunch will be provided to the tribal Elders—which will include the ever-popular authentic Indian tacos—and is also available for purchase by Museum visitors.  Native American dancers, com

Despite several delays, a popular Natomas Indian restaurant is now calling Midtown home. Mati’s – formerly Mati’s Indian Express – opened Monday in the Fremont Building at 16th and P streets. “We passed our last inspection at nine in the morning, and we were open two hours later,” said Shawn Prasad, co-owner of the business. The move from Natomas is intended to make the restaurant more centrally located to its customers, co-owner Ranjani Prasad told The Sacramento Press last September. Mati’s has not made changes to the menu, which still serves Indian food in a style similar to Panda Express. “Now we have a lot more seating,” Shawn Prasad said Tuesday, adding that the current 2,200-sq

An Indian restaurant scheduled to open Nov. 1 in Midtown has been delayed, but it is still on track to open. “We are definitely opening,” said Ranjani Prasad, owner of Mati’s, which was formerly Mati’s Indian Express in Natomas. The new location is 1601 16th St. Prasad explained that the delay in opening was due to obtaining permits. “We’re just waiting for that one piece of paper,” she said. “They have to come check and make sure everything is OK. Once we have that paper, it will take one week to wrap up.” Prasad said she didn’t want to speculate on what day the restaurant will open. Dave Herrera, vice president of the Sacramento Branch of Colliers International, said the delay was

A popular Natomas restaurant will soon be calling Midtown home as the owners look to expand their business. Mati’s Indian Express, 3880 Truxel Rd., will close its current location Sept. 30 and move to the Fremont building at 16th and P streets before reopening Nov. 1 as Mati’s. The new, 2,200-square-foot location will double the restaurant’s size. “We want to expand,” said Ranjani Prasad, the establishment’s owner and main cook. “Most of our customers are from Midtown, and we want to be more centrally located.” It will be the first move in the restaurant’s five-year history. Prasad is from the Indian community in Fiji, and she said she learned to cook at a young age from her mother, wh

Practice your Gourd Dance and dust off your drums — it's time for a pow wow. The 15th Annual Sacramento Pow Wow begins Friday, Aug. 14 in O'Neil Park (715 Broadway) and will continue through Aug. 16. "A pow wow," according to Master of Ceremonies Thomas Phillips, is a "coming together or gathering of our American Indian people for ceremony, song, dance and feasting." Although pow wows were created by the Algonkin tribe as a designated time and place for ceremony, it has evolved into today's meaning. In Phillip's eyes, pow wows now signify "a venue for preserving and maintaining our rich and colorful culture to pass down to the next generation." University students were the first to recog