Seldom do I go someplace new and immediately become a fan. It happens, but it’s not the norm. A Part Café on Roseville’s Vernon Street is one of those places. They took on Covid-19 and all its restrictions to open in late Summer 2020, and the reviews have been outstanding. They’re most well-known for their shwacos and pocket pies—the former being a portmanteau for shawarma (a Middle Eastern-style of spit-cooked meat, usually served on pita bread) and the ubiquitous Mexican/American taco. The meats are rubbed in APC’s special shawarma spices, then smoked in applewood, and the results are like no taco you’ve ever had. Their mint barbecue sauce (za’atar), cumin/yogurt/white sauce, and Thai pepper shatta are all made in-house and add depth to the one-of-a-kind creations. Shwacos come in lamb, chicken, beef, or vegetarian (stewed fava beans or smoked portobello mushrooms) on a pitatilla (fluffy flatbread) topped with herbs and pickled onions. The pocket pies remind me of when I used to work next door to a piroshki (meat-filled, deep-fried hand-pies from Russia) shop, except these are baked in a flaky crust, not deep-fried. Pocket pies come in spinach and cheese, shakshouka (spicy stewed tomato and egg) and cheese, and beef with tahini. The café has many other specialty goodies, too, plus full plates of their popular items, “Family Shwaco Meal Kits,” sweet treats (the tahini chocolate chip cookie can’t be missed), and nitrogen-infused mocktails…truly setting them apart  from the region’s other restaurants.

Bawarchi, 2085 Vine Street, Suite 102, El Dorado Hills, 916-222-8222, edhbawarchi.com; 711 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Suite 140, Roseville, 916-633-6000, rosevillebawarchi.com
TRY THIS: Chicken Manchurian (batter-fried boneless chicken tossed in hot ginger and garlic sauce)

Fusion Taps, 194 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 120, Folsom, 916-790-8324, fusiontaps.com
TRY THIS: Fusion Hot Wings (deep-fried chicken tossed in a spicy sauce loaded with sliced jalapeños, Thai chili peppers, and chopped garlic)

 

GyroStop, food truck so locations vary, 916-304-4976, gyrostopkebabg.com
TRY THIS: Loaded Fries (choice of meat over seasoned French fries; topped with cheese sauce, tahini, tzatziki, onions, tomatoes, and feta)

Kobe Sushi & Fusion, 3300 Coach Lane, Cameron Park, 530-672-9210, kobecameronpark.com
TRY THIS: Ahi Poke Tacos (spicy ahi tuna salad with avocado, cilantro, lettuce, and spicy mayo on corn tortillas)

Koja Kitchen, 4210 Rocklin Road, Rocklin, 916-259-1513, kojakitchen.com
TRY THIS: Braised Pork Koja (miso-coconut braised pork, arugula, wonton chips, garlic aioli, masago, and lemon in between lightly fried garlic rice buns)