Associate Editor’s Letter

The idea for this month’s Food Issue was hatched in May 2010, when New York Magazine ran a sumptuous slideshow on their website for the “city’s 101 finest” sandwiches. I clicked, and drooled, and told Tim I would like to try to do something similar for Sacramento. He enthusiastically agreed, and that eventually led to the issue you’re now holding in your hands. Most of our contributors are “foodies” (with the notable exception of lil Joes superfan Tim Foster, which is why this is an Associate Editor’s letter rather than the usual Editor’s letter), so there was no shortage of food-related story ideas bandied about at our characteristically lively content meeting when we brainstormed for this issue.

Right around the beginning of February, I got a text from Michele Hebert, asking “have you seen the new issue of Sactown?” I quickly called up the cover image on the internet and my heart sank. The tagline was “best sandwiches” and there was a breakfast-type sandwich on the cover. Scooped! Despite the fact that I had shared a Fat Face sandwich with Sactown food reviewer Kate Washington a couple of weeks before, I’m confident that no corporate espionage was involved and that it was just a coincidence. I’ve yet to read Kate’s piece in fear that I would somehow be influenced – I’m looking forward to picking it up soon.

I’m also looking forward to signing up for Del Rio Botanical’s gourmet CSA box after reading Michele’s evocative article on this company. Michele’s profile of “powerhouse” farmer, author, and seed-producer Suzane Peabody Ashworth makes it easy to see why all the top local chefs are clamoring for her wares. Local folks with the rare combination of passion and expertise are true treasures, and we at MidMo love to shine a light on them.

One such local treasure is our regular contributor William Burg; his passion and knowledge lie in the realm of Sacramento history (and obscure noise music). This month Bill shines his light on the unsung history of the canning industry in Sacramento. Did you know that in the 1920s we had the two largest canneries in the world? This and other fascinating facts await you on page 36.

This month contributor Sarah Singleton offers a first-person account of her time attending the American River College Culinary Arts Program; her obvious respect and enthusiasm permeate the piece. In a time when for-profit colleges (some of whom offer culinary degrees) are taking the heat for fleecing their students, it’s heartwarming to read about a local community college offering a white tablecloth education at a greasy spoon price.

There’s a double scoop of Singleton in this issue – she also writes about Jason Azevedo’s ingenious meat CSA. Thanks to Sarah and Michele, I think I’m about to go from a no-CSA household to a two-CSA household in the space of a month. But I still refuse to join Facebook, so I’ll have to find out about Azevedo’s monthly “meat-ups” through good old-fashioned email.

We do occasionally step away from the sandwich, so this issue is also packed with our usual top-notch coverage of visual art, music, and – courtesy of James W. Cameron –musical theater.

A message to other local publications: if you’re looking to scoop us, next month is our “why we need an arena Downtown” issue. Just kidding! We’ll continue to spotlight the old-timey, the obscure, the visionary, the eccentric, the well-worn and the well-loved, just as you’ve come to expect from Midtown Monthly.