New to the area

Wonder how chefs get to know the food in a new region? I asked Anthony Brenes, the new chef at Enotria Restaurant & Wine Bar in Sacramento, what restaurants he is, or was, eager to try when he landed in the Sacramento area in January. He’s been pretty busy, he said; he’s almost entirely revamped the menu at Enotria (retaining the staple paella) and plans to change the menu every six to eight weeks—but he’s checked out a few local spots, and wants to hit at least one new place:

“I definitely want to try Ella, but I haven’t had a chance to go over there yet. I’ve heard a lot of good things about that restaurant.

“I went to Waterboy. That was really fun, with a nice atmosphere. I had an appetizer of their marinated anchovies, and some good sweetbreads.

“55 Degrees. That’s a really nice restaurant. I had a foie gras and fig dish the chef was working on that day that was really good.”