The beginning of peach shake season at Whitey’s, a drive-in that opened in 1963, is a buzzed-about occasion in the Sacramento area, and like summer itself, all too fleeting. Luckily the Whitey’s Special — two thin patties, American cheese, bacon — springs eternal. Also of note is the Hot Chihuahua, a snappy, steamed-then-grilled hot dog wrapped in a tortilla surrounded by melted cheese, hot sauce, and onions.

The lack of windows at Jamie’s and the perpetually low lighting makes it feel like a perfect day-drinking spot, and the hearty, meaty fare serves as a great base for an Anchor Steam or martini, day or night. Restaurant critics for the Sacramento Bee have designated Jamie’s as having the best club sandwich in town and the best clam chowder, and they’ll get no argument here due to the presence of real, carved turkey in the former and a hint of sherry in the broth of the latter. They also serve a juicy, garlicky steak sandwich, house-smoked meats, and a net-full of seafood specials daily. Jamie Bunnell, who opened the place in 1986, passed on in 2017, but Jamie’s hasn’t changed a bit.

Frank Fat’s is heading strong into its ninth decade. Within the last few years it has been awarded as a James Beard House American Classic, and recently was one of three Sac restaurants to receive a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod. The pink-and-gold, dark and clubby interior will make you feel like you’re in an ’80s action movie set in Miami, and the big, beautiful mai tais will mess you up. Best bets come from the appetizer selection, including the beef-and-pork-stuffed yu kwok dumplings. You absolutely must double down on your mai tai sugar rush by finishing the meal with Frank Fat’s deservedly famous banana cream pie.

Just say the word “spinnocoli” to any Sacramentan and you will get a blast of either hate or love. That’s because spinnocoli — a sauceless pie topped with spinach and broccoli — is the most controversial pizza flavor at Sacramento’s most divisive pizza restaurant. Those who love Zelda’s Chicago-style deep dish really love it, while those who don’t will spread malicious rumors, like, “The dough is made with Bisquick.” Disregard this slander, and settle in for a wait under the black sparkle ceiling as they make you Sacramento’s best deep dish pie.

This tiny 30-year-old Czech cafe brings a whiff of Cold War ambiance to sunny Sac. A star of the menu is the shatteringly crispy, golden pork schnitzel, served simply as two thin patties that fill up an entire plate, topped with lemon wedges and accompanied by a boat of housemade spaetzle in a thin gravy. The cabbage rolls are even homelier, and also delicious, tart, and smoky from paprika.

Sacramentans who have moved away will hit up Jimboy’s as soon as they get back to town: It’s the kind of fast food craving that can get indelibly stamped on your soul. In 1954, Jimboy’s was started by a Swede in the Lake Tahoe area, and spread to Sacramento in the ’60s. The majority of its franchises currently operate in the area. The orange grease of the iconic, ersatz parm-dusted ground beef taco is nicely cut by a bottle of Modelo (the best locations serve beer), and the taco burger must be tried to be believed. Pickles in a taco shell? Now I’ve seen everything.

Thirty-three years ago, when Bologna-born Biba Caggiano’s eponymous restaurant Biba opened, it was certainly the only restaurant in Sacramento at which one could experience a reasonable facsimile of a meal in Italy. This is arguably still true today. Biba sadly passed away recently at the age of 82, and the city is still in mourning. She had been too infirm to cook there for years, and the legacy of the restaurant will be carried on by chefs that she trained. On a recent night, the grand piano was still tinkling under the Thiebaud-esque portrait of Biba, the famous lasagna was still silky and comforting, and the sophisticated menu (rabbit, nettle tagliatelle) is still wonderfully Italian. Viva Biba!

Stagecoach, open since 1978,  has kitschy, western-themed décor and a Southern-leaning, massive breakfast menu. Most breakfasts are served with the choice of home fries or grits — buttered or fried — and homemade biscuits can sub for toast. Catfish nuggets, shrimp, and liver and onions can be had with your eggs and biscuits, as well as the standard bacon and sausage options. For fans of this maligned dish, they offer the only scrapple to be had on a menu in Sacramento. Saddle up.

When Corti Brothers grocery was almost priced out by a rival tenant in 2008, it created a tidal wave of angst and merited a write-up in the LA Times that quoted Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters. Thankfully, Corti Bros prevailed and is still going strong in its seventy-second year, especially the deli, especially at lunch time. Passions can run high when the throng of customers is three deep at the deli case, but the counter workers operate with factory-floor precision and the wait between order and sandwich gives you time to peruse exotic liqueurs that share the aisle. Many regulars are devotees of the Corti special, a kind of suicide sandwich with a tower of meats (prosciutto, ham, mortadella, salame) that changes from maker to maker. Grab a meatloaf sandwich or breaded, fried eggplant on a soft roll with fresh mozz and heck, a bottle of rompope or cardoon amaro for good measure.

Fans of the Little Cactus Special will fight for its title as the best breakfast in Sacramento, That’s Nopalitos’ take on chilaquiles: a fluffy egg disk laced with the restaurant’s eponymous nopales, corn chips, corn kernels, and cheese, and topped with red or green salsa (get both) and sour cream. The Southwestern-adjacent menu that owners Rose and Dave Hanke created in 1992 is entirely unique to the area. Other must-try Nopalitos items are the tamale bowl (more like a creamy polenta bowl), the chicken tinga anything, and a hunk of moist coffee cake.

Sacramento’s old timey food fans held their collective breath when it was announced that 60-year-old Sam’s had been sold, and then again when it was going to close for a month for “remodeling.” Would it be the same old Sam’s? The good news is that it was re-bought by descendants of the original Sam, and the closure included a deep clean and an addition of more vegetarian items but no change to the décor and feel. You can still belly up to the long wooden bar and get a frosty mug of draft German beer. You can still enjoy the hand-carved prime rib or a Reuben with house-made pastrami.