My Favorite Sacramento

1. Charles Shaw $2 Chuck. Recession Proof.

There are other things I like about Trader Joe's: the friendly service, the cashews, the heirloom tomatoes, but the clincher is the cheap good quality booze. I was a wine snob. I used to go to Trader Joe's  and was quite disappointed in the selection, not a fan of barefoot, went wine tasting every weekend, you know the story and then I discovered the joy's of $2 Charles Shaw wine that tastes like a $10 dollar bottle! (disclaimer:some batches are better than others) I still love Chateau Montelena's $100 dollar Cab the best. It is worth it and tastes like a bouquet of flowers in your mouth and all that but 2 buck chuck is decent and saves you a whole $98 dollars. They also have great Russian $10 vodka that rivals vodka twice its price. You don't have to pay for the advertising.
2. Zelda's Chicago Style Pizza

 This place is a midtown institution. It is like pizza crack. I just got back from New York and Chicago and did not find pizza better than this. It is Chicago style without being overly thick. The decor and atmosphere make it worth a trip to sit in, but order your pizza before you show up so you are not waiting in agony. My favorites are the spinach or the pesto, so garlicky.  It was once known for the rather curt service but now it is very good. but don't take my word for it.