essays & longform

"50 Million Americans Are Unpaid Caregivers. We Need Help," The New York Times

"Don't Tell a Caregiver to Stay Positive. Here's How to Help Instead," TIME

"Out of the Attic: A Caregiver's Rage and Jane Eyre," Literary Hub (adapted book excerpt)

"Rereading The Phantom Tollbooth in Our Year of Pandemic Doldrums," Literary Hub

"Learning on the Job: The Family Caregiver Reality," Generations

"Opinion: Caregiving Is a Vital Part of the Nation's Infrastructure Like Bridges and Roads," MarketWatch

"Collateral Damage: When It Comes to Caregiving, Women Are Already Toast," Bitch Magazine (adapted book excerpt)

"Mobilize Family Caregivers to Speed the Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines," STAT

"Take You Me For a Sponge?: How My Marriage Survived Illness and Caregiving," Catapult

Only a Motion Away, Or, Why I Flew Cross-Country to Paul Simon's Last Show in Memory of My Mom, Memoir Mixtapes

"Armed With Knowledge: Gun Violence Researcher Dr. Garen Wintemute," Sactown Magazine

"Why I Turned to Candy-Making As My Family Fell Apart," Catapult

"The Peckish Patient: Why Is Hospital Food So Disgusting?" Eater.com (longform)

"It's Still Radical For a Woman To Be Alone," Dame Magazine

"The Goddess Problem," Avidly

"Your Extra Stuff Is a Feminist Issue," Dame Magazine

"Life, Untidied: Why I Regret Decluttering," Ravishly

"The Quiet Violence at the Heart of Motherhood," Ravishly

"The Yoke of Duty: Of Caregiving and Middlemarch," Empty Mirror

"Waiting for the Coroner," Hippocampus

"Leslie's House of Nightmares," Avidly

"What Cancer Can Cost (Even With Insurance)," The Billfold

"The Winding," Baltimore Review

"How to Do the Holidays Like a Man," GrokNation

"Fire Danger: Very High," JuxtaProse

"Grandma's Secret," Brain, Child

"Marrow," Bellingham Review (finalist for the Annie Dillard Creative Nonfiction Award; Pushcart Prize nominee)

"An Inheritance," The Pinch

Food & Restaurant writing
Note: see bottom of page for full listing of past sacramento bee restaurant reviews
"The Peckish Patient: Why Is Hospital Food So Disgusting?" Eater.com (longform)

"Black Gold: Specialty Coffee Cultivation is Taking Root in California," Edible Communities

"Ask the Kitchen Witch" (column), Edible Communities

"The Diplomat Offers Warm Patio and Little Else for Diners Near the Capitol," The Sacramento Bee, 9/2018 (one-star review)

"Unpretentious and Exceptional, East Sacramento's Canon is an Instant Classic," The Sacramento Bee, 1/2018 (four-star review)

"A Scoop or Two: Ice Cream in Sacramento," The Sacramento Bee

"Halal Cuisine Has Blossomed Around Sacramento," The Sacramento Bee

Dining reviews, fall 2017–present, The Sacramento Bee

"Meet The Bee's New Dining Critic," The Sacramento Bee

Restaurant reviews and other columns, 2004–8, Sacramento News & Review

Zagat Guide to Sacramento Restaurants

"Mother Superior," Sactown Magazine

"New Mexican," Sactown Magazine

"Warm Up With Weeknight Stews," Sacramento Bee

"Mother's Day Breakfast Easy Enough for Kids to Make," The Sacramento Bee

"Holiday Appetizers," Sacramento Bee

"Picnic Season," Sunset Magazine

"Be A Picky Pumpkin Eater," Sacramento Bee

"A Neighborhood Halloween Party," Sacramento Bee

"Summer Pie, Anytime," Sunset Magazine

"Delicious Summer Picnic," Sunset Magazine

"Great Inheritance," Yoga Journal

"Basque Eateries," Via

"New Classic Holiday Desserts," Sunset Magazine

humor & Lists
"Initial Meeting of the National Parks Revolutionary Coordinating Committee," McSweeney's Internet Tendency

"My Kid Had the Rattiest Hair at the American Girl Store," The Dot

"Self-Care Tips for Senior White House Staffers," The Belladonna Comedy

"A Few of Fraulein Maria's Favorite Things," The Toast

"A Few Reminders from Your Child's Third-Grade Class Room Moms," McSweeney's Internet Tendency

"The Hotel California: A Guide to Our Amenities!" The Belladonna Comedy

"America, Do Me a Solid: Tolerate Trump Five More Days," The Belladonna Comedy

"My Broken Home Made Me a Traitor Long Before Donald J. Trump, Jr." The Belladonna Comedy

"Memo: Suggested Hiding Places for the Obamacare Repeal Bill," The Belladonna Comedy

"A Comprehensive Guide to Your New Health Coverage," McSweeney's Internet Tendency

"List: Exclusive Planned Community or Adult Film Performer?" McSweeney's Internet Tendency

travel & more
"Come Fly With Them" (cover story on woman-owned falconry center), Southwest: The Magazine (PDF available upon request)

"The Ultimate Guide to Apple Hill," Sactown Magazine (cover story)

"Here's How to Join a Rowing Team in Sacramento," The Sacramento Bee

"Hidden Treasures: Truckee," Sactown Magazine

"Meander through Pescadero, California," Sunset Magazine

"Where to Go This Weekend: Midtown Sacramento," Sunset Magazine

"On the Rise: Vancouver," Sunset Magazine

"Downtown Sacramento Without a Car," Sunset Magazine

"Cool Comfort in California's Gold Country," Sunset Magazine

"Savor British Columbia's Okanagan Valley," Sunset Magazine

"California's Hwy 116," Via

"A Dip With the Sharks in San Francisco," Washington Post

past restaurant reviews and roundups
(from The sacramento bee, with star rating, date, cuisine, and neighborhood)

four stars

Canon     ​1/12/18. New American, East Sacramento.

three and a half stars

fixins soul kitchen  12/12/19. soul food, oak park.
Camden Spit & Larder  3/7/19.  British, Downtown
Grange Restaurant & Bar     11/8/18. New American, Downtown.
Green Elephant     9/5/18. Burmese, Loomis.
Allora     5/11/18. Italian, East Sacramento.

three stars

southpaw sushi, 3/10/20. japanese/sushi, north sacramento.
kodaiko ramen bar, 1/23/20. japanese/ramen, downtown.
bawk! fried chicken, 12/19/19. american/fried chicken, downtown
shangri-la, 10/17/19. new american, fair oaks.
frank Fat's, 8/29/19. chinese-american, downtown.
NKG soul food cafe, 7/21/19. soul food, north sacramento.
melaka kitchen, 6/7/19. Malaysian, elk grove. (now closed)
TAPA THE WORLD  5/23/19. Spanish, midtown.
KOTTERI RAMEN BAR  4/18/19. Japanese, Elk grove.
Co Mai’s Kitchen, 2/21/19. Vietnamese, Downtown/Land Park. (now closed)
Cacio  12/8/18. Italian, Pocket.
Beast & Bounty, 11/21/18. New American, Midtown.
Alaro Craft Brewery, 10/3/18. Spanish/beer, Midtown.
Urban Roots, 8/23/18. American/barbecue, Downtown.
Range Kitchen & Tap, 8/17/18. American/comfort food, Roseville.
Recess Café, 7/6/18. American/sandwiches, Downtown. (now closed)
Celestin’s, 6/22/18. Creole/Haitian, East Sacramento. (now closed)
Mezcalito, 3/2/18. Mexican, Rocklin.
Com Tam Dat Thanh, 2/9/18. Vietnamese, South Sacramento.
Thai Farm House, 1/5/18. Thai, Downtown/Land Park.
Ten Ten Room, 12/17/17. American/cocktails, Downtown.
Taqueria Maya, 11/10/17. Mexican, Midtown/Curtis Park.
Yue Huang, 10/27/17. Chinese/Dim sum, Natomas.
Ciao, 6/8/18. Italian, Roseville (now closed)
Backbone Café, 4/27/18. American/health food, Downtown (Now closed)
Solomon’s Delicatessen, 9/14/18. American/deli, Davis (now closed; sacramento location review below).

two and a half stars

(solomon's delicatessen, 11/12/19. deli, downtown.
the morning fork, 10/9/19. diner/breakfast, midtown.
jannoi's app-khao papaya and noodle shack, 9/19/19. lao/thai, del paso heights.
preethi indian cuisine, 8/8/19. Indian, midtown.
gangnam ave., 8/22/19. korean BBQ, rancho cordova.
fogo de minas, 7/11/19. brazilian steakhouse, natomas
Wild rooster bistro, 5/30/19. Mexican, fair oaks.
Tiger, 3/28/19. New American/cocktails, downtown.
La Crosta Pizza Bar, 1/10/19. New American/pizza, West Sacramento. (now closed)
Green Papaya, 1/30/19. Laotian/Thai, South Sacramento.
Brisas do Sul, 2/15/19. Brazilian, Folsom.
The Other Side, 11/15/18. American/beer, East Sacramento. (now closed)
Origami Asian Grill, 10/24/18. Pan-Asian, East Sacramento.
Mas Taco Bar, 10/18/18. Mexican, Downtown.
Fujita Sushi, 7/27/18. Japanese/sushi, Arden-Arcade.
Ming Dynasty, 5/25/18. Chinese/dim sum, Downtown/Land Park.
Capital Hop Shop, 2/23/18. American/beer, Downtown. (now closed)
Back to the 80s Café, 3/9/18. American, Rancho Cordova.
Blue House, 1/26/18. Korean, Arden-Arcade.
Saigon Street Eat, 4/6/18. Vietnamese, Midtown/Curtis Park (Now closed)
Fish Face Carmichael, 10/20/17 (now closed)
The Patriot, 12/8/17 (now closed)
Grist Beer Hall, 1/16/19 (now closed)

two stars

The bank, 6/13/19. various/food hall, downtown.
freeport wine country inn & bistro, 4/11/19. American, freeport.
Echo & Rig, 7/20/18. American/steakhouse, Downtown.
Punch Bowl Social, 3/23/18. American, Downtown (Now closed)
Serpentine Fox, 11/17/17. American, Arden-Arcade.
Takata-Ya, 12/13/18. Japanese, Downtown (now closed)
Oakhaus, 9/29/17 (now closed)

one star

The Diplomat, 9/24/18. American/steakhouse, Downtown (now closed)

roundups

top 50(ish) restaurants in sacramento (cowritten with benjy egel), 3/9/21.
your takeout guide: 10 great sacramento restaurants (cowritten with benjy egel), 8/19/20.
open in a pandemic: 5 new restaurants, 6/23/20.
takeout for summer celebrations, 5/27/20.
2019 dining in review, 1/2020.
8 spots michelin snubbed in sacramento (cowritten with benjy egel), 6/4/19.
BAKERIES, 5/9/19.
tacos, 4/4/19.
brewpubs, 3/21/19.
dumplings, 1/16/19.
2018 Year in Review, 12/27/18.
Ice cream, 7/13/18.
Halal dining, 6/29/18.
Hot dogs, 5/18/18.
Sacramento takes on the Bay Area, 4/20/18.
Bar snacks, 11/24/17.
2017 Year in Review, 12/29/17.