Community, culture and cuisin

New bistro Munchie Man opens downtown

By AMBER WARNKE — features@theaggie.org

Munchie Man, a brand new restaurant, opened on Nov. 3 at 113 D St. in Downtown Davis. It promises “creative comfort food with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavors" and is open to customers Tuesday through Sunday.

The restaurant owner, Christopher Fairman, is Sacramento local, and has worked in the culinary industry for over 20 years, having managed and bartended for multiple restaurants in Sacramento. Fairman has worked on his idea for Munchie Man since 2023, drawing inspiration from aspects of his personal life.

“It's kind of like an autobiography of my life through food,” Fairman said. “Most of the dishes all come from some part of my life, whether it's a restaurant that I've worked at, or a dish that I've had somewhere in the world traveling. It's all personal for me.”

Having cooked and traveled in Thailand, Japan and Mexico city, Fairman brings an international angle to his diner, which includes fusion dishes such as Mexico City Tostadas, Chiang Mai Chicken Bites, Thai Tea Panna Cotta and Shrimp Red Curry. 

Jake De La Hoya, Fairman’s husband, is also part of the business, working as the social media and marketing manager. De La Hoya joined Fairman on many of the travel experiences that inspired the menu, which he said captures many of these meaningful memories.

“We have a papaya salad that's inspired from our travels from Thailand, so we definitely have a lot of international places that we've been to that are reflected on the menu,” De La Hoya said. “I love watching people who I love achieve their dreams.”

The location was chosen with as much intentionality as the menu, according to De La Hoya, who reported hoping that it causes people to slow down and enjoy their time at the restaurant. 

“[The restaurant] is kind of nestled away there, like a hidden gem off D Street, as opposed to G Street, which is hustling and bustling and doing all the things,” De La Hoya said. “We really appreciate sort of the slowness and […] still kind of being in the heart, but a little bit off the beaten path.”

As much as Munchie Man hopes to stand out for its food and location, Fairman also emphasized customer service as a central part of the restaurant experience.

“One of the things I tell servers is that how we can really stand out in Davis is just having really good hospitality,” Fairman said. “It’s just the little things — how you present yourself to the table when you're speaking to them, knowing the menu well, just overall making sure that people are having a positive time.” 

Customers so far appear to be enjoying the service just as much as Fairman intended, with the restaurant averaging a five-star rating on Yelp. 

Behind the scenes, the restaurant staff are committed to fostering a positive environment. Benjamin Pruner, a longtime chef, is the sous chef of Munchie Man, and has put his own personal spin on the menu with his signature Pink Room Deviled Eggs.

“We take the hard boiled, and we put them in a brine with red beets so it dyes the eggs pink naturally so there's no artificial dyes in there, and then put just a little bit of pickled shallots and some fresh gill on top, so it has that little tanginess from the pickled shallots but that really nice fresh herby bite from the dill,” Pruner said.

Overall, Pruner said that he hopes the unique food served at Munchie Man and distinctive atmosphere will lead it to become a positive part of the Davis community for years to come.

“I hope we're just gonna be a nice, relaxing environment for people to come, hang out, bring your family, have a beer [...] and just have an overall great time,” Pruner said. 

Written by: Amber Warnke — features@theaggie.org