A community staple for nearly three decades, Zia’s continues to receive recognition for its excellence

By ANTHONY W. ZAMMIKIEL  — features@theaggie.org

Students at UC Davis have selected Zia’s Delicatessen as the Best Sandwich in Davis, with 41.2% of survey participants selecting it for its sandwiches, which have become a Davis delicacy for nearly three decades.

Owners Kevin and Anne Marie Crilly opened the restaurant located on 3rd Street between E Street and F Street in 1995, and the restaurant has become a fixture in an ever-changing downtown scene since. 

Zia’s has received community recognition, including awards from local publications such as the titles of Best Sandwich Restaurant in previous years’ Best of Davis and Editorial Consideration from The Davis Enterprise. The recognition that Zia’s has received even extends beyond Davis into the larger Sacramento food scene.

Sally Guglielmo, a Davis resident who moved to the city from San Francisco, said that she appreciates how Zia’s has maintained its traditional Italian heritage and its commitment to a positive dining experience.

“Zia’s is like that little slice of Italian heaven here in Davis, and it is such a good thing to have such an experience like that here, and I think that it is seriously one of the best things that I have ever had,” Guglielmo said. “Moving from [San Francisco], I thought that I would have to give up that feeling of coming home to a family meal, but Zia’s is easily on par with everything that I’ve had the pleasure of eating when I was in the Bay [Area].”

Isabel Hernandez, a Davis student who is originally from Southern California, said that the restaurant reminds her of the local Italian delis that she would frequent with friends and family.

“Growing up in the valley down in [Southern California], you have all of these places that I just love, and some of my favorite places have the fondest memories for me,” Hernandez said. “And I can’t help but smile anytime I walk into Zia’s and order something. It just feels like home.”

Written By: Anthony W. Zammikiel  — features@theaggie.org

Cheeto’s comforting presence has permanently won the hearts of animal-loving students

By LEV FARRIS GOLDBERG — features@theaggie.org

For the second year in a row, Cheeto the cat won best campus animal in The Aggie’s Best of Davis student survey. The beloved orange tabby beat out a crowded field of campus animals for the award, including the Arboretum ducks, dairy barn cows, sheepmowers and campus squirrels. Cheeto received 56.7% of the vote, beating the other candidates and claiming the highly competitive award.

Cheeto, who can be found prowling the steps of the physics building or dozing in the bushes nearby, is known for his warm personality, playful antics and winning smile.

The campus cat even has his own Instagram account, @cheetodaily, with over 9,000 followers and counting. Its creator, a fourth-year UC Davis student who has chosen to remain anonymous, knew about Cheeto before even committing to Davis. Upon coming to campus, they made it their mission to meet the friendly feline.

“He was napping in the bushes at the physics building and I was immediately so excited to meet him when I first spotted him from a distance,” the administrator of the account said. “I came up to him and […]  my day was immediately 10,000% better. From then on, I kept visiting him throughout the quarter and grew to love him more and more.”

The account was started in 2019 during the administrator’s first quarter.

“He played a huge role in getting me through my first quarter here, and I remember seeing other people having similar stories about how his presence always brought them joy,” the administrator said. “That’s when I realized I wanted to share that same joy and happiness with others who may not be aware of Cheeto.”

Asked to comment on his award, Cheeto responded, “Meow. Meow meow, meow.”

First-year design major Helen Cordova Mendez first met Cheeto last September. Just like @cheetodaily, Mendez said that her encounters with Cheeto always leave a lasting impression on her days.

“Seeing Cheeto is like a little mental break and helps relax me if I’m ever overthinking or stressed,” Mendez said. “When I first came to UC Davis, I was told [that] if he touches you, you will pass your classes. He came up to me during winter quarter, and I passed all my classes.”

First-year agricultural and environmental technology major Clarissa Tsue tracked down Cheeto during her first week at Davis and said that she thinks the award is well-deserved.

“I think that Cheeto deserves the Best Campus Animal [award] because he’s friendly and likes people, unlike the ducks, squirrels and wild turkeys that are out and about,” Tsue said.

Tsue visits Cheeto three to four times a week. 

“I sometimes get pet-sick missing my dog at home, so Cheeto is a nice replacement,” Tsue said. “His friendliness really helped me grow more confident in liking cats; some might even say I’m becoming a cat person!”

Written by: Lev Farris Goldberg — features@theaggie.org

The sarcastic meme account takes the title for the second year in a row 

By KAYA DO-KHANH — features@theaggie.org

The Instagram account @ucd_affirmations was voted by UC Davis students as the Best Davis-specific Instagram Account for the second year in a row this spring, winning with 34% of the vote.

The account consists of heavily edited memes that feature sarcastic and relatable affirmations themed specifically around UC Davis students’ experiences. One recent post reads: “I will not crash in a bike circle. I am #aggiesafe.” Another says: “I will not be stopped by CALPIRG on my way to class. They will not make me uncomfortable and pressure me to listen to them, especially when I am late.”

The administrator of the Instagram account, who is a third-year civil engineering major who wishes to remain anonymous, created the account two years ago after seeing other collegiate affirmation-meme accounts and noticing that UC Davis did not have one. The account quickly gained followers, and its current follower count is at 5,700. 

“I’m very honored to win Best of Davis twice in a row,” the administrator said. “I really appreciate all of the people who support my account. More than anything, I’m really proud of the community I’ve […] built, and the people that I’ve connected with through my account.”

Some of the content that receives the most engagement includes content focused on finals, the Davis weather and commentary about the university itself, according to the admin. 

“[I] based a lot of the posts about things that occurred in my day-to-day student life or things that happened to people who sent their experiences to me,” the admin said. 

Second-year agricultural and environmental education major Brisa Garcia said that she started following the account as a first-year because of its humorous and relatable content. She said that she was thrilled to hear about the account’s Best of Davis recognition.

“I appreciate that they take time out of their day to make us laugh,” Garcia said. “I continue to follow this account because it genuinely makes me laugh and feel connected to everyone else at Davis.” 

The account seeks to provide UC Davis students with a sense of community by poking fun at experiences that are unique to being an Aggie. 

“I think that students feel less scared about situations when they see posts about [them] and are able to sort of realize they aren’t alone,” Garcia said.

Delilah Becerra, a second-year environmental science and management major, said that the account was deserving of the title because of its widespread relatability among students. 

“[The content posted is] lighthearted humor about the struggles of Davis students, and I think when people know other people are struggling like them, it’s a comfort,” Becerra said. 

Written by: Kaya Do-Khanh — features@theaggie.org

The ICC helps undergraduate and graduate students search for internships and jobs that are right for them

By JADE BELL — features@theaggie.org

Voted this year’s Best Student Resource Center by 29.1% of surveyed students is the Internship and Career Center (ICC). Don’t be fooled by the close race though  — the ICC has plenty to offer. The center provides helpful starting points for students’ job and internship searches via workshops, career fairs, resume and cover letter review services and more.

Third-year English and history double major Ally Tolman is a student assistant at the ICC, and talked about one of their most-used services.

“I think one of the most popular things we see people ask for help on are cover letters,” Tolman said. “I even asked for help from people on my team about my cover letter. I think the appointments are 15 to 30 minutes; it’s really quick, but they’re very thorough.”

In addition to these advising appointments, the ICC offers other career support services. One of these is their workshop series “Hacking the Hidden Job Market,” which tackles how to find jobs that are not widely advertised, as well as their “Interview Basics” workshop.

“I didn’t even know until I started working for the [ICC] in August that they offered assistance solely for finding jobs,” Tolman said. “I don’t think most people know that they offer that aside just from resumes and cover letters — that’s definitely underutilized by students.”

Students also can be misinformed about their ideas of application time periods, according to Tolman.

“I think a lot of students think it’s too late for them to apply to things or struggle with the application time period,” Tolman said. “I think a lot of students worry when it’s spring quarter that it’s too late to apply for summer internships. But I think what I’ve learned at the ICC is that […] it’s never too late to apply for anything.”

The ICC is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Undergraduate students can attend drop-in peer advising or schedule an appointment with a career advisor to “explore career options, practice interviews, conduct in-depth job and internship search, and review application materials,” according to their website. You can also sign into Handshake to explore their upcoming workshops or peruse their online calendar of events. 

Written by: Jade Bell — features@theaggie.org

The truck’s consistency and customer service earned it 59.8% of students’ vote

By SONORA SLATER — features@theaggie.org

In a lot of ways, the college experience doesn’t fully live up to the romanticized vision we tend to mentally curate throughout middle and high school. Reality somehow seems to involve less love triangle-induced drama, more calculus and an unexpected degree of stress about whether or not a squirrel is going to run directly into the path of your bicycle. But at least in one way, the UC Davis experience meets and even exceeds adolescent dreams of collegiate dining decadence through on-campus food trucks. 

The joy of stepping out of a two-hour lecture and walking 10 feet away to order the craving of your choice from a small window and recognizing the person taking your order after months of semiregular visits, followed by a niche serotonin of carrying your meal the short distance to the Arboretum to sit on the lawn, people watch and revel in the feeling of your hunger being satiated is an experience that can only be provided by on-campus food trucks. And one of these rises above the rest; according to 59.8% of student voters in this year’s Best of Davis survey, Shah’s Halal Food deserves the title of Best Food Truck in Davis.

Shah’s is parked on campus next to the Silo five days a week and serves halal-certified Mediterranean food, including chicken, lamb and falafel platters and gyros. Bashir Yarzada, the manager of the truck, talked about why he believes their truck has won so many students’ hearts (and stomachs) over.

“We are always available to them,” Yarzada said. “Plus, we have good quality, non-fried food and good portion sizes.”

He went on to say that the truck’s top-selling item is its chicken over rice, noting that it serves between 12 and 13 buckets of rice a day. Many students love the truck specifically for its rice, according to Yarzada.

One student who had just received her order confirmed this claim, saying, “I come here for the rice!”

Yarzada, who has worked with Shah’s Halal Food since 2015, said that he especially likes the on-campus location of Shah’s because of the customer base. 

“There are a lot of students and a lot of educated people,” Yarzada said. “We don’t have problems with customer service because people are very nice to us; I really appreciate the customers for how kind they are, and we try to do our best for them.”

While he was talking, several ducks waddled up to the window and began to quack at the employee working at the time.

“See, even the ducks like it here!” Yarzada said with a laugh.

Written by: Sonora Slater — features@theaggie.org

An approachable introduction to chemical engineering through the process of brewing coffee

By LILLY ACKERMAN — features@theaggie.org

Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur, chemical engineer, both or neither, the 2023 Best General Education (GE) Course winner, ECH 001: Design of Coffee – An Introduction to Chemical Engineering, has something to offer. It might just be the next GE for you. 

Receiving 30.2% of the votes in a tight race for best GE course, Design of Coffee has been a UC Davis staple for undergraduates since its inception. It was first introduced as a freshman seminar in 2013 and after receiving positive feedback, it was converted into a lab course.

The course was co-created by professors William Ristenpart and Tonya Kuhl, who teach it together every quarter. Ristenpart also serves as the director of the UC Davis Coffee Center. 

According to Ristenpart, ECH 001 is designed to give students with no prior experience in the field a fun introduction to chemical engineering. It is this approachability that helps the course attract around 2,000 undergraduate students per year from a variety of majors. 

“There are no prerequisites — so there’s no calculus, no advanced chemistry — nothing that you need from college,” Ristenpart said. “All you need is what you studied in high school. So the way we make it approachable is we take the admittedly pretty complicated concepts in chemical engineering, break them down and, most importantly, illustrate them with hands-on activities in the coffee lab.”

The course is composed of one hour of lecture and two hours of laboratory work each week. The lab component is the course’s biggest attraction; this is when students are able to see chemical engineering in action through the lens of coffee brewing. 

“You can talk about pH all day long in chemistry, but if you go and measure it and taste the increase in sourness as the pH drops (lower pH is more acidic), you have a much more visceral understanding for what pH levels mean,” Ristenpart said.

Lauren White, a fourth-year forensic chemistry major, took the course in spring of 2022. She wanted a fun experience with a unique lab since she had finished up a lot of her required coursework at the time. 

“I chose to take it because a lot of people when I first came to college talked about it being a great, fun class to take — both as a science and non-science major,” White said. “I just wanted something fun that’s not going to be the biggest concern of the world, but I still get to go to a lab.”

Mary Matlack, a third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major who took the course in winter of 2023, said that the laboratory allowed students to explore how different methods of brewing and roasting affected the final coffee product.

“I would never have thought of how much goes into making just one cup of coffee — energy, water and the different components of literally just the coffee beans themselves,” Matlack said.

The course also provides a fun way to work with peers; the laboratory culminates in a competition between lab groups to see which can brew the best-tasting cup of coffee using the methodology learned throughout the course. 

“I think it was really fun to meet new people,” Matlack said. “My groupmates were super funny and nice, so it was nice to get to have that class interaction. I feel like I don’t get to have that in a lot of my other classes.”

Ristenpart and Kuhl set ECH 001 into motion a decade ago, and they have maintained a serious investment in the class since then, which is part of why it remains so popular every quarter.

“I liked how involved the professors were in the course,” White said. “My lecture professors showed up in lab, and they talked with us and they helped us through things and worked with students. I’ve only ever in my four years of college had one other class where the professor has done that.”

Both White and Matlack would recommend the course to other students. It is offered every quarter, so if you get the chance, consider ECH 001 as an option to give you some GE credit and a new perspective on coffee, something many of us drink daily without thinking twice. 

“I hope [students] take away two things,” Ristenpart said. “The first is an improved understanding of how you could use science and engineering principles to analyze anything, including, for example, a cup of coffee. The second thing is, I hope people come away with a better appreciation for coffee.” 

Written by: Lilly Ackerman — features@theaggie.org

Personalize your cup of joe only at Philz Coffee in downtown Davis

By BRANDON NGUYEN — features@theaggie.org

Receiving 41.3% of students’ votes in yet another close competition against Mishka’s Café, Philz Coffee has been named the Best Coffee in this year’s Best of Davis. It’s no surprise that Philz has become a staple for UC Davis students to kickstart their mornings or fuel their afternoons, as it offers tailor-made cups of joe as well as a hub for studying.

Customers line up to try the chain’s famous blends, including the sweet and aromatic “Philtered Soul,” the bold and spicy “Jacob’s Wonderbar” and the smooth and creamy “Mint Mojito.” The store’s team of baristas, trained in Philz Coffee’s signature “Philz Way” of brewing, are ready to cater these blends to every customer’s taste and preference. 

One of the managers at Philz’s Davis location is Bonovan Natoli, who offered insight into what makes Philz unique from other coffee shops in town.

“I would say the fact that we don’t do lattes, americanos or espresso-based drinks is what makes us different,” Natoli said. “Everything here is pour-over, whereas other coffee shops typically have their own pre-made coffee blends. We specialize in just making the best coffee that we can. We keep it simple.”

Phil Jaber is the founder of Philz Coffee, whose mission is the principle that, “something as simple as a cup of coffee has the power to transform your everyday into something special” according to the cafe chain’s website. With this in mind, Jaber traveled around the world and visited thousands of coffee shops to taste and uncover blends that made perfect cups of coffee. The first Philz opened in 2002 in the Mission district of San Francisco, providing customers with “better days one brewed-to-order cup at a time.” 

Having been a long-standing chain with its very own location just a few blocks from campus on the corner of E Street and 2nd Street, Philz is an easy choice for students looking for a caffeine boost between classes. But it’s not just the convenience that has made the coffee shop a hit among students — it’s the quality of the coffee itself.

Given its history, Philz is known for carefully crafted blends, each one made from freshly roasted beans and brewed specifically to meet customers’ taste preferences. This attention to detail has won over many UC Davis students, like Angus Chen, a fourth-year English major.

“The service at Philz has always been something I’ve thought every restaurant or cafe should mirror, possibly even more than making the drinks themselves,” Chen said. “They always ask you whether or not the drink tastes how you like at the counter and will take it back to adjust it on the spot if you ask them to.”  

In addition to its unique coffee blends, Philz Coffee also offers a variety of pastries, sandwiches and other snacks, making it the perfect spot for a quick breakfast, lunch or afternoon pick-me-up. The Davis location also boasts a spacious and laid-back storefront with ample seating options both indoors and outdoors — making it the perfect place for students, like fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Gabe Deflin, to enjoy a warm cup of coffee.

“The ambiance at the Davis Philz location is what you expect a college town coffee shop to be — studious, smells like coffee and friendly,” Delfin said. “Philz might be a franchise, but it’s a lot less intimidating than other Davis coffee shops and has such a wide selection that it can even cater to those who don’t drink coffee as often.”

Echoing Deflin’s sentiments, Chen pointed to the attractive nuance that Philz adds with its welcoming environment and decorations specific to this location.

“Ultimately, what makes Philz unique is the format and service of the cafe, and somehow, the place itself encourages you to stay inside for a while and enjoy the drink or food you’ve bought from them,” Chen said. “You can see the baristas pouring your coffee over the high counter, which is not typically present in other locations. In addition to stellar service, they have decorations on the wall, like the bikes and Aggie merch that make the Davis location feel special, despite being a chain cafe. To me, Philz isn’t just a place to grab-and-go.”

So even if you may not be a coffee enthusiast, it’s recommended to experience the unique flavors and handcrafted approach of Philz Coffee at least once. The Davis location is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. So why not stop by and try one of Philz Coffee’s famous customized blends for yourself?

Written by: Brandon Nguyen — features@theaggie.org

By RUMA POUDELL — features@theaggie.org

If you’re looking for an authentic Thai dining experience in the Davis area, Thai Canteen is the place to be. The restaurant was voted the best spot for Thai food in Davis by 59.7% of those who took the Best of Davis 2023 survey, and for good reason — it’s a hallmark of authentic cuisine and family-owned businesses. 

Attracting a range of customers, from students to Davis locals, Thai Canteen guarantees customers will be met with affordable prices, authentic food and speedy service. 

Owner Nipanuj Devahasdin came from humble beginnings, immigrating to the U.S. from Thailand and beginning her career working at a restaurant during her years as a student in Roseville, CA. 

Upon finishing her studies,  she said she “tried finding a city that fit [her] and that [she’s] gonna like,” which turned out to be Davis. She said the biking culture, as well as the diversity of people, were two things that she didn’t find in other cities like Roseville. After enjoying her experience as a restaurant worker and seeing the opportunities it can provide, she decided to open Thai Canteen in 2010 along with a second restaurant in midtown Sacramento with her brother.

The restaurant’s style of service is oriented to fit the busy and hectic schedule of the college students they serve — as well as their limited budgets. 

While some other food spots adjust the menu options and prices over the course of a day, the menu and its prices are consistent at Thai Canteen. As a former student herself, Devahasdin says, “Why do I have to buy the pad thai at lunch and then later go for dinner and pay [a] higher [price] for the same exact pad thai?” 

Unlike some restaurants where customers have to wait to be seated, sit down, wait for the server to take their order, wait some more, finally get served the food and then wait for the bill again, at Thai Canteen, you enter, order and pay right away, have the option to self-serve certain items, get served your food once it is ready and then leave at your own convenience when you’re finished. 

Thai Canteen’s manager Ittichai Ananpaisit has worked in the restaurant business for 20 years and has been the manager at Thai Canteen for one year. He explained that the restaurant’s focus is on quality and remaining true to its home. 

“Ingredients are imported directly from a private supplier in Thailand — Thai tea, rice, curry — basically everything,” Ananpaisit said. “Even the head chef was recruited from a 5-star restaurant in Thailand as well.” 

Flavors are kept spicy with no aim to adapt to milder palates, so customers are getting a taste of what food would actually taste like in Thailand. 

Each meal is made to order, so nothing is ever pre-made or reheated. Either the head chef or the owner trains every staff member in the kitchen on how to properly cook the food. These practices ensure that each meal meets high standards. 

Along with consistent, high-quality food, the ambiance of the restaurant itself is very chic. It features bright green decorations contrasted with much more muted, wooden styles and dark tones, along with high ceilings and great lighting. 

“I really enjoy the food and the vibes in Thai Canteen. I particularly enjoy the fried rice and the Pad Thai. It’s one of the best restaurants in Davis,” said Sanskar Bhartia, a second-year computer science and statistics major and a regular at Thai Canteen. 

Ananpaisit recommends customers order the Panang curry noodles next time they’re at Thai Canteen. 

“Thank you so much [to everyone who voted in the Best of Davis survey],” Ananpaisit said. “I promise to make the service better and food affordable always.” 

Written by: Ruma Poudell — features@theaggie.org

By SARAH HAN — features@theaggie.org

Davis Creamery is a family-owned business located in downtown Davis. It is open daily from Sunday to Thursday from 12-10 p.m., and from 12-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The creamery’s main mission is to foster a “welcoming, enjoyable environment for all ages,” according to its website. They also frequently partner with local businesses, student organizations and nonprofits to hold fundraisers. 

As a go-to dessert shop for UC Davis students and the greater Davis community, the ice cream shop is loved by many. Alexa Lehnus, a second-year English major, commented on why Davis Creamery is a local favorite.

“I like Davis Creamery because it’s a staple of Davis, so it seems to have a personal feel to it,” Lehnus said.

Cameron Tescher, a fourth-year wildlife, fish and conservation biology major, explained why the dessert spot garners a wide range of people, from college students to children and adults.

“Because it’s a small business that is in downtown with great ice cream, it is worth going to for a great number of people,” Tescher said.

One reason Davis Creamery’s ice cream is so delicious is because the product is hand made in small batches, incorporating fresh and local ingredients into every flavor. They also have a “rotating menu,” so flavors change regularly.

Lehnus elaborated on the diverse flavors provided for customers to enjoy.

“[The creamery] has a lot of cool flavors to try out along with basic ones,” she said. “I personally like the coffee Oreo flavor. It’s basically my two go-to flavors in one,” Lehnus said.

In addition to classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate, the creamery also has more experimental ones, like banana bread, cherry cheesecake, ube, avocado coconut, cardamom rose and others. During the holidays, they sell seasonal flavors such as eggnog, candy cane and pumpkin chai.

“The different sherbets [are good],” Tescher said. “However, the fun flavors of ice cream are great.”

The store does not only sell ice cream though — cookies, caramel apples and macaroons are just a few of the other dessert options available. 

Lily Jacobson, a first-year international relations major, recommended some of her favorite ice cream and other desserts.

“[I like] ice cream flavors [such as] coffee, cookie butter [and] ube,” Jacobson said. “[For] other desserts, [I like the] cookies [and] sticky toffee pudding.”

Additionally, customers can mix and match desserts: upon request, employees can make cookie ice cream sandwiches, customized milkshakes and even lava cake sundaes.

Davis Creamery also provides catering for weddings, birthdays, proms and more, so you can enjoy its ice cream wherever and whenever.

Whether you want to stop by for a quick treat or try out new ice cream flavors, Davis Creamery is sure to satisfy those sweet cravings with its ice cream and a plethora of tasty alternatives.

“I think a lot of people consider it a staple — people say good things about it and it seems like a place new students should try,” Jacobson said. 

Written by: Sarah Han — features@theaggie.org

With its head in the books, students feel represented by Bookhead’s dedication 

By ADHITHI ANJALI — arts@theaggie.org

For another year, UC Davis students vote for their picks of the Best of Davis, from restaurants to our iconic Eggheads. 44.4% of surveyed UC Davis students named Bookhead, the Egghead stationed right in front of Shields Library, as the best Egghead on campus. 

When picking a favorite, it’s clear students are thinking about campus culture and which Egghead best represents all of us. Sure, Eye on Mrak has a gleeful, carefree aura and the Yin & Yang pair in front of Wright Hall look like they have a great relationship going on. But Bookhead speaks to students most because they know the feeling it portrays well. 

“He’s literally me,” Rami Hemsi, a second-year philosophy major, said. Indeed, who hasn’t simply put their forehead to a textbook, hoping to just absorb the knowledge? 

“It’s a pretty accurate representation of the reality of being a UC Davis student,” Nicodemus Colloredo-Mansfeld, a fourth-year international relations major, said. Art imitates life, so they say. 

Bookhead’s supremacy is not unchallenged though. Second-year political science major Lucero Castañeda says that while Bookhead “represents the student population the best,” her favorite installation is See No Evil/Hear No Evil, which is found on the way to the Mondavi Center. “I appreciate a good love story,” Castañeda said.

Created by the late UC Davis professor Robert Arneson, the Eggheads were some of his final works before his death in 1992. These installations remain an integral part of campus identity and ceramic art history. Arneson, along with other California-based ceramic artists, pioneered the ceramic “Funk Art” movement. Characterized by intense expression, often vulgar humor and audience engagement, the Eggheads definitely get the art historians and laymen alike fired up all over campus.

Written by: Adhithi Anjali — feathures@theaggie.org

UC Davis students pick Mikuni for the best sushi in Davis

By FAITH DEMEULENAERE — features@theaggie.org

Sushi lovers in Davis have spoken, and their top pick is Mikuni.

The restaurant has won over the hearts of many, including second-year food science and technology major Courtney McDaniel. 

“Mikuni is great when you are going out with friends,” McDaniel said. “Sharing a party platter is relatively affordable when split, and the food is amazing. I am obsessed with their garlicky edamame, and their fish is good quality. Anything with raw tuna or salmon is my go-to.”

Another Mikuni fan, fourth-year environmental science major Kelly Weihrauch, said she voted for the restaurant because of the menu. 

“The ‘Saving Nemo roll’ and the ‘freaky edamame’ are my favorites,” Weihrauch said. 

For Weihrauch, the food isn’t the only draw; she said she also loves the vibe of the restaurant. 

“The atmosphere is really great, and I always feel so welcomed when I come here,” Weihrauch said.

Mikuni is also a place where employees feel like they’re part of a community. 

“I’ve been at Mikuni for a little over six months now and feel really at home among my coworkers,” Sam Schick, a waiter at Mikuni in Davis, said. 

Schick adds that many of his coworkers are in a similar age range, and living in a small town like Davis allows them to connect easily outside of work. He also praises the training and mentorship he’s received at Mikuni. 

“I came into the job with no restaurant experience, but received excellent training and still find myself learning new skills and building my confidence with every shift, something I really value and something that gets me actually excited to go to work,” Schick said.

Schick said his favorite roll is the Japanese Mafia, which he describes as “spicy tuna and crab, with avocado and torched salmon on top.”

 According to Schick, the chefs at Mikuni are constantly experimenting and looking for new ways to elevate their dishes. 

“Our chefs are incredible, always striving to develop their craft and find new ways to elevate our already delicious fresh fish to new heights,” Schick said.

So whether you’re looking for top-quality food, a sense of community or unique dishes, Mikuni is students’ top choice for sushi in Davis. 

“Something that drives me as a server [is] to give our customers the best front-of-house experience possible,” Schick said. “I want nothing to be taken away from the excellence of the chefs and the sushi-eating experience they create.”

Written By: Faith DeMeulenaere — features@theaggie.org

Upper Crust Baking has become a staple for the Davis community — from their farmers market stand to their G Street storefront 

By DANIELA DULA MEJIA — features@theaggie.org

 Many Davis community members and students found Upper Crust Bakery at the farmers market and have become regulars at this local gem since. Their delicious array of bagels, bread and pastries is what keeps students coming back. 

The main Upper Crust location is at 634 G Street, next to the Davis Food Co-op. The shop has a welcoming atmosphere and customers can browse the bakery’s full range of fresh baked goods at the storefront. 

“Producing good food and feeding people good food is

a rewarding experience,” said Upper Crust Owner Lorin Kalisky.

The bakery was originally founded in 1986 and is the only second-generation family bakery in the Davis area. The original owners were Lorin’s parents, Trudy and Mo Kalisky. Lorin began working at the bakery alongside his parents when he was a high school student and continued to work throughout his time in college at UC Davis when on breaks from school. Both Kalisky and his parents are UC Davis alumni. 

In 2016, Kalisky took over the family business and dedicated himself to the baking trade full time. He expanded his baking skills through formal classes and experiences working with top bakers in the U.S. and in Europe.

Rachelle Taveau, a third-year international relations major, is a regular customer at Upper Crust Baking. 

“As someone who grew up in Europe, when you’re looking for fresh baked goods, Upper Crust is one of the first things you kinda look into,” Taveau said. “Especially as a European looking for good bread.” 

In the past couple of years, Kalisky said that the bakery has been able to do well despite the COVID-19 pandemic because of the strong community of customers it has. 

“We have a lot of really loyal customers,” Kalisky said. “It’s super gratifying to know people appreciate what we are doing.” 

A bakery is an important resource for a community, said Kalisky. Rachel Curtis, a UC Davis alum and community member, said she has fond memories of visiting Upper Crust with friends during the holidays. 

“I would meet up in the little shopping area where Upper Crust is and stop in for a snack like the minute that it opened,” Curtis said.

Upper Crust is a great spot for students to grab a coffee with friends or share a piece of delicious bread. Their storefront is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Their baked goods can also be found on Saturdays and Wednesdays at the Davis Farmers Market.

Written by: Daniela Dula Mejia — features@theaggie.org