Paragary’s – Sacramento Restaurants (part of an occasional series)

(Last UPDATED 5/19/23) Description and review of Paragary’s, a popular restaurant located in Midtown Sacramento. NEW: See Paragary’s Revisited and UPDATES below.

Randy Paragary opened  Paragary’s in Midtown Sacramento in 1983, introducing Sacramento to its first wood-fired pizza oven.

I have been frequenting Paragary’s since the restaurant first opened.  Its food is consistently good, and the staff is always pleasant and helpful.

Dining outside on the patio when the weather allows is something I particularly enjoy.  The patio features a fireplace, fountains, trees, outdoor art, and assorted plants and greenery.  At night, lights twinkle in the trees.

It was dining on Paragary’s patio one summer evening a number of years ago that inspired me to re-do my small East Sacramento backyard.  While I do not have a fireplace – I do have a brick patio, fountain, trees and assorted greenery as well as outdoor lighting.  

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2015 Renovation

Paragary’s underwent a major renovation in 2015.  The restaurant is more light and airy, and it appears that the new configuration allows for more seating.  The “wall” adjacent to the patio can be opened so that those dining “inside” can in reality be “almost” sitting outside.  Very cool.

Paragary’s has always had a full bar.  On my most recent visit I enjoyed their Sangria which includes seasonal fruit – in this case – peaches.  Very refreshing.  Paragary’s “Stag Savior” (No. 209 Gin, Jagermeister, Apricot Liqueur, Grenadine, Lime, Aromatic Bitters, Absinthe) won the 2016 Regional Star of the Bar Award.   I plan to try the Stag Savior on a future visit during happy hour. 

See related blog post: Stag Savior – 2016 Star of the Bar Award.

New Menu

The menu at Paragary’s has also been overhauled.  The offerings have been pared down, and I regret to say that one of my favorite dishes – the artichoke and goat cheese calzone – is no longer offered.  In fact, only one or two pizza’s appear on the menu at any one time (under hors d’oeuvres).  The only other long-time favorite menu item still on the menu is the sliced mushroom salad.

On a recent visit six of us were dining out prior to the theatre.  Among us we ordered a variety of items from the menu including: Mary’s Chicken Liver Mousse; wood oven roasted mussels; wood oven roasted shishito peppers; mushroom and goat cheese pizza; little gem salad; Caesar Salad; and a pasta dish.  Everyone in our group commented on how much they enjoyed their meal.  

On this visit there was one minor misstep.   One of the diners had ordered the soup of the day (a cold soup) and it did not arrive prior to the main course.  At that point the waiter was asked to cancel the soup order.  As it turns out the kitchen had run out of the soup and was in the process of whipping up a new batch.  After we were finished eating the waiter appeared with a bowl of the soup (gratis) so that it could be tasted for future reference – which was very thoughtful.   

Paragary’s Revisited

(3/30/2022)  Prior to attending a recent performance of Stories on Stage at CLARA, two friends and I stopped at Paragary’s for dinner.  We did not have reservations, but were lucky enough to be seated immediately.  The weather was beautiful, and we were very happy to dine on the patio – our first choice.

COVID-19 has greatly impacted Sacramento’s restaurant scene, and Paragary’s is no exception.  The restaurants hours have changed (see Snapshot below), and there is a new policy in place in place limiting diners’ reservations to 1 ½ hours.

Two of us ordered a glass of wine, which we sipped while looking over the menu and enjoying the ambiance of the patio.  My two friends ordered:

• Rigatoni and Pork Ragu (tomato, white wine, rosemary, Calbrian Chili, ricotta salata) ($22)
• Wood Grilled Half Chicken (spinach orzo, cumin, roasted Nantes carrots, Meyer lemon, feta, pine nuts) ($30)

I ordered the Prosciutto and Taleggio Pizza (mozzarella, arugula, oregano, garlic) ($18.25).

All three of our meals were greatly enjoyed.  I had a taste of the chicken, which was exceptional.  Next time I cook chicken I am definitely going to add lemon to the seasoning mix.  I also had a bite of the rigatoni, which I would describe as “meaty goodness”.

The crust on my pizza was very thin, so I folded each slice somewhat as I ate it to keep the toppings in place.  It was very tasty, and I was happy to take the other half (three slices) home for lunch the next day.

To sum up, while Paragary’s hours have changed, and there is now a 1/ ½ time limit, what has not changed is what matters most – the exceptional food and excellent service.

Paragary Restaurant Group

The Paragary Restaurant Group operates a number of restaurants including: Café Bernardo, Centro Cocina Mexicana, Bernardo Bar, Berkley Bar, Monkey Bar, KBAR, and R15 Bar. 

Tip:  Sign up for iEAT Rewards.  Provide your phone number when you pay at any one of the Paragary establishments and earn rewards that can be used to defray costs on a future visit.

See related blog posts: Cafe Bernardo Midtown and Centro Cocina Mexicana and  21 Sacramento Restaurants Reviewed!

Updates

(5/19/2023) Paragary’s Restaurant in 2022 was nominated a Semi-Finalist in the James Beard Foundation 2022 Outstanding Restaurant award category.  I might add that a recent dinner there proved as delightful as always!

(8/17/2021)  Randy Paragary, a Sacramento icon, has died at 74.  The Sacramento Bee has done a very nice article about the man and his impact on the Sacramento restaurant scene.  (9/18/2021) Also find his obituary published in the Sacramento Bee on September 15.

(5/31/21) Additional links added.

(12/29/19)  Broken link repaired.

(10/2/19)  Snapshot added.

(6/27/17)  Paragary’s has recently announced that it is dropping weekday lunch service, but in turn is adding weekend brunch.

Comments on Paragary’s?

What is your opinion about the “new” Paragary’s?  Did you have any favorite dishes that no longer appear on the menu?  What new menu items did you enjoy?

Paragary’s Restaurant Snapshot (as of 5/19/2023):

• 1401 28th Street, Sacramento, CA  95816
• (916) 457-5737
• Dinner:  Sunday – Thursday  (5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.); Friday & Saturday (5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
• Weekend Brunch: Saturday & Sunday (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
• Parking:  Paid parking at private parking lot across the street from the restaurant; Public garage adjacent to the restaurant; Metered street parking

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