Sacramento, California: ‘When I look around, it feels calm, like home’ 🇺🇸

Travel guides to California tend to fixate on the iconic cities along the coast, from LA to San Francisco: this means they miss Sacramento. I learned from today’s Filter guide that Sacramento’s current and past mottos are “America’s Farm to Fork Capital” and “City of Trees” which sound pretty great and, as Andrew Dong explains below, the city has ample reason to claim both.

Born in Sacramento and raised in Hawaii, Andrew Dong has returned to his hometown and has worn many hats at Temple Coffee, from barista to trainer to social media coordinator.

Filter: What do you like to do for fun around Sacramento?

One of my all time favorite things to do in Sacramento is to float down the American River in the summertime when the water isn't too frigid and it is moving at a relatively quick pace. Not too fast though! Because that can get scary. It’s not white water rafting, it's more like a lazy river. You want the water to gently push you down so that the entire trip from the Sunrise exit off of 50 to River Bend Park, only about a 6-mile trek on bike, takes about 3 hours. I first did this about 3 years ago with some friends. We rented a blow-up kayak of sorts and trekked down the river. It was magical. It was so peaceful. After that one time I thought to myself, “I don't need to rent… i’ll just by a giant floaty myself.” Now I have a 10x14ft floating fortress that my friends and I take down the river.

Filter: If a friend came to visit, where would you take them?

In the fall of 2022, my friends from all over the States flew into Sacramento for the first ever “Sac-Fest” hosted by yours truly. On my list of places to visit I made sure to include the following…

1) Temple Coffee, obviously.

2) The Porch for brunch. This place has one of the best chicken and waffles I have ever had. I have been to Rosco’s down in LA and this is better. The portions are great, the atmosphere is wonderful, and the friends you take there will thank you.

3) Sac Yard. I love this tap.. room? It's more like a tap “area” because most of the space is outdoors. They always have a great selection of local beers and most days they have a tasty food truck you can go get food from. It has some fun outdoor games and you can hang past sundown because the entire space has lights strung across the yard! P.S. Their sour beer rotation is pretty great.

4) Canon - East Sac. Canon.. What to say about Canon. Other than the fact it has been on the Michelin Guide for several years, the bartender (shoutout Kerrigan) there introduced my wife and I to our now favorite cocktail, the Paper Plane, their menu is always rotating and fantastic, and you won’t completely break the bank. Canon has been a date staple for my wife and I ever since it entered our restaurant repertoire. Amazing food, amazing drinks, and they have great vegan and gluten-free options that will make you second guess whether they are actually those things. It is that good.

5) Scorpio Coffee (see further down for more details)

6) The Boulder Field. I am not necessarily a thrill seeker, but I cannot help the little boy in me who just wants to climb things all day long. The Boulder Field is a climbing gym that is exclusively for bouldering (no ropes—shorter, more aggressive climbing style).

7) Marie’s Donuts. Best donuts in town and you can’t tell me otherwise. It’s been there since my parents lived here back in ‘94 and they loved it then too.

8) Taqueria Maya’s. Best breakfast burrito in town and yes, Oscar’s is good, but Maya’s is second to none.

Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?

One of my favorite things to do is to visit some wineries, breweries, and cool food stops outside of town. I think people forget that Sacramento is pretty centrally located and you are just about a stone's throw away from some very cool venues. One of my favorite stops is just south of Sacramento, the Old Sugar Mill. As the name suggests, it was a sugar mill back in the day but has since changed into a venue that boasts several unique and delicious wineries. My tips: It gets very busy during holidays, but the weekdays or random weekends are the best time to visit because it’s more quiet.

Another really fun thing to do is take the quick drive to TAHOE! From downtown Sacramento to Lake Tahoe is only about 2 hours away. That is just 1 good podcast away from one of the most beautiful and scenic lakes California has to offer! It is beautiful year round. Great snowsports, great summer fun, all around 10/10. My tips: It gets wildly busy there during peak holidays and it can be expensive! Pack a lunch, carpool, take a day off during the week to save some money.

Filter: What touristy things in Sacramento are worth the hype?

Golden 1 Center / DOCO. I am not necessarily a “sports guy” but when I see the giant purple beam show up when the Sacramento Kings win a game… It's pretty hype. LIGHT THE BEAM!!

Now, the beam isn’t the coolest thing in Sacramento, but the surrounding area is preeeeeetty cool. DOCO is the area that surrounds the stadium in downtown Sac. It has several local food stops, family areas, and some good shopping. In the winter there is an ice skating rink just across the street and there are a few concert venues nearby.

Filter: Where are your favorite quiet corners, green spaces, charming walks, or hidden gems there?

Just outside of Sacramento, in Davis, you can walk in the UC Davis Arboretum. It’s a 3.5 mile trail and is open to the public. It has redwoods, beautiful wildlife and plants, and is educational (with the signs and things).

Effie Yeaw / Ancil Hoffman is a beautiful area just outside of the city limits. The park butts up against the Sacramento river and is full of deer, foxes, and rabbits.

William Land Park is one of my favorite parks in Sacramento. It hosts the Sacramento Zoo, a 9 hole public golf course, big ponds, a beautiful nature walk, and so much more. I have had many picnics there!

Filter: What's another coffee shop around there that you really admire, and what about them stands out to you?

Scorpio Coffee. Where to begin with Scorpio? The owner, Sam, is such a gentle soul who LOVES coffee and loves to highlight its special qualities. They always have very interesting coffees, international roasters, and some amazing food options as well.

There is a clear Japanese influence when you step inside. The design is very minimalistic and is aesthetically pleasing and they have one of my all time favorite comfort foods, Ochazuke, available seasonally.

Filter: What makes Sacramento feel like home to you?

There is a sense of calm here in Sacramento. I feel at ease when I walk around. I grew up in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, surrounded by nature and greenery and in Sacramento, although not tropical, you are completely surrounded by nature. Before we changed our city motto to “America’s Farm to Fork Capital” we were the “City of Trees” and when you come and visit… you’re gonna wonder why we changed it. When you look at Sacramento from the sky, you can hardly see the buildings. Just a few skyscrapers in downtown Sacramento poking out above the trees.

I am not sure if it's the trees, but I know that when I look around, it feels calm, like home.

Filter: How did you end up in the Sacramento coffee scene?

I grew up in Kailua Kona, Hawai’i but I wasn't born there. I was actually born here in Sacramento, but my family of 6 moved when I was only 4 months old. So it might not seem strange that I am back, but I never thought in a million years I'd end up living in Sacramento.

But, if there is one thing that can move mountains or take a Hawai’i boy away from Hawai’i… it’s love. I met my wife in 2016 in Southern California where we were both attending college. She just happened to be from Sacramento, born and raised. I graduated that year but she still had a few semesters left. So in the meantime I worked for a small coffee shop, Mantra Coffee Company, in Azusa. I became their “Espresso Trainer” and that is where my specialty coffee journey started. I had worked a few coffee jobs prior, but those I'd equate to more “commodity” coffee jobs.

I was there for exactly 365 days. After my wife graduated she decided she wanted to move home to be closer to family. We were only dating at the time but she asked me if I would consider moving too. My parents were both born and raised in Sacramento and my entire extended family still lived there so I had grown up visiting every summer. Sacramento was already like a second home to me, it was an easy decision. So on September 2nd of 2018, we packed up my little room in SoCal and drove my 2003 Toyota Corolla with a Uhaul trailer hitched to the back (yes, I towed a trailer with a Corolla) and drove the 400 mile journey from Azusa to Sacramento. Just 24 days later I had my first day at Temple Coffee Roasters and have been with Temple ever since. And now we’re married and starting our own little family in Sacramento, just like my parents did.

Filter: Can you share about your role at Temple?

I have worn LOTS of hats at Temple. I started in September 2018 as any other new hire at Temple would start: Register Operator (Reg Op). Then in January of 2019 I was put through the very thorough barista training which consists of 100 hours outside of the cafe in our own training room. It is no joke. After being on bar for only 3 months, in April of 2019 I accepted the role as “Trainer” at Temple Coffee. As a Trainer, I was in charge of new hire training, barista training, wholesale training, quality control, events, reviews, and so much more. I was a Trainer until August of 2023 when I accepted the position of Social Media Coordinator, and that is where I am now!

I love combining my passion for the arts with my passion for coffee. There is something magical about presenting something you love in a way that captivates audiences and makes them think, “Huh, that was funny,” or “That was cool!” Hours of work go into a 10-second video and it can get exhausting. But it all comes into focus when someone who’s never heard of Temple Coffee sees our pictures and videos and visits a cafe and has an amazing experience. I just want people to see what I see in the company—friendship and fun punctuated with a stand-out cup of coffee.

Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move, and what shop would be the biggest reason?

Oh gosh. Maybe Japan? I love Japanese culture (I am also 25% Japanese) and I think, generally speaking, they are doing some very cool things in the coffee industry. But truthfully, Sacramento has a very impressive coffee scene. So unless I was forced to move, I would rather just stay here for the coffee!

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Temple Coffee Roasters has 8 cafes throughout Sacramento, California.

Temple Coffee - K Street - Midtown

Temple Coffee - 16th Street - Midtown

Temple Coffee - S Street - Midtown

Temple Coffee - 9th Street - Downtown

Temple Coffee - H Street - East Sacramento

Temple Coffee - Arden Arcade

Temple Coffee - Davis

Temple Coffee - Folsom

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