Photos by Aniko Kiezel
Oasis Rediscovered WATERBOY SERVES A PERFECT FIRST NIGHT BACK
S
ince normal life stopped last year, we’ve all coped in different ways. We’ve hurt in different ways and changed in different ways. Few people have had more difficult times than my friends in the restaurant business.
GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider
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As restrictions lift for restaurants, the demand for dining out is palpable. Restaurant owners scramble to find staff. Reservations are a must at many joints. I’ve seen dining rooms run out of food before dinner service ends. In this intense environment, my wife and I made our first trip out for an elegant date night. We chose a local institution, The Waterboy. I’ve been frequenting restaurants throughout the pandemic, usually for takeout. I’ve had a few meals out and about, but usually from casual, orderat-the-counter places with plenty of outdoor seating. Our dinner at The Waterboy was our first white-tablecloth and waiter
experience in more than a year. It felt weird for maybe 30 seconds. Then, we looked at each other and realized how much we missed it. We missed the casual conversation, the subtle people watching, the chance encounters with old friends. We missed being out. Our waiter greeted us at our patio table on a perfect Sacramento spring evening with, “Haven’t seen you in a while!” It was lovely to hear. It was lovely to be missed. It was lovely to
be served. And very few places in town serve customers better than The Waterboy. The stripped down and approachable menu sings with seasonal ingredients. The local farms and producers on the menu seem boringly commonplace now, but I know chef and owner Rick Mahan and his team have done this for decades. We started with a small plate of deviled eggs. Beautifully presented over a bed of pea shoots and topped
THE WATERBOY IS A PERFECT FIRST STOP IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN OUT TO A PROPER “NICE DINNER” FOR A WHILE. IT’S UNPRETENTIOUS YET ELEGANT.
