As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending at this very moment?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which restaurants have been in the spotlight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Sacramento businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are riding a trend, right now.
Camden Spit & Larder
Open since December, this brasserie and British and New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, but Camden Spit & Larder saw a striking 106.1 percent increase, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Beast and Bounty has seen a 18.1 percent increase in reviews, and Foundation Restaurant & Bar has seen a 3.3 percent bump.
Located at 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 100, in downtown Sacramento, Camden Spit & Larder offers London-inspired cuisine from chef Oliver Ridgeway. The menu includes local caviar and boasts main dishes such as the organic roast half chicken with olive oil whipped potatoes, rapini, green sauce and charred lemon; butternut squash risotto with mushrooms and onions; and the roast rib of beef that comes with fermented horseradish, potatoes and watercress. Pair any of the dishes with a bottle or glass of wine, gin and tonic, a signature cocktail or craft beer. (Click here to view the entire dinner menu.)
Taqueria Hecho en Mexico
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Taqueria Hecho en Mexico, the Mexican spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 1.7 percent over the past month, Taqueria Hecho en Mexico bagged a 19.2 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.5 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 6036 Stockton Blvd., Suite 100, since March, Taqueria Hecho en Mexico offers a menu of burritos, tacos, tostadas, nachos, quesadillas and more. Try one of the nine taco varieties, including the fish and the shrimp crispy taco. Other menu standouts include the Trio Fajitas with shrimp, chicken and beef. as well as the Dinner that comes with chile verde, chile colorado, carnitas, pastor and a choice of meat.
Echo & Rig
Downtown Sacramento's Echo & Rig is also making waves. Open since April at 500 J St., Suite 150, in the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, the steakhouse, bar and breakfast and brunch spot has seen a 14.4 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Echo & Rig offers steak, seafood, salad, sandwiches and a bevy of sides and small plates. Meat options include the tri tip, hanger, filet mignon and ribeye, while seafood options include sea bass, Scottish salmon and butterfish. (Click here to view the entire menu.)
Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
Skool Japanese Gastropub
Midtown's Skool Japanese Gastropub is the city's buzziest seafood spot by the numbers.
The popular gastropub and Japanese spot, which offers seafood and more and opened at 2319 K St. in 2016, increased its review count by 6.1 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2.1 percent for the Yelp category "Seafood." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.2 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Skool Japanese Gastropub, which serves dinner and brunch on the weekend, offers oysters, salads, small plates, fish and main dishes, including squid ink spaghettina (baby squid, shrimp, red curry, lemon grass dashi broth, seaweed butter, enoki and shiso) and Kakuni braised pork belly udon with soy sauce-infused soft boiled egg, seasonal greens and citrus seafood broth. (To view the dinner, brunch and drinks menu, click here.)
