A new bistro built around one chef's life story is set to open on D Street in downtown Davis come November, serving everything from Thai steak salad to Texas pulled pork sandwiches and Mexican tostadas. Munchie Man is the brainchild of chef Christopher Fairman, a Carmichael native who has spent two decades cooking and serving customers across the Sacramento region.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Fairman describes the bistro as an autobiography told through food, with the menu drawing directly from his travels and the meals that make him happy. The bistro will occupy 113 D Street, according to a report from Comings & Goings.
From a Pop-Up at Socal's Tavern to a Standalone Bistro
Munchie Man didn't start as a storefront. The concept began in 2023 as a weekly pop-up residency at Socal's Tavern on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, with its first installment that year. At those early pop-ups, Fairman served a different dish each week inspired by his childhood or travels with his husband, giving him room to develop recipes and build a following before committing to a permanent space.
His husband, Jake De La Hoya, contacted the outlet with news of the restaurant ahead of its opening.
A Menu Shaped by Family and Far-Flung Travel
Fairman sent the Sacramento Bee a tentative menu ahead of the grand opening that spans continents and childhood memories alike. Rotating weekly specials are expected to include pasta puttanesca and chicken piccata with mashed potatoes, while the broader menu covers papaya salad with bay shrimp, a smoked chicken sandwich, and a tofu sandwich dressed with tomatoes, jalapeño, greens, and vegan mayo. The munchies section leans into shareable comfort food, with mac and cheese balls, beet-pickled deviled eggs, sweet potato fries, and Chiang Mai chicken bites.
One standout is Le Patrice, a smoked salmon baguette finished with crème fraîche, garlic aioli, and balsamic reduction. The dish is named for Fairman's mother and inspired by childhood trips the two took together to La Bonne Soupe Café in Sacramento, according to the same Comings & Goings report. The menu will also include his mother's bread pudding, described as a childhood favorite that's making its way onto the bistro's dessert list.
The menu draws on Fairman's travels with his husband. Munchie Man will also pour a full bar and wine menu alongside the food program.
Table Service and a Mascot Instead of a Chef's Ego
Munchie Man will offer full table service.
The restaurant's public face isn't Fairman himself but a hand-drawn stick-figure character also named Munchie Man, which the chef created. The mascot is meant to serve as the restaurant's identity and theme rather than centering a chef's persona. Fairman told the Bee that food is more than nourishment and can connect people with others, a philosophy reflected in both the mascot's approachable design and the full-service format.
Once open, Munchie Man plans to run 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, staying open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The bistro will be closed Mondays.
Joining a Shifting Downtown Davis Dining Scene
Munchie Man's November debut lands amid a broader shakeup of downtown Davis dining. Hoodline previously reported on the closure of Delta of Venus, a 33-year vegetarian institution on B Street that shut down in August 2026, around the same time Munchie Man was preparing its move into the D Street space. Other redevelopment has also been reshaping the area's commercial footprint, including plans reported in January for Old Davis City Hall to house a new all-you-can-eat sushi and ramen concept.
