If you want to immerse yourself in a spicy cultural environment, visit Dominick's Italian Market & Deli, a thriving and friendly establishment in Granite Bay. Bursting with delectable food items—to take out or enjoy on the premises—Dominick’s is where you go when you can’t figure out what to make for dinner, are heading to a picnic with nothing in your picnic basket, or you need to feed the entire soccer team. There’s a menu item here for everyone, from the eye-poppingly robust sandwiches (try the homemade meatball parmigiana sandwich for lunch, and you won’t want to eat again until the next day), salads (the Italian mixed seafood salad is fabulous), pizzas and pastas (your family will gobble up the baked meat ziti casserole). Other irresistible items include the marinated garlic shrimp; the housemade Sicilian rice balls; and the wonderful array of olives and antipasti. Both times we visited, there was a group of Italian-speaking friends laughing, chatting and wildly gesturing with their hands as they tucked into their Sicilian panini and lasagna, and we’re told that Dominick’s is a gathering place for the local Italian-American community. This is the kind of warm, family-owned establishment that contributes much more to its neighborhood than just good food. — Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: Don’t miss the homemade Italian cannoli

Payment methods: AmEx, Diners’ Club, Discover Card, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Full bar (yep, really)

Hours: Monday–Tuesday: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Wednesday–Friday: 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.