It doesn’t matter what draws you to Stockton’s sunny streets. Whether you’re Delta bound, wine-country set, or simply headed downtown for a concert or game, you’ll need nourishment. Stockton’s dining scene has taken off in recent years.
Here’s just a sampling to whet your appetite, whether you’re craving burgers, brews or gigantic pork chops.
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SQUEEZE BURGER
With its corrugated metal siding out front, Edison lights over the bar, industrial chairs and distressed wood paneling, The Squeeze is the very picture of a modern, rustic-chic gastropub. And who are we to argue with a cheese-skirted burger?
This burger joint, which began as The Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, has since expanded to Galt and beyond, catching the attention of Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” and the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” producers. When Guy Fieri says he’s “never seen anything like this,” you know it’s unusual.
Don’t miss: Order up a 1/3-pound Squeeze ($9.50) — you can get it without a cheese skirt for $8, but why would you do that? — or a 1/2-pound Lil Squeeze ($9). The burgers come with fries or a side salad. For a little more, you can add such burger embellishments as bacon, avocado, mushrooms and pineapple. For more daring diners, a bottle of Monroy’s Original Hot Sauce, a Stockton-made mango-habanero blend whose sweet heat will burn a hole through your tongue, sits on nearly every table.
Details: Open daily in Lincoln Center at 856 W. Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton; www.squeezeburger.com.
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THE ABBEY, A TRAPPIST PUB
We can’t verify the objective miraculousness of Stockton’s Miracle Mile, but this stretch of Pacific Avenue is home to a happy array of cafes, antique shops and this cozy pub. Grab a seat at one of the tall tables and peruse The Abbey’s Commandments, which include “Thou shalt order from the bar,” “Thou shalt, at a minimum, be 21 after 10 p.m.” and “Thou shalt nudge over to make room for thy neighbor.” Then, in keeping with the commandments, belly up to the bar and order up.
Don’t miss: The Abbey does burgers ($12), fish and chips ($12) and a grilled Lockford sausage sampler ($14.50), but it’s the beer that’s the big draw here. Among the enticements available by the bottle or on tap: a Hop Hunter IPA ($7) and a King Harbor Swirly ($7) — or, if you’re not hoppily inclined, a crisp Ace Joker Cider ($5.50).
Details: Open Tuesday-Sunday at 2353 Pacific Ave., Stockton; www.abbeystockton.com.
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MIDTOWN CREPERIE & CAFE
We’re not sure what we love more, this creperie’s tasty New Orleans-inspired brunch fare or its charming Parisian sidewalk murals. The place is adorable. And we are helpless around beignets.
Mathew and Melissa Grizzle — and exec chef Michael Adams — have brought all their love of NOLA cuisine to bear here with Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee, beignets and crepes named after New Orleans neighborhoods and themes.
Don’t miss: The savory Big Easy ($10.49) tucks chicken, fresh spinach and a chardonnay-spiked sauce inside a freshly made classic, buckwheat or gluten-free crepe. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs adorn a Seventh Ward crepe ($10.99). And, just like in NOLA itself, it’s best not to wear black when biting into the beignets ($2.99), lest you wear a cascade of powdered sugar for the rest of the day.
Details: Open daily for breakfast and lunch at 2319 Pacific Ave., Stockton; midtowncreperie.com.
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MIDGLEY’S PUBLIC HOUSE
If you’re a “Top Chef” fan, you may remember the brash Michael Midgley, who made it all the way to the top six in Season 2. Since then, he has appeared on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” and as a judge on “Top Chef Masters.” Midgley may have been felled by “Top Chef” and its always-challenging “restaurant wars” a decade ago, but his 2-year-old restaurant in Lincoln Center runs like clockwork.
Don’t miss: This is a spendy place (entrees run $24 to $70) with a loyal following, although we found that some of the most popular dishes — the cream cheese-filled asparagus cigars ($10), for example, and maple-bacon bread pudding ($8) made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts — may not be as, er, appreciated by out-of-towners.
But the Sazeracs ($9) are spot on, and the grilled Caesar salad ($9, or $18 with grilled shrimp) is terrific. And the giant, towering, double-cut pork chop ($32) with a bourbon-barbecue glaze and apple-carrot chutney is sensational. There’s a $6 fee for split entrees, but that particular dish, which is large enough to feed two, is logistically un-split-able. You’ll understand when you see it.
Details: Open for lunch and dinner daily at 296 Lincoln Center, Stockton; www.midgleyspublichouse.com.
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