California Official Visitor's Guide 2023 - 122

THIS SPREAD, FROM LEFT: ALISON CHRISTIANA; SORAYA MATOS (6)
central valley LOCAL INSIDERS
✺
STOCKTON
IS HOME TO
CALIFORNIA'S
LARGEST
INLAND DEEPWATER
PORT
" MEZZO is where my
husband and I like to
go for a nice dinner.
I would say it's my
favorite restaurant in
town. It's farm-to-fork,
modern Mediterranean
and Italian food made
with locally grown
produce and meats.
They have seasonal
menus, so they change
their dishes all the time.
They have a nice wine
list with very reasonable
prices and also a full bar
with cocktails. "
STOCKTON
Susan Obert
CEO OF THE HAGGIN MUSEUM
A Stockton resident since 1998, Susan Obert is CEO of the Haggin Museum, a
nearly 100-year-old institution packed with fine art and historic artifacts. " The
caliber of our art collection surprises most people, " Obert says. Although the
Renoir pastel and Gauguin still life are museum highlights, the Haggin holds
more than art: " Our two temporary galleries change every six to eight weeks,
which allows us to do unexpected things, " she says. " We brought in vintage cars
and created a car exhibit. We partnered with the NFL Hall of Fame and had a
football exhibit. You don't have to be an art lover to find something that interests
you. " Obert appreciates Stockton's farm-to-fork lifestyle and its waterfront
location. Here are some of her other local favorites.
" Stockton has an ART
TRAIL that includes 50
pieces of art, mostly
murals and sculptures
that are installed at
locations all over town.
On the Stockton Arena
parking garage, there's
a huge mosaic that's
made out of 22,000
Mattel 'Hot Wheels'
cars. At the west end of
the promenade by the
Stockton Marina, there
are five very tall kinetic
metal sculptures. It's
interesting to see how
they move and change
shape in the wind. And
on Yosemite Street,
there's a little alley
where an artist hung a
bunch of umbrellas. It
looks so inviting, and
they often hold events
in that alley. "
" You'll find TACO
TRUCKS all over
Stockton, including
in Victory Park by the
Haggin Museum. There
are so many trucks,
plus taquerias and
122 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
taco restaurants, that
Stockton has a Taco
Trail map. It includes
Don Rafa's and El Frutal
taco trucks, fastfood
spots like Tepa
Taqueria, and seafood
tacos at Mariscos El
Cachanilla. "
" Any time I go to a
show at the BOB HOPE
THEATRE, it takes my
breath away when I walk
in there. It has an Italian
marble floor and red
velvet seats. It feels like
you've stepped back to
a time when things were
a little more elegant,
when we dressed up a
little bit more. It's listed
on the National Register
of Historic Places. "
" VALLEY BREW is in
downtown and it's a
restaurant too. They
brew IPAs, stouts, red
ales, and golden ales.
It's a family-friendly
place where you can get
a beer and some dinner
and chat with your
neighbors. "
" YOSEMITE STREET
VILLAGE is literally
a one-block-long
neighborhood, and it's
outside of downtown
in a residential area.
Most of the world will
never notice it, but
it's a wonderful place
with a local, hometown
feel. It has several nice
shops and restaurants.
Michael Midgley, who
was on the TV show
Top Chef, is opening a
restaurant there. "
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California Official Visitor's Guide 2023

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