A look back at a culinary pioneer in Sacramento

~  Tom Nakashima

Very sad news for Sacramento today: Lina Fat, matriarch of the Fat family, culinary pioneer and a tireless civic leader, passed away this morning at age 81. In a 2012 profile, she told us, "I love the restaurant business because I love people." She will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/pHNRC0ntEp

— Sactown Magazine (@SactownMagazine) November 26, 2019

As she told Kat Maudru in her wonderful visit in Norcal Names, Lina Fat started out as a pharmacist who couldn’t cook. Yeah, that would come later. She became the matriarch of the Fat Family Restaurants, and she made an impression on all who knew and loved her. 

Lina was elegant, thoughtful, gracious, savvy and hard working. And if you ever saw her at Fat City, Frank Fat’s or China Camp, she always had time to stop by and offer a kind word. 

I hope this week we can take a moment to appreciate how sharing great food is comforting, joyous… and can bring us together. I’ll bet that’s what Lina and Biba would have wanted….