Noroc Restaurant in Sacramento, founded by a family from the Republic of Moldova, has earned a coveted spot on the Los Angeles Times list of “101 Best Restaurants in California,” a prestigious recognition in one of the world’s most competitive culinary markets.
The honor is particularly remarkable given that, as of March 2025, Google Maps listed over 98,000 restaurants in California. Noroc now ranks among the top 0.1%, firmly placing it within the state’s culinary elite.
Acclaimed food critic Bill Addison highlighted several traditional Moldovan dishes featured on Noroc’s menu, including:
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- Polenta with cheese and sour cream served with pork roast and mushrooms
- Moldovan pies filled with cheese, cabbage, sour cherries, or apples
- Slow-cooked stuffed cabbage rolls prepared using family recipes
“For us, this recognition means that the dishes we grew up with—polenta, pies, stuffed cabbage rolls—are now appreciated and respected in one of the most competitive culinary spaces in the world. It confirms that the traditions we come from are valuable and worth preserving,” said Sandu Sirbu, the restaurant’s founder.
Noroc Restaurant was opened in 2018 in California’s capital by Alexandru and Liudmila Sirbu, a couple originally from Moldova. Rooted in family recipes and authentic hospitality, the restaurant aims to preserve and share Moldovan cuisine with the American public and the diaspora.
Founded more than 140 years ago, the Los Angeles Times is one of the most respected newspapers in the U.S., with over 40 Pulitzer Prizes. Its annual “101 Best Restaurants” list is a widely followed ranking that significantly shapes culinary trends across California.