Who does this John Legend lookalike from The Voice look like? You saw him at the Tower Cafe.

Even before his star turn, Talakay heard this comparison every day from clients.

A similar face, close-cropped curly dark hair, the same beard and the same eyes—“You look like John Legend,” Tower Cafe patrons often told him, referring to the R&B superstar and coach on NBC’s hit singing competition “The Voice.”

A waiter at the beloved Land Park restaurant for the past eight years, Talakay was thrust into the national spotlight last week during the blind auditions for Season 24 of “The Voice.”

Legend made it clear he wanted Talakay, whose legal name is DeAngelo Watson, on his team just 20 seconds after the Sacramento native performed Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” before turning around in his chair to see his doppelgänger on stage.

“People often send me photos of people they think look like me. And most of the time I’m like, ‘Not really,’” Legend told Talakai on the show. “And then I turn around and look at you. We have the same hairstyle… I thought, “He really looks like me.”

Talakai, 34, isn’t the first Sacramento singer to find success on “The Voice.” His Rio Linda High School classmate Shane Q was one of the final ten contestants on Season 17, and Gina Miles won last season’s competition three years after moving to Sacramento.

The Yuba City resident’s music videos feature local landmarks such as Tower Bridge and the State Capitol. He also sings to himself all day while at the Tower Café and has been known to break out into “Happy Birthday” for table celebrations. One day, he said, he would like to perform for Tower customers as a nightly entertainment.

“I’ve been trying to make a (singing) career since I was 18, and you know… it was hard. But to finally get to this point is very, very amazing,” Talakay said.

For now, Talakay will split his time recommending Thai steak salad or chorizo ​​with huevos to customers at 1518 Broadway, as well as flying to Los Angeles to watch new episodes of “The Voice” while he’s on the show. You can watch the competition at 8:00 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC.

What do I eat

One of Placer County’s best fine dining restaurants (Hawks in Granite Bay) meets one of the region’s best breweries (Moksa Brewing of Rocklin) at Moksa Barrel House, which opened last September in Roseville.

Moksa Barrel House is much more casual than Hawks or Hawks Public House, Michael Fagnoni and Molly Hawks’ other restaurant in East Sacramento. The morning starts with coffee and sandwiches for breakfast; lunch and dinner revolve around burgers and chicken sandwiches washed down with Moxa beer.

It includes Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($13), a slow-cooked herb ranch dish that was the judges’ favorite at this year’s Sac Hot Chicken Battle (disclaimer: I was one of the judges). Buttermilk fried chicken is standard, but you can opt for Rocky Jr. fried chicken instead. from Petaluma Poultry for a juicy, healthier version.

Cowboy Burger ($12) showed some restraint compared to the barbecue sauce versions found elsewhere. The beef comes from Double R Ranch in Idaho and is topped with melted American cheese, pickled jalapenos and a couple of onion rings on a potato bun, but it’s the thick, crispy bacon that really stands out on this burger.

Although Barrel House Fries ($10) are a good variation on animal-style fries that retain their crispiness better than the In-N-Out original. I recommend sweet, blackened chili miso, brussels sprouts ($12) if you are looking for a snack.

Moxa Barrel House

Address: 10007 Foothills Blvd., Suite 180, Roseville.

Watch: From 7:00 to 21:00 from Sunday to Thursday, from 7:00 to 22:00 on Friday and Saturday.

Telephone number: (916) 783-1445.

Web site: https://moksabarrelhouse.com/

Beverages: The specialty is house beer, but there is also wine, cider, strong kombucha and Mostra Coffee (San Diego) drinks.

Vegetarian options: Mostly fried appetizers, a couple of salads, and the option to substitute portobello mushrooms for any burger patty.

Noise level: It’s relatively quiet during my visit, but it’s easy to notice that it gets noisy during peak hours.

Our Cookbook Countdown

Want to get Sacramento Food: Recipes from the Capital Region’s Favorite Restaurants? This is my cookbook coming out November 17th. Order here https://bit.ly/45r9Rng for a selection of restaurant recipes from across the Sacramento region.

---

Sacramento Food: Recipes from the Capital Region’s Favorite Restaurants and Bars

Pre-order the cookbook here to get recipes from 60 of the Sacramento region’s best restaurants and bars, plus photos and descriptions of what makes each business so exceptional.

---

Opening and closing

• Butcher & Barrel will open Friday at 723 K St., a block from the Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento. The restaurant, owned by Kevin and Cindy McBride, will specialize in dry-aged steaks and whiskey cocktails, as well as other options such as market-priced lobster, beef nacho carpaccio and the impossible banh mi.

• Simon’s Bar and Cafe will close at the end of November after 39 years in business at 1415 16th St., owner Simon Chan Jr. said. The legendary dive bar and Chinese restaurant was a political favorite in downtown Sacramento for decades, but its founder died in 2021 and Chan no longer wants to continue the business without his father.

---

Get Sacramento food and drink news delivered to your inbox.

Sign up here to receive our free weekly food and drink newsletter written by Bee food reporter Benji Egel. You’ll receive exclusive information about restaurants, bars, festivals and more in advance.

---