On Thursday June 7th 2012 the Sactown Dining Collective held their kick-off event at Plates Cafe & Catering. Plates works with the St. Johns Shelter for Women and Children, an organization helping formerly homeless women get back on track. The program at Plates encourages a strong work ethic and shows women how to succeed using the skills they have learned working at the cafe.

In collaboration with a group of local sponsors the SDC chefs gave us a peek at the tremendous culinary talents Sacramento has to offer. The evening began with passed appetizers and samplings of beer and wine. Ruhstaller was on hand with their Red Ale and Black IPA, two very aromatic and food friendly beers and Lagunitas provided their India Pale Ale. The wine for the event was provided by Sean Minor Wines. Sean himself was on site to talk about the wines and answer questions about the four varietals being poured: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. All of the wines were wonderful accompaniments to the cuisine being served. Edie Baker and Chocolate Fish Coffee gave out delicious samples of their coffee to attendees. 

The Sactown Dining Collective was created several months ago by Amber Turner, a Marketing Specialist at Spectrum Restaurant Consulting with a vision to redefine the dining scene in Sacramento. The SDC is comprised of many different types of members including local chefs who want the community to know the talent pool runs deep in our own backyard. Events like this one will bring out the foodies in Sacramento. It is clear the SDC is on to something great- the 350 seat event sold out 10 days before the event with tickets going for $45 each. Rarely if ever have so many local celebrity chefs come together to work on one event. 

Just to give everyone a glimpse of what was provided by the star-studded chef lineup, the courses included: Cold Ramen with Passmore Ranch Catfish and Pork Belly, Hand Cut Papardelle with Hatch Chili Pork Ragu and Smoked Lucky Dog Beef with Chimichurri. You can see the full menu by visiting the Plates website. 

The list of chef's involved included David Hill of Chef's Table, Michael Thiemann of Ella Dining Room, Pedro Depina of Ettore's, Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney's B&L, Adam Pechal of Tuli Bistro and Restaurant THIR13EN , Aimal Formoli of Formoli's, Bill Ngo of Kru and Oliver Ridgeway of Grange. Local radio personality Rick kushman emceed the event. Sponsors of the event included BP Productions, Ettore's, Feeding Crane Farms, Lucky Dog Ranch, Mapurunga Photography, Passmore Ranch, Produce Express and the Selland Family of Restaurants. Ryan Donahue of Donahue Photography, an SDC member was at the event taking photos as well.
One thing is certain- Sacramento is ready to join the ranks of some of the finest food cities in the U.S.. This epicurean red carpet event is just the beginning for the Sactown Dining Collective and it's partners who are already planning the next event.   

Andy Soto