Garlic Shack, Lounge on 20, Red Lotus, California Pizza Kitchen, Hangar 17 and Brew it Up! are all restaurants that have closed in the central city in the past few years. Meanwhile, others thrived, celebrating 10- and 20-year milestones. Why? The Sacramento Press talked to local restaurant consultant Andy Soto, owner of Spectrum Restaurant Consulting, and asked what he thinks are some of the mistakes restaurants make that cause them to shut down. While Soto said there are many reasons restaurants fail, he sent us his top five.  Why resturants fail, by Andy Soto: Not connecting with the community. Things like participating in events like Make a Wish Foundation, Grape Escape, etc. Those

Cheese lovers rejoice: The Rind, a speciality cheese bar focusing on gourmet pairings of artisanal cheese plates with wine and beer, is projected to open in the old L Wine Lounge space November at 18th and L streets next to Buckhorn Grill. “Our mission will be to pair wines, beers, ports and bubblies with the featured cheeses so you get to learn how to enjoy them together,” owner Sara Arbabian said. “We’re looking to create a really comfortable and fun environment where you sit down at the bar and order a cheese plate and a glass of whatever you’re jonesing for.” Arbabian said her vision for The Rind’s architectural design will include capitalizing on the large accordion windows, integra

Will Brew it Up! return? The answer is a resounding "maybe." The brewpub and restaurant that featured a brew-your-own-beer aspect in addition to its selection of craft beers closed last year after a 15-year run. Now, owner Mike Costello said he’s got a new business plan in place to resurrect some of the successful aspects of the former business, and build upon them. He’s only missing one thing. “It all comes down to money,” he said, adding that while he has pledges of about $300,000, the potential investors don’t have quick access to the money, and he's looking for something more solid in the next month. “Basically, the long and the short of it is that the concept of Brew it Up! worked

Coyote Tap House, a new bar and restaurant serving Asian cuisine complemented by 50-60 beers on tap, is in the works to take the spot at 14th and H streets vacated by Brew it Up! last year. “It’s going to have a full bar and live entertainment,” said Valerie Mamone-Werder, business recruitment manager for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The owners, brothers Ken and Ming Le, own and have run Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge in Natomas since 2004, Mamone-Werder said. “They’re really good operators,” she added. “We met with them when the news came out that Brew it Up! was leaving the space. It didn’t take long to have a lot of interest. They’re going to be a fantastic addition for that ar

Brew it Up! closed for the final time Sunday, and owner Mike Costello said it underscores a concept that is too often overlooked: If you like a business, patronize it. Sales at the brewpub took a substantial hit in late 2008, Costello said, and the restaurant – that also offered individual brewing – never recovered. “If we stayed flat at our 2008 sales, we’d be surviving,” he said. “If you find a business you like, you’ve got to support it.” The business announced Friday on its website that it would be closing, attributing the shutdown to the economy. “I’m not blaming anybody,” Costello said Saturday afternoon at one of the tables near the bar as customers came in to grab their last br

Sons and daughters, it’s time to throw in the tie. It’s that time of year to show your appreciation for dear ol’ dad, and this year, neck adornment just isn’t going to cut it. Don’t know what to get for dad? The Sacramento Press has compiled a list of places to shop and unique gift ideas for Father’s Day, whether your dad is a music buff, a bike aficionado, a comic book nerd, a beer nut or a hip young pop. Phono Select: for the music man Phono Select is an indie record shop located at 2312 K St. in the heart of Midtown. This is the spot that local DJs and music lovers can go to to dig for records new and old. The store is artsy, clean and organized based on music style – punk, rock, h

Monday evening, 40 guests were welcomed into Red Lotus Kitchen and Bar by friendly staff and the smell of hops-smoked chicken wafting through the restaurant. These individuals gathered together for the fourth in a series of ongoing dinners known as the Slow Beer Movement. Hosted by Red Lotus and Formoli’s Bistro, the dinners are meant to highlight local food and, of course, beer. In the past, foreign beer, such as the Belgian brew Duvel Green, had been featured, but recently the event founders felt that finding a place closer to home would coincide better with their practice of supporting local food. That evening, each of the five courses and even the dessert was paired with a beer from A

About 3,000 people and 60 breweries will converge at Miller Park Saturday afternoon and stay until the kegs are tapped dry at the 12th annual West Coast Brew Fest. “The West Coast is the home of the micro-brew, and we have over 120 brews coming this weekend,” said co-founder Matson Breakey. “We seem to have a really great following of people that come out every year and are well-behaved and represent Sacramento and other places.” He added that in addition to the region, dedicated followers arrive from as far away as Arizona and Washington. The festival is set up as a “tokenless tasting” event, where beer enthusiasts pay admission to enter and then are handed a cup and set loose to choos

Raley Field transformed into a beer connoisseur's paradise Friday night at the fifth annual Raley Field Brewfest. Breweries from around the region partnered with the Northern California Brewers’ Guild to introduce their summer seasonals and rekindle the love for their year-round fan favorites. “I was pleased with both old favorites and new options. It was a great time,” said Sacramento resident Heather Deas. For $30 in advance and $35 at the door, beer enthusiasts were handed a mini-pint glass upon entry and given ten tickets good for one 5 oz. tasting. For $50, “VIP” guests were allowed to enter an hour early and given eight additional tasting tickets. For those left wanting more, addi

Museums, beer, live music and cheese. If I were to make a list of my favorite things on earth, all four of these would figure prominently therein. Conveniently enough, all four of these things also figured prominently in Thursday night's Sacramento Brewers Showcase, the kickoff event to Sacramento Beer Week. The showcase, featuring nearly every local brewery offering samples of their wares, was held from 5 to 9 p.m. in the spectacular two-story atrium of the Crocker Art Museum. I arrived five minutes before 5 p.m., ‘cause I like to party. The breweries had set up their kegs along a large L-shaped table that wrapped around the east and south sides of the atrium. When I arrived there we

Touchdown! Where will you be celebrating when the winning touchdown is scored? Haven't found a place yet to party for this year's Super Bowl? Sacramento's bars have got you covered with great drinking games, discounts on beer and food, and raffle drawings. Ink Eats & Drinks, located 2730 N St. is having a $3 touchdown shot special - one for each team. The Green Bay Packers’ shot is a Midori Kamikaze and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ shot is a Tawaka lemon drop. Along with that, you can also enjoy $4 nachos and happy hour specials lasting the entire game. "We change it every year, but we do happy hour for every football game of the season," said Micah Shapiro, manager of Ink Eats & Drinks. Pr

Thousands converged on Discovery Park Saturday afternoon for the 16th annual California Brewers Festival to taste the ales, lagers, porters and craft brews from over 60 brewers. The festival was organized by Sacramento's Rotary Club of Point West to benefit the Assistance League of Sacramento. All festival proceeds will be donated to the league’s Operation School Bell — a program providing underprivileged youth with adequate clothing for school. Velvet Tongue and Utz! and the Shuttlecocks provided live music as festival-goers sampled beer with 4-ounce glasses and sought refuge in the shade from the summer sun. The participating brewers were mostly local, though there were some from as

Brewers from Maine, Vermont, Ireland and, of course, California will fill Discovery Park Saturday for the 16th annual California Brewers Festival. Around 60 brewpub, distributors and home brewers will be pouring ales, lagers and craft beers for what festival organizers anticipate will be more than 3,000 attendees. Although the festival attracts brewers from across the nation and overseas, the Sacramento region is heavily represented. Rubicon Brewing Company, Hoppy Brewing Company and Brew It Up! are a few locals participating. You can view the full list of brewers here. The festival is organized by Sacramento's Rotary Club of Point West to benefit the Assistance League of Sacramento. A

Dye the rivers green and dance in the streets, Saint Patrick's Day is here. A day when everyone is Irish and people takes to the streets for music, food and green beer. Below is a collection of restaurants and bars in Midtown and downtown offering specials on food and drinks and even hosting a block party or two. de Vere's Irish Pub, 1521 L Street, is hosting their second annual St. Patrick's Day Block Party, closing off L Street between 15th and 16th. The street party will feature music by '80s cover band Tainted Love and the California Fire Department Pipes and Drums. Sandwiches, brats and other food will be sold to soak up the alcohol from the two outdoor bars and whiskey tent. Advance

New Year's Eve is fast approaching, and Sacramento is full of places to eat and celebrate the coming of 2010 in a romantic setting or among friends. Several restaurants in the area have specials to entice your palate on New Year's Eve. Brew It Up, 801 14th St., is offering a four-course pre-fixed menu for only $30. This includes your choice of appetizer, soup or salad, entree and dessert. The menu includes some regular favorites as well as new items to satisfy your hunger. Mulligatawny is an excellent soup that warms you from the inside. A live band, Dane Drewis, will perform at 9 p.m. There is a $10 cover past 9 p.m., so be sure to be there early. 58 Degrees and Holding Company, 1217 18

Saturday morning I contemplated whether or not I should eat breakfast. My stomach was inexperienced with grub crawls, the Eat Your Art Out Crawl would be my very first. I settled on eating something small. Luckily I lived close enough to walk to the captain meeting place and by the time I had gathered my team's bags and badges, my stomach was growling. Of the 18 restaurants and dining establishments in the Crawl, I had eaten at all of them but five.  My team, Team Snuffleupagus, started at Brew It Up! where a fruit platter and blue cheese kettle chips awaited. This was a good warmup for the digestive system, not too heavy, and easy to eat. Lucca was one of the restaurants I hadn't tri

The Sacramento Press is teaming up with The Sacramento Grub Crawl to offer three community members a chance to win a pair of tickets to Wednesday's bike crawl. The Grub Crawl is celebrating one year of providing a myriad of crawls, including pub crawls, the wine crawl, bike crawls, and events like Christmas crawl, Halloween costume crawl, Valentine's Day crawl and Mardi Gras March. Each "crawl" consists of visiting up to five new or favorite restaurants for free appetizers, drink specials, prizes and giveaways in an organized social-networking setting. Although crawl participants normally walk to each venue, this healthy alternative to driving around and looking/paying for parking bring

"Exhilarating, like running naked through a bee storm," said music magazine NME of Middle Class Rut, or MC Rut for short. The duo headlines Friday's Concert in the Park in which Lite Brite, Consider The Thief and Early States will also play (click links for MySpace pages). MC Rut's style has been compared to Jane's Addiction and Rage Against the Machine, but the duo evokes a simpler feel than the The White Stripes, a band with similar instrumentation. Even so, the two-piece packs a fury of sound that never lets up. They recently released an eight-song EP entitled 25 Years and completed a tour of the United Kingdom. Lite Brite is a rock and roll trio that exudes a punk attitude, but can

Last night was an amazing meandering ride from Downtown through Midtown for the 1st Annual Bikeramento Crawl. Set the scene of a moving banner from sanctuary to sanctuary in the light rain. It all begins with the religious experience of a cup of mojo at Temple Fine Coffee & Tea. The loose Bikeramentans gather and awkwardly introduce themselves to the team. It’s to be expected. Who are these bike-crazy folks, these Spokes People, who believe that they can influence city planning and have fun doing it? Ah….soak up that caffeine. A fine whiff of a single origin espresso parting the perfect foam of that cappuccino. David Barton shows up with the sharp photographer for Sacramento Press. And