Remember when TV dinners were the norm and Swanson’s became a household name? Time travel back to the mid-century with Verge Center for the Arts' TV Dinner event this Thursday, November 8, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., where these pre-packaged meals are revitalized and transformed. The event—a brainchild of Mike Thiemann, executive chef at Ella Dining Room and Bar; Liv Moe, Executive Director of Verge; Becky Grunewald, Food Editor for Sacramento News & Review; and Ryan Donahue, editor of Edible Sacramento—will feature a three-course, sit-down meal plus dessert and art galore. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in period attire. Arrive at the start for a no-host cocktail hour before the meal, whic

We have all heard of "sibling rivalry." But when the siblings in question are both experienced sushi chefs at the ever-popular Mikuni family of restaurants, well... that phrase takes on a whole new meaning. Last month, Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar hosted "Judgment Day": a battle between Chef Kotaro “Taro” Arai and his brother, Chef Naomichi “Nao” Arai to see whose culinary creations would win over the participating tasters. Earlier this week, Nao (who had lost the first Judgment Day) challenged his brother to a sushi rematch at Mikuni's Roseville location. Guests at this week's Judgment Day "Round 2" were treated to a blind tasting of recipes from the brothers, and I was lucky e

Traditional American breakfasts are served alongside authentic Chinese cuisine at Lei’s Kitchen, a new downtown restaurant on the corner of Seventh and J streets. Chef and Manager Joshua Sprowls said the restaurant aims to serve affordable food quickly, catering to the downtown breakfast, lunch and dinner crowds. “We’re gearing a lot toward state workers,” he said, adding that the restaurant is open from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. every day, and some of the quicker ticket times are as little as five minutes during the daytime. “They can come in here and get something to grab and go, sit at the counter, or maybe take a little longer and have a cup of coffee,” Sprowls said. In the morning, American

ROSEVILLE – A local effort to pack 500,000 meals for malnourished children around the world is holding its first major fundraiser for 2012, a special dinner on Aug. 3 catered by Randy Peters Catering and Event Planning. All of the proceeds of the fundraising dinner, to be held at Valley Springs Church at 2401 Olympus Drive in Roseville, will benefit the non-profit Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event. The MobilePack is scheduled for Nov. 13-17 at William Jessup University. The dinner for 200 is being donated by Randy Peters Catering and Event Planning. “We are very honored to partner with Randy and Lisa Peters for this special fundraiser,” said Kris Glass, the Feed My Starving Chi

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 Lagu

Recently there have been many restaurants closing in Sacramento for different reasons, most due to the down economy. Somewhat new to the scene is Blue Prynt Restaurant and Bar located at 815 11th street in the downtown area of Sacramento. Blue Prynt occupies the space formerly known as Sofia, one of the culinary casualties of our area. While this restaurant has its own entrance it is unfortunately connected to a Best Western Motel. Upon entering I was excited to see the grand transformation that had taken place. I noticed new paint, furniture and light fixtures. The carpets seemed the same but I could be mistaken. I don’t judge restaurants by how beautiful or tacky they look (not 100% any

In search of a place to watch some of the last championship NFL games, the wife and I set out to Bisla’s Sports Lounge. It was incredible that I wanted to leave the house at all knowing The Steeler’s weren’t in the championships but I suppose life goes on. We have frequented Bisla’s on days when the bar has been less busy which seems to be the case when there is not a professional sporting event taking place. Bisla’s was empty when we arrived for the first game but as we suspected, the crowd poured in as the day went on.  Sports bars are generally known for having rowdy crowds, mediocre food and nonexistent service. I am happy to say this does not describe Bisla’s. This is a conclusion re

As always, Sacramento steps up to the plate with holiday events of all sorts. At Sacramento365.com, we see a lot of events come through the site every day. Though there are myriad options in our Holiday Event section, we've narrowed down the list to 10 to get help you pick your Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities. Christmas Eve Events: Sure, the night before Christmas should be spent snuggled in bed waiting for Santa Claus, but why not get out and about during the day. Here are some options to keep you entertained around town: 1. Free Admission at Fairytale Town & Sacramento Zoo: FTT 10am-2pm; Zoo 10am-1:30pm Treat the kiddies to a day out while both Fairytale Town & the Sacramento

Calling all foodies and history enthusiasts!  After a successful inaugural effort in 2010, Friends of Sutter’s Fort in association with Slow Food Sacramento proudly present the second annual “A Taste of History” fundraising event this Saturday evening, September 24.  “A Taste of History” offers guests a unique culinary experience that includes a four-course, sit-down dinner amid a beautiful setting inside the walls of Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (SHP).    The highlight of the memorable event is a specially designed menu designed to showcase meals reminiscent of those enjoyed when John Sutter founded Sutter’s Fort in 1839.  Many historic recipes will be re-invented with today’s innov

After a successful inaugural effort in 2010, Friends of Sutter’s Fort in association with Slow Food Sacramento proudly present the second annual “A Taste of History” fundraising event on Saturday evening, September 24.  “A Taste of History” offers guests a unique culinary experience that includes a four-course, sit-down dinner amid a beautiful setting inside the walls of Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (SHP).    The highlight of the memorable event is a specially designed menu designed to showcase meals reminiscent of those enjoyed when John Sutter founded Sutter’s Fort in 1839.  Many historic recipes will be re-invented with today’s innovative techniques and vibrant local ingredients. 

Several days ago I gave in to my curiosity about the restaurant I always drive by, Espanol Italian Dinners. I have always wondered why a restaurant with a name like Espanol would serve Italian food but, tis not mine to judge. When you walk into Espanol which has been at its current location for over 40 years you can quite literally feel the transformation from modern day to yesteryear. The furniture, artwork and cash register which oddly resembles a slot machine appear as they would in an old gangster film. As we looked around the crowd was mature and tame. It seemed clear that this concept was brought to life in an era when dining out meant something very different. While we at no point

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

Sacramento has its share of fine brew pubs such as Rubicon, Brew It Up and Pyramid but what about a place with no beer of its own name? Perhaps a ridiculous selection of fine beers from all over the world? We found this and more when we happened upon the shack in East Sacramento. Walking into The Shack you find a small but welcoming room where the staff is busy, the guests are smiling and the beer selection is endless. The Shack reminds me of a beach bar you might find in Santa Cruz or even San Diego. A very laid back neighborhood joint with lot’s going on. You can find every style of beer here from light pilsners to hoppy IPA’s and rich malty stouts and porters. By the bottle or on tap,

As Francis House of Sacramento continues to celebrate its 40th Anniversary, this very important institution will honor the memory of Greg Bunker, Executive Director, who passed away December 28, 2010 with their upcoming 20th Annual “Feast for the Streets Food and Wine Gala”, April 27, 2011 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in downtown Sacramento. Feast for the Streets is the largest fundraiser for Francis House and is highly regarded as one of Sacramento’s premiere food and wine tasting events. With the sudden passing of Greg Bunker in December, Francis House wants to celebrate his life’s work for the homeless and destitute in a way that he would have wanted. Forrest Reed, Acting Direct

It seems there are new restaurants popping up all over Sacramento. Many of these restaurants fall victim to the economy and fail within a year and a half, some only last several months. Fairly new to the scene is Red Lotus Kitchen and Bar where we decided to stop in last night. The decor is eclectic and modern and aromas of dim sum and dipping sauces creep up the nose when you enter the dining room. As we sat ourselves and looked over the menu we were approached by our server Isabel. As Isabel began going over some of the menu with us I noticed we were the only table in the restaurant in the middle of Happy Hour, as a matter of fact the only other people in the room besides the staff were

Big Idea Theatre opened their latest production, “Dinner with Friends” by David Margulies, this weekend, with a tightly cast group of actors and a little something extra for the audience to think about. The play, set in contemporary East Coast America, revolves around two couples going through the ecstasy of love and the agony of heartache. The first couple, Gabe and Karen, is a perfect pairing of kindred souls, and the other, Tom and Beth, is a volatile combination of miscommunication and loss. The four players of the evening come together as a malleable unit, working off of each other’s slightest affect. The director, Kirk Blackinton, brings a great play to life through four talented a

 For the last week, I've been living the life of Riley. Jess' aunt and uncle took her little cousins on vacation to Hawaii.  We've been housesitting their place in Land Park. Riley lives in a three-bedroom house in the suburbs, he's got a cat and a dog.  And this week, so do I.                 I thought I'd share with you some of the people and places that I've experienced during my week as a Sacramento suburbanite. A Suburban Cowboy, if you will.  While I'm not ready to trade in my 'Vette for a minivan a la Steve Sanders, BH 90210, Episode 7, Season 10 (a part of me died that day. Also, no one's gonna mistake my 1990 Honda Accord for a Corvette with plates that read I8A-4RE), I found th

It's been a while since I've had time to dine out much less write about it however this article is long overdue. I visited Serritella's Italian Restaurant on Fair Oaks Boulevard tonight and rediscovered why I enjoy dining out. This restaurant has been around for the better part of 40 years which is an achievement in itself in this market. Our young but knowledgeable server Bianca had all the steps of service down to a science. The decor was contemporary Italian with artwork reflecting the world of French and Italian wines. I was a bit concerned when noticing how sleepy the dining room was but decided to give everything a fair chance. I love this place. While some of the menu items may se

I was out and about the day before Christmas Eve and as usual looking for something to eat when I came across Sweetwater Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant stands on a decent piece of midtown real estate with a good amount of foot traffic through the neighborhood. Upon walking in you are immediately facing the bar. Since there is no podium or hostess we sat ourselves and our server Jo Beth promptly came by with menus. One of the first things I noticed was the extremely bright lights which took so much away from what would have otherwise been a very welcoming room. I’ve been in emergency rooms more dimly lit. The crowd was quiet and average at the bar most likely due to the fact it was s

Today I had but one objective which was to find a superior slice of pizza to sit down and enjoy without going broke in the process. You should know I was born and raised in New York so this was not going to be a simple task. I decided to try Giovanni’s Old World New York Pizzeria. My first impression was that the restaurant is enormous. The size of the restaurant drew attention to the fact I was the only one in the place. Normally I wouldn’t stay at a completely empty restaurant but they deserved an impartial review as much as any place. Let’s start with the positives. The lunch special which is offered from 11-4PM consists of two slices of pizza and a soda for $5.99. Draft beer is avail