Nationally acclaimed chef Mai Pham expanded her Southeast Asian food emprie in Sacramento with the opening of her newest restaurant, Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar, on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, and ever since I heard about it I wanted to see what it was all about. From her incredible food and cocktails that I've had at her landmark restaurant, and then the local and affordable convenience of her addition on Howe (Lemongrass Noodle Bar), I was hooked. This is exactly the kind of food that is approachable for novice foodies to the Asian dining scene, and Pham gives a wonderful introduction to what those flavors have to offer! Blending the bold simplicity of Asian street food with th

Lemon Grass Restaurant owner and cookbook author Mai Pham is expanding her culinary empire to new regions, with a different name and broader-range cuisine. Pham said she expects to open her newest restaurant, Star Ginger, in East Sacramento on Jan. 25. She's also working on plans to open more Star Gingers on the East Coast in the next year or two. She cooked up Star Ginger as a modern, pan-Asian dining concept that would allow her to widen the menu to include more Asian cuisines while offering quicker daytime service. "As I cooked over the years and as my horizon expanded.... I became enamored with other Asian cuisines," Pham said. The former TV reporter and public relations profession

One of the best kept secrets of the South Sacramento area is a small, private school tucked away in the Lanai Shopping Center on Freeport Boulevard, neighboring the Sacramento Executive Airport, where it has existed in rented space for 21 years. Over the years, most of the shopping center tenants have moved away. Meanwhile, countless hours of parent, teacher and student work have gone into transforming a run-down property into a school with colorful classrooms and playgrounds. It has an understated entrance, but Camellia Waldorf School is an oasis for children. The kindergarten yard is home to Mr. Mountain, a big pile of dirt, and Ms. Sandy, a big pile of sand. There are climbing struct