Cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies and other sweets are on the menu at a new pastry shop in Old Sacramento, Huggiebears Sweets and Treats. The business, which opened July 18 at 904 Second St., was born of the recipes from owner Jim Austin, whose cheesecakes and other desserts have won numerous awards at the California State Fair and county fairs for his amateur baking. Store Manager Jason R. Clark said he and Austin talked about the recipes and about bringing the baked goods to a wider audience. “I figured the rest of the world needs to be exposed to the delicious treats we were making,” he said. Those treats include an orange creamsicle cheesecake, fresh brownies and a number of cupcakes

An old boxing gym once frequented by the likes of George Foreman is the unlikely home to what some say is a hidden culinary surprise in Tahoe Park. Mighty Kong Cafe, located at 3701 Stockton Blvd., was formerly the Capital Boxing Gym before the cafe opened in 2008. Originally a muffin and coffee business, the renovation converted it to a full-service restaurant with an elegant feel, according to owner King Smith’s son, Lance Smith. “My little sister had just graduated from the Cordon Bleu (cooking school), and she said we had way too nice of a kitchen to just do muffins and coffee,” Lance Smith said. What ensued was a full remodel. Booth seating was brought in, an empty space was tra

A style of entertainment popular in Japan that also has a proven track record in the United States is coming to K Street by October: karaoke – but not the karaoke you’d expect at most bars. Oishii Sushi Bar and Grill, located at 1000 K St., will be a sushi restaurant with 15 private karaoke rooms. The rooms range in size, with small rooms able to hold six or eight people and larger rooms holding as many as 40. “It’s a family and friends concept,” owner Joe Zheng said. “They can go and reserve a private room and do karaoke for a birthday or a friends’ get-together type thing.” Located above the Cosmopolitan Cabaret, Oishii can be accessed via an elevator from K Street. Upon entering, pe

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

Right in the heart and commotion of the Midtown bar scene, a calming, peaceful urban sanctuary for the body, soul and spirit serves Mayan spice chocolate French toast with a side of Tibetan bowl sound therapy, or perhaps a cocoa butter massage, to people seeking nourishment and relaxation. This multi-faceted center of well-being, Ancient Future, is located at 2331 K St. and opened its doors and its arms to the public on July 1. “It’s been rewarding seeing the vision come alive and watching people in the space being able to take a nice deep breath and enjoy themselves and one another,” owner Teresa Flint said. “I really want this space to be a gathering place for the community.” Ancient F

Downtown & Vine – an urban wine tasting room – is seeking to bring the best of California wine country to K Street downtown, with a scheduled opening date of mid-October. Co-owner Gregg Lamer said Friday that he and co-owner Kate Chomko think Sacramento needs a varied selection of wines from Sonoma, Napa, the foothills and other wine regions across the state, and the 1200 K St. location is the perfect fit. “We’ll have 12 wineries, and we’ll feature three wines from each one,” Lamer said, adding that wine will be poured in 2-ounce tastes, 5-ounce glasses or flights of three 2-ounce tastes. Of the 12 wineries, 11 will be the backbone of the business, while the 12th will rotate – likely br

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

For decades, following her screen debut on public television, culinary pioneer and beloved icon Julia Child opened up new worlds for generations of Americans, showing them that cooking, even French cuisine, was enjoyable and within reach for all. In celebration of what would have been her 100th birthday on August 15, 2012, PBS and KVIE Public Television will honor Child’s legacy through a multi-platform initiative spanning on-air, online, and social media engagement. The special, Julia Child Memories: Bon Appétit!, will air on KVIE (channel 6) at 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 15. The public television celebration begins in the kitchen. KVIE viewers and Julia Child fans are encouraged to cook t

The Pour House held its grand opening on Friday – Midtown's newest bar features taps at tables with whiskey and beer, sandwiches from the Coast to Coast food trucks and decor reminiscent of a Prohibition-era speakeasy. The bar/restaurant will be open from 11 a.m to 1:30 a.m., serving lunch and dinner, with plans to add a Sunday brunch soon, according to operator Trevor Shults. Shults said he was going for a "rustic, older vibe" that utilized the historic nature of the building and its location at 1910 Q St, next to railroad tracks. "The design, I feel, complements the building well," he said Wednesday. The interior is divided into two rooms with distinct designs. The front room is open

The tasting room for Sacramento urban winery Rail Bridge Cellars is an intimate, two-level venue at the top of the Elks Tower – a spot managing partner Michael Gelber said is the highest place in the city where you can eat and drink – and it will begin hosting live blues and jazz Aug. 11. After being open for about six weeks, Gelber said, the tasting room has attracted a following, and Rail Bridge Cellars’ selection has grown from two varietals to about 12. “We want to bring a speakeasy-style place,” Gelber said. “Sacramento has lots of great nightlife, but this is a different take.” He said the two-level penthouse was called The Top of the Town shortly after the building’s construction

Curtis Fest Artisan Festival, Sunday, August 26, 2012: This Whole-Day, Whole-Family Affair concludes with Music in the Park at 6:00pm The sixth annual Curtis Fest Artisan Festival returns to Curtis Park on Sunday, August 26, from 10am to 4pm. The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) presents a day of art, music and fun for the whole family! Featuring dozens of artists and artisans, live local music, great food from local vendors and fun for the kids (including a petting zoo!). And don't miss Music in the Park starting at 6:00pm. This year’s celebration will feature a variety of artists and vendors including: Mickey Abbey, Jacqueline Blondeau, Doris Brown, Pat Bosley Jewels Vint

Decadent. Provocative. Orgasmic. Not words normally found in cupcake lexicon, but when we're talking about the creations of Drizzle owner and pastry chef Rob Porter, they seem to fit. Midtown will be able to judge for itself when Porter brings his cupcakes – works of art, to some – to the central city. Cupcakes have been all the rage recently, but Drizzle’s Porter says he has something completely different in mind for his shop: a new kind of late-night hangout to complement the bars and restaurants in Midtown and downtown. “I don’t want to open your everyday, average cupcakery,” Porter, 43, said Tuesday. “I want it to be one of the destination shops that Food Network focuses on. It will

A new cafe from the owners of Paesanos is scheduled to go into the old Java City spot at 19th and Capitol by the end of the month. Mangia – Italian for “eat” – is going to be a different concept from Paesanos, with counter service and an assortment of coffee drinks, sandwiches, salads and other food items, Director of Operations Dana Scarpulla said. “We have some Italian-inspired eating, but it will be eclectic,” she said, adding that menu development just began, so there aren’t more details available yet. The eatery will open early in the morning and serve coffee, breakfast sandwiches and pastries as well as lunch and dinner. “We hope to bring the early-morning coffee for the people w

Café Roma owner Abe Saadeh said his goal is to take you to Italy without having to leave Sacramento, and now he’s expanding his nearly 2-year-old resturant at 1013 L St. to add seating, beer and wine, and more dining options. “When I first conceived the cafe, I wanted to bring what I saw on my trips to Italy to Sacramento,” Saadeh said Thursday. “I thought it was great to be able to go in and feel the excitement that’s going on in the cafes.” From the window display of gelato to the walk-up espresso bar and premade panninis in the deli case, the small details in Café Roma evoke the feel of being in an Italian cafe, and Saadeh said the expansion will add other elements – beer and wine, fu

Trio Restaurant, Bakery and Market opened July 1, bringing a Dean and Delucca-style restaurant to downtown Sacramento with a mix of farm-to-table and imported foods. Chef and owner Gönül Blum said Thursday that details are still being finalized – with a liquor license effective Friday and glass coverings for the fresh meats section coming soon. “So much of the food comes from my garden and is served in the restaurant,” Blum said. “And I have certificates from the farmers to show that the food is farm-to-table.” Blum said she likes to focus on local ingredients to create Mediterranean-themed dishes, including some from her homeland of Turkey. A small retail space in the front of the res

Rubicon Brewing Company could increase its production tenfold in a few years after the arrival of new brewing equipment Thursday, which will allow the Sacramento brewing company to produce a larger selection locally and become a bigger player in the West Coast beer scene. “We’d do a lot more seasonals here than we do now,” Rubicon owner Glynn Phillips said Thursday, “and the more popular beers would be more abundant.” He added that beers such as Rubicon’s pilsner might be produced year-round, which is currently not possible, as Monkey Knife Fight and Rubicon IPA take up 70 percent of the small production facility. The new 450-gallon brewing equipment will be set up in a production facil

As the month of July comes to a close, so does the 21st season of the Friday Night Concerts in the Park. The city’s longest-running, outdoor music festival will come to a close on July 27th. The final concert will be headlined by local favorites The Brodys, who will bring their retro-pop sound to Cesar Chavez Plaza in their 15th Concerts in the Park appearance. Opening for The Brodys are local bands WRING and Hero's Last Mission. The free, all-ages concerts will take place 5 pm to 9 pm this Friday night. “It’s been an amazing Concerts in the Park season,” said Annie Stuckert, DSP Senior Manager of Event Operations and Development, “We entered our 21st year with record attendance, hugely p

Army Specialist Michael Pinto said there was one treat he looked forward to more than anything else when stationed in Iraq in 2006 and 2007 – his mother’s homemade caramels. “We had some stuff over there as far as sweets, but nothing came close to that,” he said. “It was something from home, and they tasted amazing. I’d share them with the other guys, and we’d go through 90 percent of them in 15 minutes.” Now Pinto’s mother, Gael George, is hoping that Sacramento residents will be just as enthusiastic about her candies as she opens a retail spot for her business, called My Sweet George. A former music store executive, George left the business as digital content took over and founded My

After a two years of on-again, off-again talks, the dispute between food truck and restaurants in Sacramento might be drawing to a close – a new food truck ordinance is in the final steps of negotiation before being put to the City Council after a meeting between food truck operators, traditional restaurateurs and city officials on Friday. “Basically, the only things that are really left to negotiate are how far a truck can park from a restaurant and for how long,” KrushBurger food truck owner Davin Vculek said. He added that the current 30-minute time limit will likely be extended to a limit that allows a food truck to serve for a whole shift – be it lunch or dinner – in one spot. Righ

One of Sacramento's newest coffee bars has hit its stride in the last months by turning its small back area into a mini kitchen – or a "kitchenette." The change has helped Broadacre Coffee, which opened near 10th and J streets last October in the old Temple Coffee location, draw a new crowd and improve its bottom line. "We've been trying since October to kind of carve out our niche in downtown, where there are two or three other competing coffee shops, and food definitely hit the mark on that," said Justin Kerr, a barista and co-owner. For about a month now, Broadacre has been serving a selection of pressed and croissant sandwiches with eggs and cheese that cost $5 to $6, as well as yog