It’s hard to get to know everyone who is lacing up their cleats, pulling up their tube socks, and gearing up for their kickball games with hundreds of players doing so on a weekly basis! So our local World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA) league is shining the spotlight on a different player each week so you can get to know the fun-loving people in your community who re-live the playground glory days of recess on a weekly basis here in Sacramento. This week: Matt Phillips Do not be confused by the back to back "Matt's" -unlike last week's seasoned veteran, this week's Hall of Famer is fairly new to the league. Stats and Mini-Bio: Hometown: Santa Rosa, CA Current Neighborhood: Sacrame

The country’s oldest port-producing vineyard will set up shop in Midtown by the end of the year, combining wine and port tasting with a kitchen store. Called Ficklin Wilcox, the store is owned by Ficklin Vineyards, which was established in Madera, Calif., in 1946. A combination kitchen store and tasting room, it’s a new endeavor for the company. “I felt like it was an original concept,” said Liz Wilcox of Ficklin Wilcox. “I haven’t seen anything quite like it, and my mother-in-law and I have been talking about doing something like this for years.” Wilcox said she comes from a retail background, spending years working with Williams Sonoma. The business will sell kitchenware such as cut

The recent recession cost Jonathan Kim his job in the building maintenance industry, but it also opened the door for him to follow a dream he’d had for years – owning a restaurant. A fish and chips restaurant in South Sacramento was short-lived, but five years ago, he opened the first location of Bento Box near Sacramento State, and he came up with a winning formula. He’s now expanding Bento Box to the Midtown/downtown area with its third location, and he said it will be open longer and seat more people than the previous two – one at 65th Street and Folsom Boulevard and the other in Loehmann’s Plaza in East Sacramento. Most dishes will be served in bento boxes – plastic boxes with built

It’s hard to get to know everyone who is lacing up their cleats, pulling up their tube socks, and gearing up for their kickball games with hundreds of players doing so on a weekly basis! So our local World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA) league is shining the spotlight on a different player each week so you can get to know the fun-loving people in your community who re-live the playground glory days of recess on a weekly basis here in Sacramento. This week: Matthew Heintz Stats and Mini-Bio: Name: Matthew Heintz Hometown: Winters, CA Current City: Sacramento, CA (Natomas) Occupation: Reporting Analyst (a.k.a. full-time nerd) Relationship Status: Engaged Kicking Foot: Right Age: 30 Kic

Most Americans have never had a true Belgian waffle, said Terry Jeske, owner of the Volks Waffle California food truck, and he hopes to give Sacramentans the chance. So, what makes a Belgian waffle truly Belgian? “In America, when you make waffles at home or IHOP or Denny’s, they’re made out of batter, so you pour the batter onto a griddle or an iron,” Jeske explained. “Mine are dough-based. It’s a completely different animal.” Jeske imports his dough from Belgium, where he said bakers have more than a 160-year head-start. Since the dough is the backbone of the business, he won’t say where, exactly, it comes from, but – after being frozen – it leaves the production facility on a truck,

On Sunday, September 16, 2012, SOCA will hold its 37th annual Historic Home Tour, featuring seven beautiful homes in the Poverty Ridge neighborhood. This year’s tour includes the McClatchy House (now known as the Ella K. McClatchy Library) designed by Rudolph Herold, the Roan-Didion House (briefly the residence of Sacramento author Joan Didion) designed by Seadler & Hoen, and a new infill residence at Tapestri Square, designed by Craig Hausman, plus four more historic homes. Docents will guide visitors through the interior of each house. Tickets are on sale now via http://socahometour.brownpapertickets.com According to local legend, “Poverty Ridge” got its name during the 1850s when resid

Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co. – the new venture from the owners of The Golden Bear – is set to open by the end of the month, co-owner Kimio Bazett said Friday. The menu at the restaurant located at 1630 S St. is nearly complete, but Bazett said he’s keeping tight-lipped on what, exactly, will be on it. “We’re trying to be as secretive as possible,” he said. “We don’t want too many details, except that there’s going to be a lot of handmade stuff. We’re trying to do all of our baking in-house, have handmade pasta, homemade sausages and farmers market-sourced produce as much as possible.” He’s being equally mum about the interior of the building, saying that not even the workers are pe

It’s hard to get to know everyone who is lacing up their cleats, pulling up their tube socks, and gearing up for their kickball games with hundreds of players doing so on a weekly basis! So our local WAKA league is shining the spotlight on a different player each week so you can get to know the fun-loving people in your community who re-live the playground glory days of recess on a weekly basis here in Sacramento. This week: Danielle Vaticano! Danielle Vaticano joined WAKA Sacramento a year ago and has brought tons of fun, vibrant energy to the league. This season will be no different, kicking off on Thursday September 6th with players donning their favorite football fan gear for NFL them

Sacramento’s newest craft brewery is scheduled to start production at 18th Street and Broadway in October. Construction is under way after months of delays at New Helvetia Brewing Company, owner David Gull said Thursday. “We started construction two weeks ago, and we’re scheduled to have that done Oct. 1,” he said. After that, the brewing equipment will be installed, and the business can begin brewing its seven- or eight-barrel batches of beer. Each barrel holds 31 gallons. Gull said the delay – the business was originally scheduled to open in February – was due to the time it takes to get contractors up to speed on a new project as well as hurdles caused by the nature of working in a

Everyone loves a good three-day weekend, and what better way to celebrate than in Sacramento! Enjoy a fun-filled and relaxing Labor Day weekend by checking out some of the activities and events listed below, which are sure to keep you happily busy all weekend long. Food, Music, & Art Galore! Chalk It Up! to Sacramento Festival: Fremont Park, Sat-Mon 10am-6pm Enjoy three full days of fun, family friendly outdoor activities. This event will feature live musical performances, art, and great food. 4th Annual One Love, One Heart Reggae Music Festival: Rio Ramaza Marina & Event Park, Sat-Sun 11am-Midnight; Mon 10am-2pm Experience a multicultural collection of world music, dance, and cuisine.

Have you ever been stuck on a project at work for so long that once you look at the clock, you realize you have missed happy hour? Joining the ranks of other restaurants that feature late-night happy hours, The Porch Restaurant and Bar has a solution: a new late-night social hour that goes from 10 p.m. - midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.  The Porch, an American/Southern comfort speciality restaurant, offers $5 drink specials every Friday and Saturday night as well as a dollar off on wine and draft beers.  The menu consists of a variety drinks, including gin, vodka and bourbon. “We figured late-night social hour would be a great way because we’re so close to a lot of the bars that are ar

The first time I saw David Houston perform with String Theory at Luna’s Café, it was the last Saturday in July. Despite the day’s triple digit heat, most of the seats were full, and the energy level was high. Requests were made. Stories were being told around the room and from the stage. From her table in front of the stage, Eva tells me she has seen every performance Houston has given there, beginning in the 1980’s; she commutes in from Cameron Park, that evening with her friend, Susan, also a long-time fan. “David’s probably too humble to say anything,” they are eager to let me know, “But the White Stripes are covering one of his songs.” The previous week, I had my first encounter wit

City officials are looking at a long-term solution to parking in the urban core, and while the effort has been under way for more than a year, last week’s canceling of the Midtown Second Saturday parking pilot program gave it new urgency. City Parking Manager Howard Chan said Wednesday that the city is working with property owners in the central city to take over liability for privately owned parking lots after hours. The lots would be for businesses such as law offices that don’t need the spaces during events such as Second Saturday Art Walks. “We’d do something like we did with the East End Parking Garage where we will take on the liability,” Chan said. “We would charge a small fee, an

The advantage of a touring with your own material is that when the crowd loves you, it is all you. That can bring a tremendous sense of satisfaction for a performer who is also a writer. Of course if you bomb, ouch! Fortunately, that hasn’t been a problem for Katie Rubin as of late. Her one-woman comedy show, My Spiritual Death plays to sold-out theaters, and conveniently, makes use of the truth that life hasn’t always been a series of curtain calls. Originally from Miami, Rubin says she now claims a number of home bases around the country, including the Albuquerque, the Bay Area, Grass Valley, and Sacramento--she has appeared in a number of productions at Capital Stage—where she says

Free Food. Free Drinks. Free music. It’s a Yelper party. Yelp is partnering with Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary and taking over the Handle district in Midtown Sacramento Aug. 25 from 3 - 6 p.m. for the ultimate block party known as “Yelp’s Too Hot to Handle Yelper Party” with music, food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and free massages. The party is completely free, invite-only and solely for Yelp.com Sacramento users. If you’re unfamiliar with Yelp, it’s a free online community website that puts the power of business reviews in the hands of consumers. According to Yelp’s Sacramento community manager, Alex Lane, part of Yelp’s mission is to act as a middleman connecting people to the

Local artist Brooke Walker-Knoblich’s “Musicians of Midtown” art exhibit will be displayed in a unique setting Saturday: alongside some of the depicted musicians as they perform live in a benefit concert at The Urban Hive. “The exhibit that will be on Saturday is how I always wanted the musician series to be – not just my own interpretation of it, but for people to actually hear the music as well – sort of a multimedia visual and aural experience,” Walker-Knoblich said. “Musicians of Midtown,” a display with 10 paintings and 20 sketches of Midtown artists, debuted at Gallery 2110 in Midtown earlier this year. For the project, Walker-Knoblich sketched more than 450 artists. She said Mond

The fatal shooting of a man walking near 28th and J streets in Midtown early Saturday morning has nearby residents concerned about a perceived connection between violence and the local bar scene, but Sutter District business owners say there is no cause for alarm. “Midtown is a safe district,” Midtown Business Association Executive Director Elizabeth Studebaker said Monday. “It’s not the kind of place where we’re accustomed to this kind of violence. It’s definitely not the norm for us.” The Sutter District is a popular destination and draws thousands of people each week, according to Studebaker. That concentration of people can create occasional problems, she said, but not unlike any oth

After the shooting death of a 32-year old man Friday night near 28th and J streets, Midtown residents are responding with a protest of an alcohol license, and pleas for Mayor Kevin Johnson to act. “This issue has not yet been dealt with a long-term sustainable manner and now someone has died from gun violence,” George Raya and Julie Murphy wrote in a press release from the Marshall School/New Era Neighborhood Association. [See the full text of the press release below] Sacramento County Coroner identified Friday’s shooting victim as Joseph A. Long of Carmichael. Long was a bystander and not involved in the incident, according to police. “One of my close friends that made an incredible di

This article was produced in partnership with Ed Fogle at SacMav.com A man in his 30s was killed during an early morning gunfight in the parking lot next to the Ampm gas station at the intersection of 28th and J streets in Midtown, according to the Sacramento Police Department. Police spokesman Sgt. Andrew Pettit said that while it is still early in the investigation, the evidence police have collected so far indicates that the victim may have been an innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire as two subjects fired at each other from opposite corners of 28th and J streets.  “It appears right now that the person that was shot didn’t have a relationship with either of the shooters

A pilot parking program for Second Saturday Art Walks that would have affected Midtown street spaces is dead in the water, a staffer from City Councilman Rob Fong’s office confirmed Thursday. The program would have limited parking from 16th Street to 29th Street, and the south side of G Street to the south side of I Street to “residential only” parking on Second Saturdays. All other vehicles would have been limited to parking for two hours. “There’s not a lot of support for the program in our area,” said Julie Murphy of the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association. The association sent a letter formally opposing the pilot program to Fong on June 11, stating that similar ide