Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Brandon Darnell

Nov. 15 election update: Hansen extends lead to 160 votes

2012-11-15T23:17:58Z

Steve Hansen extended his lead in the Sacramento City Council District 4 race with the latest vote count Thursday, now leading Joe Yee by 160 votes. On Tuesday, Hansen led by 108 votes.

Hansen now has 10,715 votes to Yee's 10,555.

According to Brad Buyse, campaign manager for Sacramento County elections, there are still approximately 7,800 vote-by-mail ballots to be counted, and work hasn't even begun on counting and verifying the provisional ballots, of which there are about 31,000.

That work will begin Wednesday and continue on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

"We've never had so many provisionals turned in at the polls," he said. "We normally get about 5,000 to 7,000. This is just a long, painstaking process that needs to be done step-by-step, and the provisionals are always counted last."

The ballot numbers are county-wide, and he said there is no way to know how many are from District 4.

It’s undetermined when the final vote tally will be finished, and the county has 28 days from the date of the election to produce a winner. Updates are expected to come every other business day from now until the final vote is tallied.

In the District 2 race, Rob Kerth currently leads Allen Warren by 155 votes - a 45-vote drop over the previous count released on Tuesday.

Lowbrau beer hall to open in Midtown early December

2012-11-15T07:22:47Z

Lowbrau owners Michael Hargis and Clay Nutting say they expect to open their German-style beer hall and sausage restaurant in the first few weeks of December, if construction stays on track.

The restaurant will take the 20th and K streets location of the former Lounge on 20, which closed earlier this year after an extensive redesign failed to draw fine-dining customers in the numbers needed to make it succeed.

Hargis and Nutting say they have a markedly different concept, with the communal tables, larger square bar and decor that’s a cross between modern and Bavarian styling designed to foster a sense of community at affordable prices.

“We were really lucky,” Hargis said Tuesday. “We’ve been working on this for two years, and the best location in the city happened to become available. We’re beyond excited.”

So how does a German beer hall fit in with Midtown culture?

“It pays homage to the German beer hall but with the look and feel of Midtown,” Hargis said.

One of the aspects that combines the two cultures will be a shadow-box display featuring a classic German fixture – the cuckoo clock. But instead of something that will quickly feel dated, Hargis said, it will be done in a monochromatic fashion so it blends with the feel of Midtown.

Another aspect of the design will be the incorporation of birch trees used in one area as a mini dividing wall. A private dining room will be sealed off with sliding barn doors, and all of the furniture and building materials are locally sourced.

The beer selection will be varied, and Nutting says something will be available to satisfy any palate.

“Beer is something that we’re really passionate about,” Nutting said. “We will have some German beers on tap and in bottles. Also, we’ll have Belgian and craft and local beers.”

But beer is only part of the equation.

“Sausage is the focus of our kitchen,” Hargis said. “We’ll have traditional sausages like bockwurst and knockwurst, and of course frankfurters, but we’ll have some gourmet ones – maybe elk or quail.”

The restaurant will also offer a vegan sausage.

“This is a place we want everyone to be comfortable in, and a lot of people in Midtown are vegetarians or vegans,” Nutting said.

Prices are designed to appeal to the community as well, with lunch and a beer running around $12.

Hargis and Nutting teamed up with the crew from Shady Lady Saloon for the cocktail menu, and a number of the drinks will be based on traditional German schnapps.

Schnapps is traditionally a flavored brandy, and Hargis says he’s excited to roll out the cocktail options, which were some of the most popular items when a trial dinner for family and friends was held a few months ago.

The majority of the seating in the approximately 3,700-square-foot space will be dedicated to communal tables, with a few tables for two or four available to people who want a more intimate setting.

Patio space was a must for the duo, who says the MARRS Building’s large deck was part of what made the space ideal. About 150 can be seated inside, with another 70 on the patio.

“We also are really happy to be able to have 20th Street right outside,” Hargis said. “We will want to do something for Oktoberfest next year, and there are other events we’d like to participate in.”

Hargis and Nutting are behind the Launch Festival, which was in the central city earlier this year. Nutting has a background in events through working with Concerts 4 Charity to raise funds with music.

Nutting says that events management is a field that’s all about showing people a good time, and it’s something he and Hargis will strive to do with Lowbrau.

Standing in the center of the restaurant, near the as-yet-unfinished bar, Nutting rests a hand on the rough plywood and takes in the sight before expressing exactly what he wants to see it become: “This is a place where a lot of good stories will come from.”

Fat Face cafe leaves Bows & Arrows boutique in Midtown Sacramento

2012-11-14T06:39:47Z

Fat Face cafe will leave Bows & Arrows vintage boutique Nov. 30, being replaced by a new operator looking to stretch his legs in the restaurant business by bringing in more hot plates and late-night eats.

One of the major draws to Fat Face, according to Bows & Arrows co-owner Trisha Rhomberg, were the popsicles.

“Since she’s been at Bows, her popsicles blew up, and they’re in demand everywhere, and they’re kind of like her hot seller, her golden little goose egg, and so she’s doing the right thing by focusing all of her energy into expanding that part of the business,” Rhomberg said.

Fat Face owner Jaymes Luu shared the news with her fans in a letter she posted on her Facebook page.

“I feel fortunate to have been able to work with the creative and energetic staff of Bows & Arrows, and it has been a complete and absolute pleasure to serve such a loyal and enthusiastic customer base,” Luu said in the letter.

The popsicles will still be available at Bows & Arrows, and the cafe space will be opened to a new operator.

Rhomberg said she sees it as a natural progression in the Bows & Arrows goal of being a showcase for locals.

“Yes, we have art, and yes, we have great music and cool local designer wares, but chefs are artists as well,” she said. “I’m excited to bring on someone whose dream job is to open a restaurant, and this can be the step before you open your own restaurant.”

Some of the significant upfront costs in starting a restaurant include finding and leasing a space, then equipping it with expensive range hoods and floor drains and other infrastructure needed for a restaurant.

Rhomberg said those are all things that Bows & Arrows already has.

Now, Gabe Nokes will be able to get his start in the space, creating his own unique menu and leaving his impression on the business.

“What we’ll be doing is really focusing more on what Bows & Arrows is really good at, which is doing events and being a nice place to hang out,” Nokes said.

He plans to keep a similar type of menu at lunch, focusing on sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients, but he will serve dinner later – likely from 6 p.m. to closing time at 11 p.m., with an emphasis on hot plates.

“In the future I’d like to have a grill going on on the back patio and actually be doing grilled sandwiches to order, or sausages and grilled vegetables – things like that,” Nokes said.

He added that he plans to do small plates of local seasonal vegetables, nuts served hot, hot meats and cold meats.

The price range will be similar to the current offerings, with sandwiches running $8-$9 at lunch, and small dinner plates running $4-$5, with larger plates costing up to $11.

“It’s nothing too fancy,” Nokes said. “We’re a bar/cafe/lounge, and we’re not trying to be too haute cuisine.”

Nokes will be taking over dinner service Nov. 27, and he will take over lunch service from Luu on Dec. 1.

Latest update: Hansen now leads Yee by 108 votes

2012-11-13T23:09:14Z

Steve Hansen now leads Joe Yee by 108 votes in the District 4 City Council race.

On Friday's update, Yee had a 46-vote lead, taking away Hansen's earlier lead. Updates can be expected every other business day until the final count is tallied.

It’s undetermined when the final vote tally will be finished, and the county has 28 days from the date of the election to produce a winner.

"There are still thousands of ballots left to count," Yee said. "I am going to be patient and let the County continue to count. I look forward to the next update on Thursday."

Hansen expressed a similar sentiment in a message to his supporters posted on his web page.

"There are still many votes left to be counted in our race, so please do not read too much into these ups or downs," he said.

The race won't be known for a while, with updates expected to come every other business day from now until the final vote is tallied.

The registrar of voters has 28 days from the date of the election to certify the results.

In the District 2 race, Rob Kerth currently leads Allen Warren by 200 votes.

Election update: Yee leads Hansen by 46 votes in District 4 race

2012-11-09T23:14:01Z

Joe Yee leads Steve Hansen by 46 votes for the District 4 City Council seat after the latest ballot count update released Friday afternoon.

It’s undetermined when the final vote tally will be finished, and the county has 28 days from the date of the election to produce a winner.

"Today's update is good news, however there is still about 130,000 ballots to count, countywide," Yee said. "I'm hopeful, but there are still a few weeks to go before this election is certified."

Most of the 130,000 ballots Yee referenced will not be from District 4 voters, but outstanding District 4 votes could change the close race.

"This is a small swing, and it's important not to read read much into the ups and downs," Hansen said. "Let's stay focused on the end goal of ensuring every vote is counted in a fair and transparent manner."

Election night proved inconclusive for the two candidates as Yee led in early returns, but only by a slim margin. At one point, Yee led by a mere six votes before Hansen took the lead with the last update to come in early Wednesday morning.

For the past two days, the figures had shown Hansen leading by 28 votes.

The winner of the race will represent downtown, Midtown, Land Park and a few areas north of the rivers, including Willowcreek.

In the District 2 City Council Race, Rob Kerth extended his lead over Allen Warren, taking a lead of 215 votes.

Another update will come Tuesday, and additional updates will come every other business day after that.

Man arrested for Monte Carlo Club shooting

2012-11-09T18:40:52Z

Police arrested 35-year-old Elpidio Tellez on Thursday for the shooting death at 15th and S streets Wednesday night, Public Information Officer Doug Morse said Friday.

"An outside agency ended up arresting someone on warrants, and through investigative leads we realized that was the shooter," Morse said, adding that it's not Sacramento Police Department policy to discuss which outside agency was involved.

Details at this point are scant, and no motive was given for the shooting.

Police responded to gunshots at about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, and when they arrived on the scene, a man in his 30s was dead outside the Monte Carlo Club.

To read more about the search that night, click here.

Sneak peek at possible bike-share infrastructure in downtown Sacramento

2012-11-09T07:52:21Z

One version of what a Sacramento bicycle-sharing program might look like was on display Thursday at Ninth and I streets.

Representatives from B-cycle, a Wisconsin-based company that supplied equipment to 14 bicycle-sharing programs across the United States, including Denver and Honolulu, were on hand to answer questions about their systems.

According to B-cycle representative Jason McDowell, the infrastructure has come a long way since bicycle-sharing programs began cropping up in the past decade.

“We’ve had a chance to learn from the mistakes of others instead of making those mistakes ourselves,” he said, referring to the early struggles of the bicycle-sharing program in Paris, where there were constant reports of theft and vandalism in the early days.

“Since 2010, we have only lost one or two bikes,” he added, saying that neither was stolen from one of the stations when it was locked up.

Local officials are currently working on a study to examine the feasibility of a bicycle-sharing program in the Sacramento region.

Getting a working program off the ground will likely take $1 million - $3 million, but that’s a figure proponents say is public transit on the cheap.

“It gets people out of their reliance on the car, and in makes them active,” said Chris Morfas, senior policy coordinator for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.

With the study costing about $30,000, some have wondered why there is a need to spend the money, but Morfas said it is a small price to pay to ensure that installing the infrastructure will make a good return on investment.

“We want to make sure we know that we’re putting the stations in the areas where people will use them and that placing them there makes sense,” he said. “In transportation spending, that’s relatively small.”

The report is expected to be completed by spring of next year, at which point local governments can decide if it’s something that’s right for the region, and if it is, they can seek funding.

B-cycle is only one vendor of bicycle-sharing infrastructure that may be considered by the region if it moves forward with the process, and it is housed in the same building as bicycle manufacturer Trek Bicycles.

“From Trek’s perspective, they’re not looking to make a lot of money off the bikes,” McDowell said, referencing the estimated $1,000 - $1,400 that each bicycle will cost. “What we’ve seen is that installing something like this flips a switch – cities become much more bike-friendly, and from Trek’s perspective, it encourages people to go out and buy their own bikes.”

A pilot program coordinated by the Midtown Business Association last year was deemed unsuccessful after a string of thefts and vandalism, but it was a markedly different system from the ones in use in places such as Boulder, Colo., and Washington, D.C.

The Midtown program used widely available bicycles and was launched on a small scale. Systems offered by companies such as B-cycle use specialized bicycles with unique styles and locking mechanisms that aren’t commercially available, and they start with greater numbers of bicycles.

“In Denver, we started with 500 bikes,” McDowell said. “What usually happens is the city either forms a nonprofit or partners with a nonprofit to keep the programs going.”

Like other methods of public transit, the bicycles can display advertisements, which helps offset the cost of upkeep. Additionally, nominal fees are paid by users.

According to a B-cycle brochure, typical fees are $5 - $10 for a 24-hour pass, a seven-day membership is about $30 and an annual membership is about $65, with the first 30 minutes of using a bicycle bearing no additional charge.

Typically, usage beyond 30 minutes adds a fee, depending on how long the bicycle remains rented.

“The idea is that this completes a public transit network,” McDowell said. “People can get off a train or a bus, get on a bike and ride that last mile to work, where they can turn in the bike at a large office building.”

Elizabeth Studebaker, executive director of the Midtown Business Association, said she thinks the program would be good for business, giving options beyond cars and making visitors have greater access to businesses.

“It’s also really great for tourism,” she said. “It gives people working an easy way to get on a bike and ride to a restaurant for lunch or do some shopping. It’s kind of exploding all over the country.”

The Moppet Shoppe – children's boutique comes to Midtown from Elk Grove

2012-11-05T15:50:06Z

Carolee Neronde opened the doors of her children’s clothing boutique, The Moppet Shoppe, Oct. 27 in Midtown, moving to the central city after spending 21 years in Elk Grove.

“I had to leave, because the shopping center I was in was dead,” she said. “It was just me and a scrapbooking place for retail, and I stared out at a parking lot full of cars all day.”

In her new spot at 2524 J St., she has what she’s been looking for – the constant hustle and bustle of foot traffic.

The space previously housed the Upper Playground clothing store, and Neronde said that the first time she saw the place, she knew she had to have it. A month later, her doors were open.

Moppet is Old English for child, and the name was a natural fit for Neronde, who enjoys classic English literature and carries clothes for children – from premature sizes up to age 16.

“It’s a boutique, so we carry higher-end brands,” she said, adding that some of her popular clothing labels include Giggle Moon and Biscotti.

Some of the shoes she said her customers seek out include the brands See Kai Run and Pediped.

One concern with moving to Midtown, she said, is parking. Some of her regular customers told her they wouldn’t shop in the central city because of the parking situation, but others said they’d gladly make the drive – and weren't worried about parking.

“Sacramento doesn’t have a parking problem,” Neronde said. “I never have trouble parking down here.”

The benefits, however, outweigh the perception of parking, Neronde added. Proximity to East Sacramento, constant foot and vehicle traffic and the fact that Midtown is mixed-use – allowing her to operate just yards from residences – are all aspects she sees as positives.

Down the street, at the corner of 25th and J streets, is Birkenstock Midtown. Co-owner Toni Budworth said she is happy to see The Moppet Shoppe move in, and she thinks it will enhance her business.

“We have a lot of the same customers,” Budworth said. “People come to our stores looking for high-quality products and good service.”

Birkenstock Midtown has been open for a decade, and Budworth said she thinks the two stores will complement each other well.

“Most of our customers are women, and a lot of them, like me, are recent grandparents,” she said. “It would make a great women’s outing to go shopping for shoes and pick something up for a grandchild or a child.”

Neronde said she has felt welcomed by the other businesses in the area, and she thinks the Midtown district has a good mix of locally owned shops appreciated by the residents.

“I’m really happy to be here,” she said. “It’s really exciting.”

Mike's Camera to replace Ritz Camera in Midtown Sacramento

2012-11-02T00:44:50Z

A new camera store is coming to Midtown in the same space recently vacated when Ritz Camera closed its doors.

Colorado-based Mikes Camera has been around since 1967 and is expanding into California with a new corporation. Sacramento is one of five locations the business will open in the state. The other four are all in the Bay Area.

“Sacramento’s a great city,” Vice President of Operations Alex Christianian said Thursday. “Since Ritz was closing their location, and we had been looking at expanding, the timing seemed like a good opportunity for us.”

The store is set to open at 2200 J St. sometime during the week of Nov. 12, and he said he expects that many of the Ritz Camera employees will be hired.

“They had a great crew, and we’ll be retaining as many of them as we can,” Christianian said.

Store selection will be similar to what Ritz Camera carried, but he added that there will be a more extensive selection of high-end products than Ritz offered. The store will also repair cameras.

Another aspect of the business will be the hosting of educational activities such as workshops, shooting events, presentations by professional photographers and more.

Store hours will be 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday.

Midtown Business Association Executive Director Elizabeth Studebaker said she is happy to see the old camera store replaced with a new one.

“A store like Mike’s Camera is a huge asset for the community, and it’s a great destination business,” she said.

Midtown residents rally to support music venue, and police listen

2012-11-01T19:07:36Z

After an outcry from neighborhood leaders, police agreed recently to rescind a recommendation for a restriction on the liquor license transfer at Harlow’s, a nightclub at 2708 J St.

A shooting Aug. 18 spurred some neighbors to act when the license came up for transfer to new owners – with the residents arguing that alcohol sales on the block, which includes several restaurants and bars, were partly responsible for the shooting.

A group of residents have historically opposed alcohol-selling businesses on the block, and one of the most vocal of the group, Vito Sgromo, told police in an Aug. 19 email that he intended to protest the liquor license transfer due to crime in the area.

Sgromo did not reply to a request for comment by publication time.

As a result of the group’s outcry, Sacramento Police Department officials planned to include a recommendation to the Alcoholic Beverage Control that half of all sales at Harlow’s must be food-related as a way to cut back on alcohol consumption.

That restriction, however, was not supported by other residents.

Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association leaders sent a letter arguing against the 50/50 restriction to police officials last week.

“Harlow's is a vital link in the continuing development of the local music scene,” the letter states. “Imposing the 50/50 food and alcohol condition will hamper the ability of Harlow's to make changes necessary to develop into a better business and neighbor.”

Julie Murphy of the neighborhood association said Tuesday that she and other neighbors are in support of Harlow’s as a longtime music venue and agreed that other restrictions related to noise management and security are sufficient.

After hearing from the neighborhood association, police removed the 50/50 requirement from their recommendation to the Alcoholic Beverage Control

“The recommendation we’re putting forward to ABC is all pretty much standard for most of the clubs,” said Lt. Norm Leong, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. “Based on the community feedback, the 50/50 recommendation was changed.”

Leong added that police don’t know whether Harlow’s or the other businesses on the 2700 block of J Street contributed to the fatal shooting.

“We don’t know where the parties came from,” Leong said of the shooters and the victim. “It’s likely they were in the area due to the venues, but we don’t know if they came from any of them.”

Below is the letter from the neighborhood association to city officials:

Members of the Board of the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association (“Board”) and nearby neighbors of Harlow’s met with Jim Cornett on Saturday, October 20, to discuss his purchase of Harlow's and our concerns about security and noise management. At that time Tricia Bernhardt, the broker representing the Torza family, informed our Board of a food/alcohol sales requirement the Sacramento Police Department is recommending ABC add as a condition to the license transfer from the Torzas to Jim Cornett and his partners.

We are very supportive and appreciative that the Sacramento Police Department is recommending conditions to the license transfer that will promote security and noise management at Harlow's. We, however, feel that viewing Harlow's solely as a "General Eating Place" does not take into consideration the unique nature of Harlow's as a live music venue for over 30 years. A Condition requiring a 50/50 ratio of food sales to alcohol sales is not appropriate for Harlow's. The Board and nearby residents supportsthe inclusion of this condition on other restaurant/bar businesses on the 2700 block of J Street, but not at Harlow's due to its long-standing history as a music venue. For over 30 years, Harlow's has made a remarkable contribution to the local music scene by promoting local bands and bringing national touring bands to Midtown.

Harlow's is a vital link in the continuing development of the local music scene. Imposing the 50/50 food and alcohol condition will hamper the ability of Harlow's to make changes necessary to develop into a better business and neighbor. This one-time exclusion of the food and alcohol sales condition will help preserve and protect a local music treasure. In this challenging economy, the community needs develop creative and innovative solutions to promote this segment of the artistic community.

The Board fully supports the other proposed conditions designed to increase security atHarlow's and control noise. These issues are the primary concerns of the residents who live in the area immediately adjacent to Harlow's. We fully endorse the addition of these reasonable conditions to ABC license. The Board appreciates the efforts of the Sacramento Police Department to promote safety, security, and noise reduction in our neighborhood. We also look forward to working with you to develop productive solutions to make Midtown a better place for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

Julie A. Murphy Ed Trujillo George Raya
Co-Chair Co-Chair Board Member

Kombucha Kulture debuts mobile concept

2012-10-31T15:36:54Z

Kombucha Kulture debuted its mobile vending trailer Saturday, Oct. 27, offering a host of different flavors of the fermented tea drink growing in popularity.

The trailer features six flavors of kombucha, according to a press release, and the Zombie 5K run at Miller Park was the venue. The brewers were Revive, Bùcha, House and Lev’s.

A 12-ounce glass runs $3, and a 16-ounce glass costs $4.

Owned by Joseph Melrose and Brianne Giatras, Kombucha Kulture was originally envisioned as a brick-and-mortar store to replace the old Hina’s Tea space at 24th and K streets.

Unable to secure traditional bank funding, the duo tried to raise $50,000 via the Internet fundraising platform Kickstarter, and when that failed, they opted to go with a mobile concept.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” Giatras previously told The Sacramento Press.. “We realized we were going to have a great audience, but Kickstarter wasn’t going to be the thing that got us into business. We think this will be much better considering the market we’re entering and the ability to take our product to the customer instead of trying to get them to come to us.”

A 1950s-style horse trailer became the basis for the business. The couple spent several months refurbishing it – doing bodywork and installing a custom wooden door.

Read more about the mobile concept in a previous Sacramento Press article.

Cornerstone reopens next door to original location Thursday

2012-10-29T19:28:25Z

Cornerstone – the popular restaurant that left the corner of 24th and J streets two years ago – is coming home.

The restaurant will reopen Thursday next door to its former location – now a gun store – in a spot recently vacated when River Rock Tap House shut its doors for good.

“We’re excited to come back to the old neighborhood and see all of the old customers,” said owner Danny Leung.

For the past two years, Cornerstone has been operating out of Headhunters, a bar and nightclub on 20th and K streets. When the business was unable to extend its lease at the former location at 2330 J St. after 14 years being open, the owners looked into moving into an old church.

The church, however, didn’t have the parking requirements the city set for the restaurant, and the idea fizzled. Partnering with Headhunters was a stopgap measure, and Leung said he has been looking for another space to operate independently.

“There have been other openings, but none of them felt like home,” he said. “This feels like home.”

River Rock Tap House closed at the end of summer, plagued by a broken air conditioning system that the business lacked the means to replace. An assortment of swamp coolers didn’t keep pace with the hot Sacramento weather, and customers slipped away until the business eventually went under.

A brand new air conditioning unit is now in place, and Leung said Cornerstone will incorporate a full bar pending approval of a liquor license.

When the restaurant opens on Thursday, hours will be from 6 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. When the liquor license is obtained, Cornerstone will be open from 6 a.m. - midnight.

Leung described the food as traditional American food, with omelets, sandwiches and burgers. About 90 percent of the menu items are priced less than $10, he added.

“We’re coming back,” Leung said. “We belong here, and it’s always good to feel at home.”

First step in bike share program OK'd by local officials

2012-10-25T23:45:03Z

A regional bicycle share program is one step closer to reality after local officials agreed to spend $30,000 on a feasibility study that will conclude in June or July.

Public bicycle share programs are popular in cities such as Montreal, Paris, Denver and Washington, D.C., where riders pay a minimal fee to borrow a bicycle parked at one of numerous kiosks.

A similar program was floated in Sacramento last year by the Midtown Business Association, which determined that it could not support the program.

"It's evident it's time for us to be thinking about this seriously in Sacramento," said Larry Greene, executive director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, which will foot $20,000 of the bill for the study.

An additional $10,000 comes from Amtrak as part of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority.

The program is popular in other cities, where bicycle rental is often free for the first 30 minutes, and riders can make short trips with no cost, dropping the bicycles off at any available kiosk spot.

Last year’s MBA program – called Ride Your Own Way – was a six-month pilot that included 12 bicycles divided among two kiosks, one at 16th and I streets and the other at 28th and J streets.

Vandalism and theft plagued the program for its duration, and riders had to return bicycles to the kiosk at which they were rented.

The new study, agreed to Thursday morning, will look at the possibility of running a regional bicycle-sharing program.

“It would be wonderful if we had a bike-share program where somebody could be a member here in Sacramento and get off the Capitol Corridor in Davis or go to the Bay Area and use the same system,” Greene said. “They'd use their key there and ride."

Adrian Moore, owner of Ikon Cycles, 2318 J St., purchased the bicycles for the MBA experiment, and he previously told The Sacramento Press that any successful bicycle-sharing program would likely need government funding, as the infrastructure represents a significant up-front cost.

“It’s great that they’re doing that, because it’s probably exactly what it needs,” he said Thursday. “That kind of infrastructure will be hard to do by a program that doesn’t really make any profit.”

He added that a bicycle-sharing program has the potential to break even or make a small profit.

Initiating a bicycle-sharing program requires an early outlay of a significant number of bicycles, and a staff report cited Denver’s bicycle-sharing program, which launched with 400 bicycles and averages more than four rental stations per square mile.

The programs have been touted as beneficial to communities with regard to air quality, alternative transportation and general health and fitness.

Moore said he is looking forward to the study and hopes it becomes a reality in the region.

“They should do it, they should do it well and they should put enough into it to get it off the ground and be a model for other cities,” he said. “I think it’s a good way to go, and if they do their homework, they should have a relatively easy time getting it off the ground if they get the investment capital for it.”

Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette contributed to this report.

Proposal to study the possibility of implementing a bike share program

SactoMoFo food truck event on Sunday to benefit McKinley Park playground rebuilding

2012-10-25T19:06:54Z

Efforts are still under way to raise funds for rebuilding the McKinley Park playground, which was torched in a suspected arson fire July 28, and a food truck even scheduled for Sunday gives you the chance to grab some grub while supporting the rebuilding efforts.

The free event hosted by SactoMoFo will be held at Sutter’s Landing Park at 28th and B streets from noon - 4 p.m. Sunday, and at least 14 food trucks are scheduled to attend.

Vendors include Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen, Miz Shirley Marie’s, Simply Southern Foods, Brickoven Pizza, Annie’s Sno Biz Hawaiian Shave Ice, Smoothie Patrol, OMG Burger, Om Karmabile, Volks Waffle California, Swabbies, Tacos Chavinda, Dave’s Dawgs, Coast to Coast Sandwiches and Mama Kim on the Go.

To date, more than $100,000 has been raised for tha playground’s rebuilding, including cash donations, in-kind donations and commitments, according to a press release.

Event coordinator Steve Swindel said proceeds from sales at each food truck will be donated to rebuilding McKinley Park’s playground, as well as a portion of the sales from a beer and wine garden that will be on-site.

“Basically, the food trucks are giving us a cut of what they make,” he said. “The event is absolutely free to get it.”

More information is available on the event Facebook page.

Negril brings jerk chicken, Caribbean eats to J Street

2012-10-24T00:19:27Z

Jamaican food from a longtime Sacramento restaurateur is now available in Midtown, at a new spot that is replacing Luck’s BBQ on the corner of 25th and J streets.

Negril, owned by Cleve Geddes, is named after a resort in Jamaica, and Geddes said his goal is to serve Jamaican food – but not quite as spicy as it’s done in the islands.

“I do jerk chicken, and I named it after Negril because that’s where they have the jerk chicken festival,” Geddes said Tuesday.

The restaurant opened Oct. 14, and Geddes said it fit the bill for what he was looking: a small space with a fully functional kitchen that would allow him to smoke meats and fish, serving food for dine-in or takeaway.

Meats are smoked in an electric smoker with a rub that has a Caribbean hint, Geddes said. Fish such as salmon and sturgeon is brined in-house and then vacuum-sealed, ensuring it’s fresh when opened, he added.

Ribs are available with jerk seasoning or traditional barbecue sauce, in half or full racks.

The menu includes items such as a pulled pork sandwich with a side for $7.50, a quarter of a chicken with two sides for $7.50 or half a chicken with sides for $12.

Sides include sweet potato fries, coleslaw and beans.

For dessert, Geddes said, he wanted to incorporate something that is widespread in the Caribbean – Tortuga rum cakes. The cakes, priced at $7.50, are served in the original rum flavor as well as chocolate, key lime and coconut.

Geddes’ parents are from Jamaica, and he was born in Panama, he said, adding that he came to Sacramento in 1985.

Geddes has a history in the Sacramento food scene, from owning Cleve’s Place BBQ at Northgate and Garden Highway to managing restaurants such as Chanterelle, Blue Cue and The Virgin Sturgeon.

“I wanted to open my own place again because I want to offer something different,” he said. “I like being in a happy place where I can see people come in smiling and have it be casual, and have it be a place I don’t have to stay up too late.”

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. It’s closed on Sunday.

The décor in the 1,000-square-foot space consists of tropical-themed tablecloths and a series of photos from Sacramentan Gilbert Lagunas, a restaurant consultant who has been a friend of Geddes’ for more than 20 years.

“The photos are from my trips to Mexico and Costa Rica and Brazil,” Lagunas said. “He wanted something to give it a tropical flair.”

Lagunas said he thinks the location is a good one, with a significant amount of vehicular and foot traffic.

“I think people will really catch on to the concept with the smoked meats,” he said.

Geddes echoed Lagunas’ sentiment, adding that he wants to keep prices low while providing quality food.

“We’re all about having good food and a fun time,” Geddes said. “We just want you to leave with a smile on your face.”

The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Townhouse Lounge foreclosed, sold at auction

2012-10-23T15:48:35Z

Last week Townhouse Lounge owner Desmond “Desi” Reynoso said he would have to close his business because the landlord was raising the rent –– but county records appear to tell a different, or at least more complex story.

Until recently, Reynoso – who said he goes by Desi David – was his own landlord. Sacramento County Assessor’s Office records records show he was one of the owners who took control of the property on July 17, 2003, but the building housing the business was foreclosed on and sold at auction this month.

Records show that Shirley Johnson purchased the property on the morning of Oct. 16 for $574,789.33. The Sacramento Press was unable to contact her.

When contacted by The Sacramento Press on that same day, Oct. 16, Reynoso said that the business would shut down around the end of the year, citing a raising in rents from the landlord.

We attempted to contact Reynoso to ask about the foreclosure and see if perhaps it was the new landlord that raised the rent, but repeated calls went unanswered, and messages were not returned.

Employees working at Townhouse Lounge Friday night declined to comment.

Townhouse Lounge is a dance club and bar located at 1517 21st St. It has gone through periods of opening and closing in years past.

The bar’s distinctive architecture and bright yellow sign divided reader opinion when we published our first piece on the pending closure. Sacramento Press user “ryuns” was not a fan.

“But seriously, this building is hideous,” he said. “I'm sure there's a charm to the Soviet architecture and gawdy lettering (that weep streaks of dirt and mildew down the facade), but it's lost on me.”

Another reader, “Jane,” thought the building was worth saving.

“They should have shut their doors to renovate and rejuvenate the architecture,” she wrote.”It's a really fascinating building that could be used for some really incredible events.”

Since 2004, the club has played host to some of the largest hipster shows and club nights in Midtown, with DJs Shaun Slaughter, Roger Carpio and many others contributing to its success. Patrons complained of dirty facilities and broken restrooms, but crowds filled the venue nonetheless. This Friday will be Slaughter’s last spin at the club, ending an almost decade-long run with a costumed Halloween party.

View the story "Reactions to the announced closing of Townhouse Lounge " on StorifyReactions to the announced closing of Townhouse Lounge Storified by Jared Goyette · Tue, Oct 23 2012 09:27:09 DJ Slaughter wrote a tribute to Townhouse on the Facebook page for the Rough House Records Club: As it has, the last 2 times it's closed, Townhouse being non existent in a sea of venues in Sacramento, will create a huge void....Most of the folks who've ever been there, complained about the bathrooms, complained about the bar or anything else will realize that even though despite it's flaws, it was an AMAZING place to cut loose and somehow created this very weird, no holds barred vibe no other venue could duplicate. This closing is very different. It will most definitely stay closed probably not returning as the place it was. I'm sure there's A LOT of folks who'll be happy to hear something rad and different is happening to the place and while i'm sort of on board with that too I also can't help feeling like we're losing one of the last divey, dirty and fun to party in, spots in Sacramento. Jon Droll and I walked in when it was a dive, gay bar who's biggest night was drag queen karaoke, built it as a dance venue and so many others (Dan, Roger, Jay Ira, Arnold, Adam, the bartenders, honestly too many to name) have taken it further. Anyway, I have NO idea where I was going with this other than what i've repeated a million times in my posts.....Come out and celebrate a VERY long run of amazing times, with amazing friends and say bye to THE most infamous places Sacramento has ever seen. We are doing (what looks to be) only TWO more Fridays at Toho. This friday and our big, annual, HALLOWEEN PARTY on Friday the 26th. - SHAUN Fans shared their stories about the venue and their feelings about its pending, and possibly permanent closure. I'm going to miss townhouse so much!Autumn Hardy only now have i realized just how much ive taken the townho forgranted. in the sea of dying dinosaurs sacramento has to offer, this one is truly an affair to remember. oh townho, where will i aquire my holiday decorations now?Jenifer Evert Sylvia Vu so many great memories at this place; eating lasers, taking bras off and hiding them in the kitchen, live music, DJs, Shark Dancing in the fan, miss you and going to miss this place :(Ell Arr A few have been discussing ways to save it: So we need to do something about <a href="http://www.facebook.com/townhouselounge" class="">The Townhouse Lounge</a>. This place has been my home for music the past few years...I don't want it to go. Ideas? Buy it?Chris Rouge Save the townhouse party! FundraiserMargaret Flanigan

PHOTOS: Oishii sushi restaurant/karaoke rooms now open

2012-10-19T00:31:08Z

Oishii Sushi Bar and Grill held its grand opening Thursday, announcing it will offer half-price karaoke rooms for the first week.

The restaurant, located above the Cosmopolitan Cabaret at at 1000 K St., is the third one for owner Joe Zheng, who also owns similar places in New York and San Francisco.

Combining sushi, Mongolian barbecue and teriyaki fare, the restaurant also incorporates 15 private karaoke rooms, that can accommodate anywhere from six to as many as 40 people.

The ceiling in the room above was created in-place and took about two months, according to Zheng. Lighting effects on three levels allow the LED lights to change colors with ease.

Sushi rolls at lunchtime will range from $7 - $11, and dinner prices will be about a dollar more. Smaller rolls in the $4 - $5 range will also be offered, and cooked items such as teriyaki dishes and a mongolian barbecue are available.

More information about the restaurant can be found in a previous Sacramento Press article.

The space is open for lunch from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. Dinner hours are 5 - 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Thursday and 5 p.m. - 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The karaoke rooms are open from 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. - 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

A full bar with bottle service in the rooms is also a part of the concept.

All photos by Ron Nabity.

Owner: Townhouse Lounge to close early next year

2012-10-16T17:24:04Z

Townhouse Lounge, the bar and nightclub located at 1517 21st St., is expected to close early next year, according to owner/operator Desi David.

“We’ve been there so long – it’s been 15 years – and the landlord is going to raise the lease,” he said. “We don’t blame them, and we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”

David said the business won’t close immediately, and will likely stay open through the holidays, and possibly into next year.

“We’re being completely positive about it right now,” he said. “We’ve got a nice community, and we will see what happens.”

The business is open from 9 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. every day and features multiple levels of dancing, a bar and live music shows.

Chicas Latinas de Sacramento seeks to promote volunteerism in Latino community

2012-10-16T13:20:29Z

Angela Rosas started Chicas Latinas de Sacramento about three years ago to promote the positive aspects of Latino culture and give Latina women a place to go to feel a sense of family and togetherness.

Now at 150 members, Rosas, 28, said it’s grown beyond what she anticipated, and she’s in the process of filing paperwork for making the group a nonprofit organization – which she hopes to send in November.

“Getting nonprofit status is the last big step,” she said. “Then we can start fundraising and really make a difference.”

Rosas is a third-generation Sacramentan, and though she is Latina, she wasn’t brought up to identify that way. Her parents didn’t speak Spanish to her, and they emphasized living an Americanized lifestyle. That, she said, was to get away from identifying as Latinos – something they saw in a negative light.

Growing up in parts of North and South Sacramento, Rosas said the areas were rough, and she thought her culture was something to hide from. To her and her friends, “Latino” meant teen pregnancy, incarceration and gang membership.

It wasn’t until later that she recognized the positive aspects inherent in her culture and decided to do something about it.

Rosas formed the group about three years ago, and she said her initial purpose was to give Latina women a place to go and feel a sense of camaraderie and the ability to celebrate being Latina – something she didn’t have growing up, and something she said she thinks young Latinas will need.

While a sense of family and togetherness was part of the reason she formed the organization, it wasn’t the only one.

“Another reason was I wanted to promote volunteerism in the Latino community,” she said. “I started volunteering when I was in seventh grade, and I love giving back, but I didn’t see a lot of other Latinas volunteering.”

Many of the people she helped in volunteering for organizations such as WEAVE were of Latino descent, and Rosas, who wasn’t brought up speaking Spanish, but is now learning the language, said she saw a need, and she decided to act.

The organization’s volunteers recently visited Sacramento Crisis Nursery North, one of two crisis nurseries operated by the Sacramento Children’s Home. The women spent time with the kids, made lunch and played with a piñata.

Program Manager Barbara Nolan said having seven members of Rosas’ group visit the nursery, which is a safe place for adults to leave children for up to a month with no questions asked, was a “huge benefit.”

“We are a nonprofit, so any help from the community is greatly appreciated,” Nolan said, adding that the monthly visits will provide a level of consistency the organization doesn’t usually enjoy.

Nolan added that the kids were able to make their own sandwiches with healthy ingredients the Chicas Latinas de Sacramento brought, and that’s something the kids hadn’t done before.

Rosas said that, given the size of the nursery, she wants to keep the visits limited to seven women at a time, as that was a good number for interacting with the children, playing games and making food.

Nolan said another activity was making a piñata, which was not something the kids typically get to do, but was a positive cultural experience.

“I’m just amazed at her thinking of this group she started three years ago to be a community service group, and now it’s all different ages and backgrounds,” Nolan said. “I think it’s really exciting.”

Chicas Latinas de Sacramento was, as the name implies, started as a place for Latina women to congregate and volunteer, but it has since been expanded to include women of other cultures. There is a wide range of ages as well: Rosas said there are girls in their teens all the way up to seniors who partake in the group’s activities.

Right now, funding is limited, and Chicas Latinas de Sacramento is working on raising the $800 needed to file the nonprofit organization paperwork and hire a consultant to ensure it is correct. Once that’s done, the group can seek donations that will be tax-exempt for donors.

Rosas faced came to a point where the organization became more than a part-time endeavor, and she quit her job in communications for an insurance company to work full-time for Chicas Latinas de Sacramento.

“When I realized this was growing, I had to decide if this was something I needed to pull back from or go all the way with,” Rosas said. “There’s too much need out there.”

Sacramentans react to renaming of Power Balance Pavilion to Sleep Train Arena

2012-10-16T00:40:34Z

View the story "Sacramentans react to renaming of Power Balance Pavilion to Sleep Train Arena" on Storify

Occupy Sacramento plans to 'risk arrest' defying new law that goes into effect Thursday

2012-10-11T00:26:59Z

Occupy Sacramento members say they will risk arrest as they plan to challenge the new city ordinance that sets restrictions for protests at City Hall.

Protesters will assemble at City Hall at noon on Thursday to protest the law they call unconstitutional, according to a press release, which stated details won’t be released in advance.

The new law, passed last month, goes into effect on Thursday and sets a curfew on the site, prohibits obstructing access to City Hall, bans the use of amplified sound without a permit and prohibits signs, displays or structures from being placed on the property.

It also prohibits sponge baths in the fountain at Cesar Chavez Plaza, across the street from City Hall.

Protesters wrote in the press release that they expect it to last until 5 p.m. Friday.

According to Occupy Sacramento, there were 110 arrests last year when members refused to leave Cesar Chavez Plaza after closing time. Charge were dismissed after defendants denied plea bargains and requested jury trials.

Chat preview: Too many bars in Midtown?

2012-10-10T00:08:04Z

Does Midtown have an overconcentration of bars? It’s an issue that has divided readers on The Sacramento Press since we launched four years ago.

Sacramento Bee Associate Editor Foon Rhee wrote about the issue on Sunday, and we’ll have him and Midtown resident George Raya on Sac Press Live Wednesday to discuss it.

The video chat window will be live streamed here on Wednesday at noon:

Some longtime residents say the Midtown area is overrun with drinking establishments, and it’s destroying their quality of life. Others cite the walkability of the district – and the amount of bars and restaurants – as reasons to live nearby.

When new restaurants apply for alcohol licenses, they often face stiff opposition from neighbors, who attempt to have conditions placed on them. Those conditions sometimes include limiting hours the patios can be open, requiring security guards and limiting hours when alcohol can be sold.

For some restaurants, restrictions have outlasted the business – as was the case when Red Lotus went into the space formerly occupied by G.V. Hurley’s.

Red Lotus has since closed and been replaced by Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar. Located on the 2700 block of J Street, it is joined by a series of restaurants and bars, including BarWest Burgers & Wings, Centro Cocina Mexicana, Blue Cue and Harlow’s.

The issue also came up in a Sac Press Live chat in August with local historian William Burg. In a response to a comment on Sac Press that he was a “NIMBY” for raising concerns about what he sees as the negative effect of bars in Midtown, he said his issue is not that the bars are there, but that they don’t show enough concern for residents.

"I have this opinion that these places can be run reasonably and with respect for the neighborhoods around them, and I expect that of them," he said.

Do you think there are too many bars in Midtown? What would you like to see our guests discuss? Post a question in the conversation below.

To find out about our chats or learn about ones you can participate in, follow The Sacramento Press on Google+.

New mural coming to 26th and J streets in Sacramento

2012-10-09T20:05:37Z

The pictured mural is in the process of going up on the University Arts building on the corner of 26th and J streets.

Local artist Joshua Silveira is currently painting on the wall on most days. He also worked with Gabriel Romo to do the mural across 26th Street on the Bon Air Market & Deli.

Sacramento has a variety of murals, and most of the ones in the central city can be viewed here.

To learn more about Silveira, read a Q and A he did with Curiculum Magazine in 2009.

What do you think of the progress so far?

Mati's Indian restaurant to close this month

2012-10-09T06:40:34Z

Mati’s, the quick-service Indian restaurant that moved from Natomas to Midtown last year, will close for the final time this month.

Owner Ranjani Prasad said Monday that she’s shutting her doors for a variety of reasons.

“Even though our sales have not gone down, our costs have gone up,” she said. “People are not spending too much – they used to come in and get a two-item plate, but now they’re getting a one-item plate, and they’re not coming in as frequently.”

Many of the ingredients – notably the spices – are imported, and they continue to increase in cost. She said the mobile food trend has pinched business as well.

Located at 16th and P streets, the restaurant is close to Fremont Park.

“It used to be that after the farmers markets and other events there, a lot of people came here,” she said. “Now they have food trucks there, and food trucks are delivering to offices, so we see fewer people.”

Mati’s was formerly called Mati’s Indian Express, changing names when it opened in Midtown.

Moving to Midtown did not kill the business, Prasad said, but it did require her to have more employees – she has seven in the current spot, whereas the spot in Natomas required only one.

“You have to treat them right,” she said. “They should get raises every six months. You’re teaching them skills, and they’re getting experience. It’s better to have that, because then you have employees who care, and it saves you from turnover. I’d rather close than cheat them.”

Prasad said she does not intend to open another restaurant, but will return to the job she held as an accountant for the state, from which she plans to retire after a few years.

“I’m not going to do a food truck,” she said. “Maybe after I retire, I’ll get crazy and come up with that. But for now, I can say I won’t.”

The restaurant was open for almost seven years, and customers likened it to an Indian version of Panda Express, where the food is visible, and diners can choose a variety of combinations.

Single-item plates are sold for $6.99 and come with naan bread or rice. Multiple-item plates go for more, but Prasad said most people have their food and a drink for less than $10.

The restaurant will shut down on or before Oct. 27, with the final day to be determined later this week.

“I have no regrets,” Prasad said. “It’s not like moving to Midtown ruined my business. It gave me more business, but it’s just the economic situation.”

She added that the closure is a sad time for her and her son, Shawn, and she wishes she could continue to provide food for her regular customers.

“This was the best experience we had,” Prasad said. “We loved our place, the customers were happy, and most of our regulars were from here – that’s why we loved this spot.”

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Ruhstaller Beer introduces its first all-Sacramento brew

2012-10-04T23:58:11Z

A new brew from Ruhstaller Beer achieves what the company set out to do when it launched last year – brew a uniquely Sacramento beer.

Drawing on the region’s brewing history and one of the pioneers of the trade – which largely disintegrated during Prohibition – Ruhstaller owner J-E Paino launched a locally brewed beer with an emphasis on using California ingredients.

According to Corti Brothers Store Director Rick Mindermann, that wasn’t quite enough for owner Darrel Corti.

“Darrel literally told him, ‘Look, you have Ruhstaller on your label, and you have Sacramento on your label, but unless you’re growing it all in Sacramento, you don’t deserve to do that,’ ” Mindermann said. “It was a challenge. He threw down the gauntlet, and J-E met the challenge.”

The result is the company’s Hop Sac 2012, which uses hops grown in Winters. Before that, hops were grown in California, but farther away in Lake County, which sits west of Yuba City.

He described the late harvest wet hop ale as a balanced brew with a flavor profile that includes floral hints.

Since Hop Sac is brewed with wet hops, it must be done as quickly as possible once the hops are harvested – drying the hops for preservation changes the flavors.

“It has a sweetness to it,” he said. “It has a pleasant aroma. It’s very drinkable. It’s a smooth, kind of smoky, silky beer.”

Paino partnered with Sean McNamara of Blue Heron Hop Yard in Winters. They planted a quarter acre of hops in April, and they were ready for harvesting in early August.

“This is the inaugural harvest,” Paino said. “Our working theory behind this is that California grows the highest-quality you name it – almonds, walnuts, peaches, pears, apples, cherries and tomatoes – so why not hops?”

Mindermann said this is the first time hops have been grown locally in about 30 years.

Opinions vary on how long it’s been since a local beer was produced using all-Sacramento ingredients.

Local historian William Burg said that while hop production in Sacramento dropped, it likely continued to be put into beers as late as the 1940s.

“The Buffalo Brewery was around until the late 1940s or 1950,” he said. “It’s likely that they were still using local hops after Prohibition.”

Hop production in Sacramento largely stopped as a result of suburbs being built on the agricultural land, Burg added.

Mindermann said that, historically, Sacramento was a top producer of hops from the Gold Rush until Prohibition and, later, the proliferation of the suburbs.

“You have to have grain, you have to have hops, and you have to have water,” Mindermann said. “Sacramento has two rivers. We were the perfect town to brew beer. We grew more hops than anyone, period.”

He added that what Ruhstaller is doing with its Hop Sac beer is indicative of a renaissance in local beermaking.

Taking a cue from the farm-to-table concept becoming ever more popular in the food industry, Paino said Ruhstaller Beer is part of an emerging farm-to-pint industry.

“What we’re trying to do is work with the farmer in Winters and say, ‘How can we get the right variety, and how can you produce more flavors in the hop yard?’ ” Paino said. “We take hops from different areas, and we test them against what we grow here. That gives him a data point – it gives him feedback. That institutional knowledge on how to grow quality hops in Sacramento has been lost.”

To rebuild that knowledge, Paino and McNamara are brewing small batches with different varieties of hops. Each batch is being tasted, and tweaks are being made to get the beer to where it needs to be. Paino said it’s essentially mimicking the process through which wine varietals are produced and refined.

Paino and crew were able to brew 200 cases of Hop Sac 2012, which he said should last through the end of October. Ruhstaller’s other brews are available year-round.

“Ruhstaller has been making very good beer,” Mindermann said. “The Hop Sac, I think, is very agreeable for anybody that has tasted beer. It appeals to a lot of flavors.”

The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

OM Karmabile adds Indian fusion option to Sacramento mobile food scene

2012-10-04T00:55:53Z

OM Karmabile, a recent addition to the Sacramento food truck scene, serves Indian food with a Fiji twist – and a dose of social responsibility.

Like many food truck owners, Voltair and Seronika Ignacio tried to open a traditional restaurant, but couldn’t secure loans in the post-Great Recession business climate.

According to Seronika, it turned out to be a good thing.

“This seems more convenient for family life,” she said. “We work four days a week, and it’s flexible, and I get some time to stay home with the kids.”

Together, they make Indian fusion food based on Seronika’s lifelong pursuit of the culinary arts from Fiji and Voltair’s more traditional Indian tastes. Seronika said she is Indian, but she grew up in Fiji, learning how to cook from an early age from her grandmother and other relatives. Voltair grew up near McKinley Park in Sacramento.

“The spice is the same,” Seronika said. “It has a little bit of an island kick to it, and I think it adds character to the taste of the food. They share the same spices.”

Voltair said the fusion aspect of the food is currently leaning toward a Mexican influence, with tacos and burritos dominating the menu. In the future, Voltair said, elements of another ethnic food may be added.

Top-selling items include the om burrito and the masala chicken taco, Voltair and Seronika said. Burritos cost $6, and tacos run $3.

A torta – braised lamb on Mexican-style bread – is the most expensive menu item at $8.

“I’m used to being on both sides of it,” Seronika said. “If I buy something, I want it to be worth it. I want a good value and a good taste. In the business, we find that balance.”

The “OM” in OM Karmabile is a reference to meditation, and the latter part of the name is a combination of karma and mobile.

“Not only are we serving great food, but also, the tip jar – called the karma bowl – is 100 percent donated to charities that help kids,” Voltair said. “People feel good about donating. There’s a socially responsible aspect to what we’re doing. We want to be a vehicle to create good stuff – not only food, but good karma.”

Seronika said she and Voltair envision eventually expanding the business. They started in August with the truck, and they may expand to a second truck in the future, but the dream of owning a brick-and-mortar location is still very much alive.

For now, Voltair said, the pair is enjoying being a part of the mobile food scene in the Sacramento area.

“I really like the camaraderie with the other food trucks,” he said. “I like the texts and the tweeting from the public. When I see them raving about the food and why they love it, it’s gratification and validation of our cooking.”

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Food truck pod could be preview to future mobile food hub

2012-10-03T00:10:58Z

It’s been a dream for Sacramento food truck lovers for years: a permanent location for food trucks. A place where a variety of mobile food fare can be available. Somewhere that allows live music, art and other family-friendly events.

On Saturday, Sacramentans will get a glimpse of that as a food truck pod sets up at 1425 C St.

Property owner Skip Rosenbloom said the industrial buildings currently in the space house artists’ studios, a music recording studio and a glass blower’s workshop.

“I think the food trucks are synergistic with lots of complementary uses,” Rosenbloom said.

From 5 - 9 p.m. Saturday, more than 10 trucks will take up station in what is being called the “Truk Farm,” along with live music and entertainment. The Truk Farm is in a central courtyard that used to be a truck docking terminal.

One of the trucks at the event will be OM Karmabile, an Indian fusion food truck that is a relative newcomer to the Sacramento scene.

“I think it’s groundbreaking, and if it’s done according to what we’ve been planning, we can be the envy of other cities where people can go as a hub,” said owner Voltair Ignacio.

Rosenbloom said he hopes to see the event become a permanent fixture for the foreseeable future.

“I think ultimately we’ll attract other food and arts and entertainment businesses,” he said. “It’s not a heavily trafficked area, and it has to become a place where people want to go to do something such as eat or listen to music or watch a film or have other events.”

Food truck advocate Catherine Enfield said she has long been a proponent of the idea of central locations where food trucks operate – food truck pods – and that a post about food truck pods on her blog remains her most-viewed piece.

She said the SOMA area in San Francisco has a food truck pod where trucks pay rent for slots depending on shifts and days of the week.

“They haven’t decided how they’ll do it in Sacramento yet,” she said.

But what makes the Sacramento food truck pod unique?

“This is the only one that I am aware of that incorporates an existing building,” Enfield said. “It’s hard to picture because it’s bare-bones and rough, but if you really have vision, you can see this being an awesome space with so much potential.”

One of the strengths of a food truck is its mobility – it can provide food to different locations on different days of the week, set up at events and appeal to a larger group of people than a stationary restaurant, so a stationary food location might seem counterintuitive.

According to Enfield, it’s not.

“They supply a permanent spot where people will always know they can find trucks and find a schedule of them,” she said in an email. “Also, for the trucks, it's a secured spot, especially during the winter when it's hard to go out, find spots where people can get out of the weather and help sustain them during the rougher months.”

Saturday’s event is being run by the nonprofit Foodmob organization, and proceeds will benefit the Francis House, one of the Sacramento area’s leading providers of services to the homeless.

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Anatolian Table to bring authentic Turkish food to former Hina's Tea space on K Street

2012-09-28T18:55:01Z

Those acquainted with Turkish food often think of kebabs and hummus, but Erol Hazar said it’s far more diverse, and when he opens Anatolian Table in the former Hina’s Tea space at 2319 K St. later this year, he wants to showcase the authentic cuisine of his homeland.

Turkey straddles the border of Europe and Asia, and Hazar – a native of Istanbul – said Anatolia is the name for the Asian section of the country, which makes up about 80 percent of the land mass.

“Turkish food is like Mediterranean food,” he said Friday. “It’s not too spicy, there’s nothing greasy, and there’s nothing cooked in a fryer. It’s all done on the grill or in the oven.”

Dishes such as tavuk guvec – a chopped chicken breast baked with vegetables and spices in a casserole dish and served with a side of rice – are staples of Turkish cuisine. Another dish to be featured in the restaurant is Manti, which is a Turkish meat ravioli made in-house and served with a garlic yogurt sauce.

Doner kebab and dishes such as salmon and halibut that are more widely known will also be served at Anatolian Table, Hazar said.

Lunch prices range from $6-$10, and dinner prices are from $10-$15.

One Turkish beer and six Turkish wines will be on the menu, and coffee imported from Turkey will be served in the traditional style.

“Everything is made from scratch,” Hazar said. “We make our own baklava and yogurt and other ingredients.”

He added that spices are imported, but he uses the abundant supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from Northern California.

The 1,600-square-foot space will hold between 40 and 50 diners, and two tables of four will be on an outdoor patio.

Hazar and his wife, Tugce, opened their first Anatolian Table location in Rocklin when they came to the United States five years ago. For the past two years, a second location in Sacramento has been a priority, and Erol Hazar said he is looking to add a third, bigger location in Sacramento.

Before coming to the United States, Hazar and his wife lived in England, and he said they have been in the restaurant business for about nine years.

The K Street restaurant will open at 11:30 a.m. and close at either 8:30 or 9 p.m. on weekdays, staying open later on weekends.

“We will be open late on Second Saturday,” Hazar said, “probably until midnight.”

Kimio Bazett, owner of the nearby bar The Golden Bear, said he’s happy to see a tenant taking the space.

“I’ve met him in the past through my landlord, and he’s a really nice guy,” Bazett said. “I’ve heard the food is really good, and I’m a huge fan of Mediterranean cuisine – Persian, Moroccan, Greek – it’s a really good flavor profile.”

He added that he hopes it brings more energy to the area and increases the block’s appeal. The same block also houses Rick’s Dessert Diner and The Plum Cafe and Bakery, formerly Sugar Plum Vegan.

Erol Hazar said he’s looking to bring a unique dining option to the area, which he said attracted him because of its location and the liveliness of Midtown.

“It’s a really unique restaurant,” he said. “It’s one of the most authentic Turkish restaurants in the country. We don’t Americanize the food.”

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Faces owner Terry Sidie opens new club, domino effect for other businesses

2012-09-27T23:42:26Z

There’s a business shuffle in Lavender Heights.

The Kennedy Gallery left its space adjacent to Headhunters and moved into the Victorian house on the corner of 20th and L streets. The owners of the costume shop that formerly occupied the space retired, and it was all so that Headhunters and Faces owner Terry Sidie could relaunch his first Sacramento nightclub – Club Bojangles – in the art gallery’s recently vacated space.

Club Bojangles is a rebirth of the first club that Sidie owned, back in the 1970s. His subsequent establishments, like Club Bojangles, all cater to the gay community, but welcome straight people as well.

“I opened Bojangles in ’76 on Folsom Boulevard,” Sidie said. “I started with it, and now I’m ending my career with it. Almost everything I own is up for sale. I’ll have my 67th birthday soon, and I realize I’m not 30 anymore.”

Headhunters and Club Bojangles are joined by a patio and occupy much of 20th street between K and L streets. The whole complex is more than 9,000 square feet, with 3,000 for Headhunters, 3,000 for the patio and 3,400 for Club Bojangles. Sidie said that, all told, it can accommodate 400-500 people.

The space was originally intended to serve as a club, but Sidie said he leased it to the art gallery because he didn’t want to overbuild.

“Because I had most of it done, we probably put $100,000 into lights and stuff to make it pretty,” he said.

Cornerstone, the restaurant that moved into Headhunters from its space at 24th and J streets two years ago will still be a part of the business, and Sidie said he plans to bring in a chef to prepare dinner options.

The Kennedy Gallery’s move to the Victorian house increases its size by about 1,000 square feet, taking it to approximately 4,000 square feet, owner Michael Kennedy said. That translates to an approximately 50 percent increase in the number of artists who can show in the space, from 11 to 17.

“It’s got a lot of interesting history and character,” Kennedy said, adding that a section of the basement will be dedicated to the house’s history. “It really melds well with our artists.”

Kennedy said the additional basement space will allow the gallery to host classes on art techniques capable of holding 15-20 students, and artists will have more space to work than they did at the old location.

The bigger space is a calculated risk, businesswise, Kennedy said, but the art gallery brings between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors during Second Saturday Art Walks. He said he thinks it complements the nightclubs, helping keep the area vibrant.

All work shown in the gallery is approved by a jury, and Kennedy said work ranging from students to Sacramento art legend Gregory Kondos has been shown in the space.

Improvements are being done to the Victorian house, but the gallery is currently open. Its first major showing in its new digs, however, will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 11, when it will feature works depicting animals.

The Sacramento Zoo is also bringing by some animals, and artwork created by monkeys and elephants for the event, Kennedy said.

“One of the things that lets us succeed right now is that we have something for everyone,” Kennedy said, adding that subject matter and media displayed in the gallery are varied. “We have something whether you live in an apartment or in a house in the Fab 40s.”

Kennedy Gallery is open from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Club Bojangles will be open from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

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Disc golf course coming to McClatchy park ahead of $2.8 million in improvements

2012-09-27T05:22:17Z

Spearheading $2.8 million in improvements to McClatchy Park is something that might seem benign, but which residents and city officials say will be a harbinger of change: A disc golf course, where players toss Frisbee-like discs into baskets.

“I’m looking forward to being able to help change the park,” said said Aimee Phelps, a founder of the course and the Oak Park Disc Golfers club. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes on out there like drugs, and the disc golf course will help change that.”

The disc golf course will break ground at 3500 Fifth Ave. Oct. 13, when city crews are scheduled to bring an auger to the park to dig holes for the course’s baskets, said Phelps, who lives about a block away.

It’s geared for beginners and families, and when completed, it will be a nine-hole course with the longest hole being about 300 feet.

“I’m really excited about it,” said City Councilman Jay Schenirer. “I think it’s going to bring a lot more people into the park.”

A $2.8 million grant to rebuild the park from the state of California will bring a new skate park, new basketball and tennis courts and a jogging track around the perimeter, according to Schenirer.

City officials are looking for more funding to rebuild the bathrooms by the baseball field, and shade structures over the farmers market area could see it become a permanent fixture.

A barbecue and temporary course will be set up at 1 p.m. on Saturday to introduce the neighbors and other park users to the activity.

“I think disc golf will bring a lot of young people out, and young families who are in the neighborhood,” Schenirer said. “The more people who are using the park for positive purposes, the more people will feel safe.”

There will be no charge to use the course.

Phelps said the Oak Park Disc Golfers will host tournaments and bring in professionals to teach kids and families how to play.

“We hope to get involved with the schools and really make this an all-inclusive family thing,” she added. “Theres a lot of good things that are involved – it’s independent, yet at the same time it’s a group thing as well.”

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Trucktoberfest: SactoMoFo food festival Sept. 29 in West Sacramento

2012-09-25T21:42:10Z

Twenty food trucks are scheduled to set up at West Sacramento's River Walk Park on Saturday for SactoMoFo's Trucktoberfest mobile food fair.

The event is a gathering of food trucks accompanied by live music from local bands and beer, and it serves to celebrate West Sacramento's 25th anniversary.

Food trucks scheduled to be at the event include Addy's Paella (paella and tapas), Chairman Bao (Asian fusion), Chando's Tacos, Coast to Coast Sandwiches, Crave (new debut by Krush Burger), Curry Up Now, DavePops, Dave's Dawgs, Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen, El Porteño, Krush Burger, Leila's Lumpia, Simply Southern, Smoothie Patrol, Swabbies on the River, Sweet and Mellow, Volks Waffle California, We Sushi, Little Rich's and Juice On.

Check the Swabbies on the River website for a map of the truck and bar layout.

“We’ll have a wide variety of beer offerings, and it’s going to be right on the river,” said Paul Somerhausen of SactoMoFo.

Announced earlier this month, the event is not only a celebration of West Sacramento's 25th anniversary, but an indication of how far the city has come since its incorporation in 1987.

“You couldn’t do it 25 years ago because there was no legal public access to the river other than at the boat ramp,” West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said.

River Walk Park is located at 651 Second St. in West Sacramento. The event runs from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., and live music will be played from noon - 6 p.m.

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Orbit express car wash/dog grooming coming downtown

2012-09-21T16:36:04Z

A new business scheduled to come downtown in October will wash your car – and your dog.

Orbit is the name of the car-wash/dog-bathing and grooming service, and owner Lane Leach is planning to add a cafe next spring.

“The car wash is going to make up the vast majority of the business,” Leach said. “It’s an express hand wash of the outside of your car with sheepskin mittens, and you’ll be out of there in three to five minutes.”

Orbit is located in an old gas station that began construction in 1959 on the corner of Ninth and T streets. The gas station didn’t last long, and the space most recently housed an auto shop.

When construction is completed, a retro-styled sign and lighting effects will highlight the building.

Leach said cars will be taken via conveyor belt through the washing station, without the drivers having to leave them. Once the hand-washing is done, final spot-free rinse, wax and drying will be automatically applied.

Four bays will allow people to wash their own cars, complete with vacuum cleaners and car-washing wands.

All soaps used are environmentally friendly, and the runoff drains into two 1,500-gallon collection tanks that clarify the water, pre-treating it by removing dirt and other contaminants before letting it flow to the city’s sewage system.

“The express wash is the most popular trend in car washes, and we don’t have anything like it in downtown,” Leach said. “People who want the full car wash – I’d say they should go to Harv’s, but maybe they’ll do that once a month. We’re here for when people want to have the exterior get a high-quality wash, maybe two to three times per month.”

Dog grooming will be another facet of the business, and Leach said professional groomers will be hired, but there will also be bathing stations for dogs where the owners can wash them themselves.

When the cafe is added next spring, it will be called Tasty Wellness, and it will have a menu including rotisserie chicken, organic produce and other healthy food items. Juices will be squeezed on-site.

Leach said he thinks the business will appeal to many of the local residents, and he expects to draw repeat customers to make it succeed.

“We want to give a quality, fast, efficient hand wash, but quality is the key,” Leach said.

Combination wine tasting room and kitchen store coming to Midtown near 20th and J streets

2012-09-19T01:02:40Z

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 cutlery, glassware, dishes, linens and cooks’ tools, and it will sell the full range of Ficklin Vineyards’ wines and ports.

“We’ll have dozens of varieties,” she said, adding that some table wines will be produced specifically for the Sacramento store.

Classes will be offered in an educational space at the rear of the building, which is located on 20th Street between I and J streets. Emphasis will be placed on learning how to pair wines with foods, but classes will also be offered on cooking and other topics.

Local chefs will be brought in to do cooking demonstrations with some of the wines, and Wilcox said there will likely be cooking of some sort every day.

Complimentary wine tasting will be available, and customers will be able to taste several varieties of port, a sweet wine commonly consumed after meals that originated in Porto, Portugal.

Being located in Madera, Ficklin Vineyards benefits from long, hot, dry summers that enable it to grow Portuguese grapes used in red wines.

Madera, however, isn’t prime country for tourists, and it doesn’t have a retail base to draw customers from, so Wilcox suggested the city she spent part of her teens and early 20s in – Sacramento.

“When we thought about looking for a place to put this tasting room, we thought, ‘There’s only one neighborhood in Sacramento that would be ideal for this, and that’s Midtown,’ ” Wilcox said. “I love the mixed-use buildings and the foot traffic seven days a week.”

Ficklin Wilcox will go before the Sacramento Planning Commission in October, and once everything is OK’d, the store will open quickly – Wilcox said she’s shooting for Nov. 1 to be open in time for holiday shoppers.

The store is expected to be open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Hours may be tweaked depending on customer demand once the store opens.

“We’re really looking forward to being a part of the community,” Wilcox said. “It’s great to be able to have a store in such a vibrant part of Northern California.”

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Bento Box: Asian dining in Midtown/downtown Sacramento staying open late

2012-09-18T05:56:56Z

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-in dividers. Kim said that bento is Japanese for lunch, and they originated as a way to keep foods such as salad, rice and meat separated until they were ready to be eaten.

“Our most popular is the teriyaki – chicken, beef, all of it,” Kim said, adding that sushi and Korean fare is also on the menu.

Though Kim is from Korea, he has lived in the United States for 39 years, and he said Bento Box – set to open in late October – is a place where multiple cuisines from Asia – including Chinese, Japanese and Korean – can be found.

One of the items Kim said he expects to be a favorite at the new location is dol sot bi bim bap, a dish of rice, vegetables, a fried egg and beef, chicken or fish served in a heated stone dish similar to a stir fry.

“People really love that,” he said. “And they can order it vegetarian, too.”

Plates run from about $7 to $12, with the dol sot bi bim bap costing $9.

A full bar will be available, with beer, wine, sake and cocktails.

The restaurant is located in a downtown entertainment district at 16th and K streets, Kim said he plans to stay open until 4 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to draw people leaving nearby clubs and bars.

Kim is offering a 10 percent discount to government employees.

Real estate broker Daniel Mueller of Turton Commercial Real Estate is working with Kim, and he said the restaurant, which is about 6,000 square feet and will seat approximately 230, has an outside patio that is covered and heated, and there will be a quick-service window where people can pick up a cup of coffee or crepes in the mornings.

There will be faux trees and potted trees inside the restaurant to make use of the building’s high ceilings and give the feel of an urban oasis, Mueller said.

Inside the restaurant, faux trees a well as potted trees will be designed to make use of the building’s high ceilings and give the feel of an urban oasis, Mueller said. Additionally, a waterfall will be constructed, and water will meander about 25 feet before sinking into a large lit bento box.

“It’s going to feel like a bit of nature in downtown,” Mueller said. “The waterfall is going to be exotic, and it’s going to focus on nature with an Asian twist.”

The restaurant will open at 7 a.m. every day with a selection of coffees and crepes – both sweet and savory – with the full menu available after 10:30. It will close at midnight Sunday through Wednesday and start out being open until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

“If there’s no revenue that late, it might close around 2 or 3 a.m.,” Mueller said.

Kim said he recognizes that there are other Asian eateries nearby, including Ma Jong’s Asian Diner, Mikuni and Sapporo Grill, but he said he hopes to complement them more than compete with them.

“I want to serve quality food for a reasonable price,” he said. “I hope people know that, and they come to Bento Box.”

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Burgess Brothers' Burgers owned by twins – one firefighter, one CHP officer

2012-09-14T06:03:26Z

A friendly burger contest between Matt Burgess of the California Highway Patrol and his twin brother, Jon Burgess of the Sacramento Fire Department, led to the opening of Burgess Brothers’ Burgers three weeks ago near Sacramento City College.

According to Matt, his brother challenged him to a burger cook-off being hosted by Good Day Sacramento. Matt won the contest, and the two decided to combine the best of both of their burgers and turn it into a restaurant.

“Because we’re both public servants in our careers, we figured it would blend into what we can do at a restaurant by giving the highest level of service,” Matt said.

The brothers looked for something that wasn’t being done in Sacramento, and they decided that smoking their burgers in an outdoor smoker before bringing them in to finish on the grill would give them a unique taste.

“They get that barbecue flavor, and we used my sauce with some of the ingredients and spices from his burger, so we get the best of both,” Jon said.

Working with family isn’t always easy, but Jon said he is happy to be in business with his brother, despite having a sneaking suspicion that Matt had an unfair advantage in the contest.

“I actually attribute him winning because he wore his gun belt, and that looked intimidating,” Jon said with a laugh.

Burgers aren’t the only things on the menu, which also includes pulled-pork sandwiches, chili dogs, tri-tip on Tuesdays and desserts such as root beer floats and peach cobbler made from their mother’s recipe.

The Hero Burger is a quarter-pound patty on a bun with cheddar cheese, grilled onions and barbecue pulled-pork.

A burger and fries runs $4.95, while the Hero Burger with fries costs $8.95.

Matt said he and Jon like the location next to the Sacramento City College campus, and it gives them a chance to be positive influences or mentors to students who want to enter public safety fields.

“Our emphasis is on family,” Matt said. “We want this to be a safe place for people to bring their families, hang out and have a good time and get some good food, too.”

Matt’s wife, Sandie, said the emphasis on family isn’t just for the customers.

“It’s a great way for us to spend quality time together,” she said. “It’s kind of fun to see them day to day.”

She added that there are always police and CHP officers and firefighters coming into the restaurant, which is decorated with uniforms, equipment and a number of photos of law enforcement officers and firefighters on the job.

In addition to the brothers’ colleagues, students from the nearby college are starting to become regulars, setting up study groups and hanging out, she said.

Jon said the community response to the business has surprised him.

“I didn’t expect us to be so busy initially, which is a really good thing,” he said. “It’s uplifting, and I’m just really, really elated with the amount of support that we’ve gotten.”

Burgess Brothers’ Burgers is located at 2114 Sutterville Road and is open 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday.

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New food truck to feature California-style tacos from owners of Krush Burger

2012-09-13T14:39:24Z

This is shaping up to be a good year for Krush Burger owner Davin Vculek: His original food truck is the basis for a traditional restaurant set to open at the end of the year, Sacramento will soon vote on a less restrictive food truck ordinance, and he is a few weeks away from rolling out his next food truck – doing with tacos what Krush Burger did with burgers.

“It’s Crave: Modern American Tacos,” Vculek said Wednesday. “We’re going to have a couple of fish options, a shrimp option, a really good pulled pork taco, chicken and possibly a steak taco.”

The truck is in the final stages of construction, but it is scheduled to be at the Sept. 29 SactoMoFo Trucktoberfest in West Sacramento.

Those familiar with the menu of Krush burger can expect to see some of their favorite burgers transformed into tacos.

One of those is the Ninja Burger – marinated and grilled short ribs, Asian slaw, radish sprouts, sesame ginger vinaigrette, Sriracha aioli and fried scallions. Vculek said it will be the basis for a taco on Crave.

“Another one of our tacos will be the cast-iron salmon,” Vculek said. “It’s blackened cast-iron salmon with avocado and fresh roasted corn smash, micro greens, red pepper aioli and tomato.”

Tacos will be made on four-and-a-half-inch tortillas. Two tacos are expected to be $6, and three tacos should be $8, with an extra dollar added for shrimp or salmon, he added.

“We’ll probably have corn and flour tortillas,” Vculek said. “There’s a lot of gluten allergies out there, so we will do corn as an option, and plus, there’s just a lot of people who like tacos on corn tortillas.”

Despite coming from the same owner, Vculek said the two businesses will be independent, and diners won’t see tacos from Crave in the new Krush Burger restaurant.

Crave will be a smaller truck than Vculek’s Krush Burger truck, and he said that allows him to be more versatile when it comes to parking in crowded places such as downtown Sacramento.

The vehicle will offer delivery on larger orders – likely 10 or more – dropping them off at offices and other places.

Customers will be able to track the truck on Twitter once it is launched, and a website is coming soon.

“We made the name Crave because we hope that people crave them,” Vculek said. “That’s not to say that there aren’t some awesome tacos out there, but we have a modern, California twist on them.”

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SactoMoFo mobile food fair scheduled for West Sacramento Sept. 29

2012-09-11T22:26:48Z

The next SactoMoFo mobile food fair will be held at West Sacramento’s Riverwalk Park Sept. 29 to celebrate the city’s 25th anniversary.

Dubbed “Trucktoberfest,” it will feature 15 local trucks and five from the Bay Area, though event organizers said the final list of trucks isn’t yet determined.

“We’ll have a wide variety of beer offerings, and it’s going to be right on the river,” said Paul Somerhausen of SactoMoFo.

Having the event at Riverwalk Park, near the Ziggurat Building at 707 Third St., is something that wouldn’t have been possible when the city incorporated, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said.

“This is a celebration for how far we’ve come,” he said. “You couldn’t do it 25 years ago because there was no legal public access to the river other than at the boat ramp.”

He said that before it incorporated, West Sacramento had a reputation locally for lacking infrastructure and services.

The high expectations residents had of what would happen after becoming a city, he said, have largely been fulfilled.

Since 1987, the city has developed Riverwalk Park, revamped neighborhoods, seen new development and businesses such as Capitol Bowl have thrived.

And, of course, Raley Field was built, where the Sacramento River Cats have played multiple winning seasons.

“We built on the great things in the community,” Cabaldon said. “We have fantastic neighborhoods and a strong network of familial and civic support. Our water supply and schools and riverfront access in downtown was lacking.”

One of the trucks at the SactoMoFo event Sept. 29 will be Volks Waffle, but Somerhausen couldn’t confirm the full list.

The first SactoMoFo event was held in April 2011 to bring awareness to an ordinance in Sacramento that food truck operators said isn’t fair and needs to be changed.

Since then, the ordinance has been painstakingly revised – to be voted on in the coming months by the Sacramento City Council – and the food truck craze has only gained steam, with multiple trucks opening and some even expanding to brick-and-mortar restaurants.

“We’ll have several live bands, and the details will be coming soon,” Somerhausen said. “The main focus is celebrating West Sac’s 25th anniversary through a wide variety of food trucks and a nice variety of beers. It’s a beautiful setting, and it’s very dramatic there on the river with Sacramento in the background.”

Food trucks aren’t new to West Sacramento, as many of the local trucks routinely set up outside West Sacramento businesses and the state buildings such as the Ziggurat Building.

“Swabbies operates one of the trucks and has been supporting a river concert series for the past two years,” Cabaldon said. “We’re having a real party here with a little of the kind of controlled chaos that makes these things such great fun family events.”

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Volks Waffle: Authentic Belgian waffles bring Europe to Sacramento

2012-09-11T06:08:48Z

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, crosses France and boards a ship for the United States.

In New York, each batch goes through customs inspections, then gets trucked to Sacramento, where Jeske carefully bakes the waffles.

“For this type of dough ball, there’s a special yeast, and the humidity is the tricky part,” he said, adding that it must be kept at specific levels.

A high-grade sugar is added to the dough, and when baked at 400 degrees, it caramelizes, finding the balance between too soft and too hard.

Jeske said the waffles are good to eat by themselves – with the sugar they’re baked with taking away any need for syrup, and that’s how they are generally consumed in Belgium. He does, however, have an array of toppings for those who want them.

One of the waffles is a chocolate waffle – half of it is immersed in Belgian chocolate.

“We put ice cream and strawberries and whipped cream on it or just serve it plain, whatever people want,” Jeske said.

Fruit-filled waffles are also available in flavors such as strawberry and peach.

Fans of the chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella can try Volks Waffle’s liquid Nutella atop ice cream on a waffle, and Jeske said he also enjoys drizzling the liquid Nutella in a spiderweb design over a plain waffle.

Since they’re not typically eaten as meals, he said he keeps the prices at $4.75 per waffle so they’re a reasonable snack item.

With the waffles baked in the traditional method, they’re ready to go to the food truck, and Jeske said he shied away from using a repurposed FedEx truck, preferring to stick to a European classic.

A 1970 Volkswagen Transporter is the base for an all-copper kitchen with waffle irons weighing 110 pounds each, and Jeske said that at special events such as weddings, he literally rolls out the red carpet.

“Presentation is very important to me,” he said, adding that he wears a chef’s jacket when he serves the waffles.

The vehicle does its job drawing attention, according to Paul Somerhausen of SactoMoFo.

“I think that the appeal with Volks Waffle is twofold,” he said. “On the one hand, you have a really unique vehicle – it’s beautifully customized Volkswagen, and then on the other hand you have these imported Belgian waffles that are such a high caliber of quality and flavor profile.”

He said Volks Waffle is a regular attendee to SactoMoFo, and will be at the next event, held from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sept. 29 in River Park in West Sacramento.

Those looking to catch up with Volks Waffle before then can follow the company on Twitter.

The business’ name is an homage to Jeske’s family ties, he said, noting that volks translates as “family.”

The business is growing, and Jeske said he is looking at opening a small shop in Sacramento about half the size of a Starbucks and plans to roll out another vehicle or two in the next year.

“We will be getting a restaurant, and it will be in the downtown area,” he said. “I want to keep it unique and special. The whole idea is not to commercialize it.”

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Sacramento criminal 'mastermind' subject of CNBC show 'American Greed: The Fugitives'

2012-09-10T22:58:50Z

A Sacramento woman was one of the masterminds behind a gang of bank robbers who stole about $2.5 million without firing a shot – and she’s on the loose and is about to be featured on TV.

Niesha Jackson, who police describe as a master of disguise, will be featured on the CNBC show “American Greed: The Fugitives” at 6 and 9 p.m. Wednesday.

According to CNBC, Jackson and her boyfriend masterminded a scheme of exploiting prepaid debit cards, allowing a string of criminals to take thousands of dollars in cash per transaction at banks across the country.

Jackson – dubbed the “bank-robbing babe” – pleaded guilty to bank fraud, but she escaped before sentencing and remains on the loose.

Police were turned on to her and her boyfriend’s activities after some of their cohorts were caught, and the money trail led back to them.

The second part of the show features the story of James Eberhart, who allegedly defrauded more than 800 investors in a telemarketing scheme, taking some for more than $100,000 each.

After years abroad on a sailboat, he was captured and is currently in custody.

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Missing student Linnea Lomax found dead

2012-09-08T04:45:30Z

Representatives of the family of Linnea Lomax, the 19-year-old UC Davis student missing since June, confirmed late Friday that she was found dead earlier in the day.

"The Lomax family has received confirmation tonight that the deceased person found by the American River this morning is their daughter Linnea Lomax," according to a Friday night press release.

Volunteers searching near the American River Friday morning uncovered remains.

Preaprations are being made for a celebration of life, and, according to the press release, the details will be made public once they are available.

UPDATE: Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co. to open by end of month

2012-09-08T00:27:02Z

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 permitted to take photos with camera phones.

“The draw is to show everyone the complete package when we open – the sum of all the details,” he said.

One thing Bazett was clear about: This will be no clone of The Golden Bear.

“Although The Golden Bear is our baby and we love it and it’ll hopefully be here forever and ever, this new venture is going to be very different – equal parts bar and restaurant,” he said.

The bar menu will feature classic cocktails as well as new recipes, and Bazett said he wants the restaurant to be an innovator in the field. Innovations, he said, will include new techniques for making drinks and new technologies as soon as they are introduced.

Pricing for food will run the gamut from below $10 to steaks and other entrées approaching $20. Some plates will be designed for sharing – part of what Bazett said is the theme of the restaurant.

“We want people in the neighborhood to come down here and feel like this is a place they can hang out and have us be part of the neighborhood,” he said.

Located in a neighborhood, Bazett said the business wants to get situated and get to know the residents, and no entertainment permit will be applied for for at least the first year.

“We’re really focusing on being a part of the community and being a positive impact on the culture rather than impacting it negatively,” he said. “We want to give the best possible service so everyone feels welcome.”

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Linnea Lomax search turns up as-yet-unidentified remains along the American River

2012-09-07T20:51:24Z

The search for missing 19-year-old Linnea Lomax uncovered human remains near the shore of the American River Friday morning, according to a press release.

The remains discovered by volunteers have not been identified, and the Sacramento Police Department is currently conducting investigations, the release stated.

Lomax disappeared June 26 from an outpatient clinic near the 800 block of Howe Ave. Since then, searchers have continued to comb the area. The search has continually expanded, with searchers recently searching in the Placerville area.

Family members plan to hold a press conference sometime within the next 24 hours to discuss more details.

Lomax is described as a 5-foot-2-inch, 100-pound woman with long curly blonde hair.

A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information that directly leads to the safe return of Linnea Lomax to her family or to the custody of law enforcement.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department at (530) 621-6600 or the family tip line at (916) 905-HELP. Tips can also be emailed to tips@helpfindlinnea.org.

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New Masai giraffe at the Sacramento Zoo

2012-09-07T20:22:49Z

There’s a new resident at the Sacramento Zoo, the 2-year old Masai giraffe named Shani.

“She is a pretty special girl,” said zoo spokeswoman Tonja Swank. “There are only about 100 Masai giraffes in American zoos.”

She added that Shani will eventually mate with the zoo’s other Masai giraffe, Chifu.

Shani came to Sacramento from the Los Angeles Zoo in mid-August and recently completed her quarantine period so she can now explore the exhibit, according to the zoo blog.

The blog also notes that the Masai giraffe is the largest subspecies, and it is native to southern Kenya and Tanzania.

Shani is about 11 feet tall, and she is expected to reach between 16 and 19 feet in height when she is full grown. Her name comes from the Swahili word for “wondrous,” and zookeepers say she is getting along well with the other giraffes.

“Eventually Shani and Chifu will become the nucleus of a Masai Giraffe herd,” said Harrison Edell, the zoo’s general curator. “As part of the Masai Giraffe Species Survival Plan, the creation of this new herd will support genetic diversity in the North American Masai Giraffe population.”

Krush Burger food truck to open first restaurant in Sacramento River District

2012-09-07T00:04:13Z

One of Sacramento’s favorite food trucks is expanding to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the River District north of downtown.

Krush Burger – formerly the MiniBurger truck – is expected to open in the new California Lottery Headquarters at 700 North 10th St. sometime in December, owner Davin Vculek said.

“It’s going to be our first restaurant,” he said. “That’s why we started this company: to build a quick-service restaurant.”

The menu will be similar in content and pricing to that of the Krush Burger truck, but it will be expanded to include more as-yet-unnamed burgers, entrée salads and breakfast.

The Krush Burger truck serves about 1,000 burgers per day, including the Ninja, which is made with short ribs, Asian slaw, radish sprouts, sesame ginger vinaigrette, Sriracha aioli and fried scallions. Another popular burger is the Cowbell, with a fried onion stack, applewood-smoked bacon, sweet barbecue sauce, smoked gouda cheese, and ground beef.

Vculek said the area doesn’t have much in the way of eateries, but with hundreds of office workers for the lottery, the California Highway Patrol, the city of Sacramento and the upcoming Township 9 development, he sees a need for quick, good food in a permanent location.

Beer and wine will be offered as well, with about three or four tap handles for beer and possibly some bottled brews.

The building is about 2,500 square feet, and Vculek said he expects it to be able to seat 60-65 people at a time.

“It’s a cold shell right now,” he said. “It’s just concrete. From the beginning stages, we’ve designed the whole thing with a local architectural firm. It’s our design, our initiative and our concept.”

He added that the plumbing work is currently being completed, and construction is slightly ahead of schedule.

Environmentally friendly materials such as reclaimed wood are being used, and a 7-foot ceiling fan by Big Ass Fans will be a feature in the ceiling – all designed to help the building achieve LEED certification.

Eight tables along the walls will have USB and electrical outlets for charging mobile devices and laptops, and wifi will be available, encouraging local workers to relax and get some work done in the building.

“Additionally to all that, we’ll have five 50-inch flatscreen TVs and one large one from 70-80 inches, and we’ll be opening in the hot part of football season, so that will probably help us out,” he said.

While the River District isn’t as frequented as downtown and Midtown, Vculek said the newly opened light rail Green Line stops one block from the restaurant, and it’s accessible to freeways.

“We’re excited about all the energy in that area right now,” he said. “We might have to go the extra mile in marketing, but I think people will be happy to come down, and I expect our lunch crowd to be strong.”

“I bet they’re going to be a nice retail location,” said Steve Goodwin, president of Township 9 and the River District. “All that kind of stuff is great. That’s what you work for. It’s the type of thing that starts happening in the neighborhood, and you start redeveloping.”

He added that the area has been evolving for several years, but food and retail locations haven’t been coming in because there aren’t very many small spaces, while warehouses dominate the area.

“There just are not the places for those little businesses to go as of yet,” he said, “but as they get build, they’ll get filled, and I think they’ll get filled quickly.”

Daniel Conway, spokesman for California Restaurant Association, said that Krush Burger’s opening doesn’t come as a surprise.

“That’s absolutely kind of a trend that we’re seeing – from mobile to stationary restaurants,” he said. “Thats something we see locally with Drewski and Coast to Coast.”

Another local food truck expanding to a brick-and-mortar location is Wicked ‘wich, which is opening a restaurant called Broderick in West Sacramento.

“Always from the beginning there was the word on the street that MiniBurger and Krush Burger was going to the be precursor to brick-and-mortar restaurant,” Conway said. “Outside Sacramento we see the trend too.”

He added that trucks are a great way to start a business in the current economy and build a customer base and a cash base while banks aren’t lending like they were in the past.

Krush Burger will open at 7 a.m. for breakfast and close sometime around 8 or 9 p.m., Vculek said, adding that he will likely be open seven days per week, but possibly later close on the weekends if business doesn’t warrant staying open.

He said he sees multiple locations in the future, hinting at a future restaurant in Roseville, but Sacramento had to be first.

“We’re very excited to open our first one in Sacramento because the people in Sacramento have shows us nothing but wonderful support,” he said. “We’re very thankful for that.”

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Brandon Darnell is Associate Editor of The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Now open: Yellowbill, a new bakery from the owners of Magpie Cafe

2012-09-06T03:34:50Z

A new bakery called Yellowbill by the owners of Magpie Cafe opened Monday at 14th and O streets, and co-owner Ed Roehr said Yellowbill is “the perfect place to have a latte and get a carrot cake cookie.”

The target clientele is people who want to drop by and have a light lunch or a baked dessert.

“We want to have options for people to have a light lunch for under $10,” Roehr said.

Yellowbill collaborated with another local business for its coffee, and all espressos and coffee drinks will be made with coffee from Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters.

Baked goods include cookies, scones, cupcakes and more, but Roehr said it isn’t all about the sweets.

“We have savory items, which we think is important,” he said. “I think our focaccia bread will be popular.”

One of the focaccia breads on the menu is a potato, bacon and caramelized onion focaccia served with a green salad on the side.

Some of the food at Yellowbill will be reminiscent of Magpie, but Roehr said the two businesses are separate concepts, and the items of one won’t necessarily be on the menu of the other.

Located in the state Department of Education building, Roehr said he was happy to move into a LEED Platinum-certified building, and the high windows mean that the lighting is kept to a minimum, saving energy and providing a pleasant ambiance.

The 25 seats in the business are mostly outdoor patio seating, but a few tables and a small counter are located inside.

News of the new business came out in June, when The Sacramento Bee reported that the new location would feature grab-and-go items and was a natural part of the business’ growth.

Yellowbill is open from 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Huggiebears hits the sweet spot in Old Sacramento with cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies and more

2012-09-04T01:26:51Z

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.

The Dynamite Cupcake is chocolate cake with a caramel cream frosting topped with broken potato chips which are then drizzled with caramel and sea salt.

Another cupcake pays homage to an American classic. The peanut butter and jelly cupcake is made with vanilla cake, which then has its core removed and filled with jelly. Peanut butter buttercream frosting and jelly are put on top.

The menu will rotate seasonally, with pumpkin spice desserts coming this month, and possibly a s’mores cupcake. Hot apple cider will be served in the wintertime, augmenting the current selection of coffee, milk, chocolate milk and tea.

Dessert bars and brownies run $2 each, cupcakes cost $2.50 and cheesecakes run $3.50 per slice.

The shop is take-away service right now, but catering is offered as well.

Baking is done at Steel Magnolia, and Clark takes the cakes to the shop in Old Sacramento, where he finishes frosting them and making them ready for the day.

Originally, the men had not been considering Old Sacramento, but Clark said he and Austin saw the space with its existing counter and wood-paneled walls, and they couldn’t resist it.

“Everybody in Old Sac has been very nice and welcoming,” Clark said. “All of us shopkeepers look out for each other, and we get a lot of foot traffic, especially with the railroad museum across the street.”

One of the businesses already familiar with Huggiebears is Her Closet Boutique, which recently opened next door.

Natasha Davis of Her Closet dropped by on Thursday morning for a cup of coffee, and she said she’s sampled some of the baked goods as well.

“They have the best cheesecake,” she said. “It’s really creamy, and I love it – and I’m not a cheesecake girl.”

She added that she appreciates the quality ingredients used by Huggiebears and that Clark is always friendly and helpful.

And that’s the image Clark said he wants the shop to have. The name Huggiebears, he said, comes from his own online screen name.

“We were thinking of a name, and we didn’t just want to be the cupcake guys, because we do so much else,” he said. “We wanted it to feel warm and comforting, and Huggiebears just seemed to fit.”

While Old Sacramento is taking note of the business, Clark said he has a bigger goal.

“I’d like Old Sacramento to think of us as the place to get desserts,” he said, “but I want all of Sacramento to know that they need to try out Huggiebears.”

Huggiebears is open from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

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Mighty Kong Cafe in Tahoe Park redefines itself with a remodel

2012-09-03T07:01:39Z

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 transformed to a closed-off office, the bakery counter was moved back to give more room for seating and, most notably, a historic bar was brought in.

“We sent my dad down to an auction in Atlanta and told him to get a bar that would fit in the corner,” Lance Smith said. Pointing at the massive bar along the back wall, he added, “He came back with that.”

The bar is made of Cuban mahogany and comes from Ann Arbor, Mich. It was made in 1902, and it now has the prominent place in a Sacramento cafe.

Regular customer John Gay, who remembers when the bar was a boxing gym, said he likes the way it’s transformed.

“I think if they can fix up this old gym and make it look like this, like a million bucks, there’s hope for any old building,” he said.

Gay said he remembers the days before Highway 99’s arrival in the city, when Stockton Boulevard was a “hoppin’ ” part of town. Luigi’s Pizza Parlor, kitty-corner from Mighty Kong Cafe, opened in 1953 and still enjoys success.

Mighty Kong serves a variety of breakfast and lunch items, including sandwiches of pulled pork, tri-tip and house-brined and smoked pastrami. Chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy and house-made sausage are available for breakfast.

Sandwiches cost about $8, and breakfasts run about $7.

The name comes from owner King Smith’s college nickname, when friends referred to him as Mighty Kong.

Customer Jim Feller said he frequents Mighty Kong with Gay, and he enjoys the food.

“We love this place,” he said. “We come here almost every day.”

Mighty Kong Cafe is open from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Thursday, from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The business is closed on Monday.

New Helvetia Brewing Company on track for October opening

2012-08-31T06:56:39Z

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 historic building.

The core concept of the business hasn’t changed since The Sacramento Press first reported on it last year. The approximately 5,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1925 and was most recently a tile manufacturing plant. Before that, it was the Casa Grande Tortilla Factory, and it has been vacant for about two years. Multiple rooms stem off a courtyard, and each will be used for a different aspect of the business.

“It’s a brewery and tasting room,” Gull said. “The public will enter up front into the tasting room, and they will be able to look through a dividing wall with windows into the brewery itself.”

Beers, including an IPA, will be brewed in very small batches and aged in wooden barrels. Initially, beer will only be served on draught from taps in the building. Kegs will be sold to local bars and restaurants, but not to the public. Bottling will come later, as the business expands, Gull said

Sushi restaurant with 15 private karaoke rooms coming to downtown Sacramento

2012-08-29T01:22:47Z

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, people see the dining room of the restaurant, with tables along the K Street wall, where the Crest Theatre can be seen through the windows.

Private karaoke rooms line the left wall, and a hallway toward the back branches off to more private rooms.

“In this economy, that’s the kind of thing people need,” Zheng said. “We did a price comparison, and we’re charging about what the fast-food takeout is, but we’re providing the quality of high-end stuff that’s twice the cost.”

This will be the third restaurant/karaoke room setup for Zheng, who said he has one in San Francisco and another in New York.

Karaoke will be available from the afternoon until late night, possibly as late as 3 a.m. on weekends, he said. During lunchtime, people can reserve the rooms for free for private dining or office meetings, and the flatscreen TVs can be hooked up to computers for presentations.

Once the karaoke starts around 3 or 4 p.m., room rentals will start at about $25 or $35 per hour.

Lisa Martinez, spokeswoman for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said she thinks the restaurant will give downtown workers another option for lunch as well as good entertainment in the evening.

“We are really excited to hear that we have a new business coming to K Street,” she said. “I think their business will complement some of the successful businesses that are already flourishing in that area.”

She added that it’s good to see family fun enter the mix.

“It’s exciting to hear that they are looking to bring a range of audiences from adults to families, and that there will be more family entertainment on K Street,” she said.

Oishii Sushi Bar and Grill will open for lunch at 11 a.m. and stop serving around 3:30 p.m. Dinner service will start around 5 p.m. and continue through 11 p.m. on weekdays, but likely continue until 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

People renting the karaoke rooms can have food served in them, and bottle service from the full bar will be available.

“The best part about our bottle service is you don’t have to finish it,” Zheng said. “We can store it for you, so if you want to come back later because you didn’t want to drink it all, we will have it for you.”

Old Sacramento time travels for Gold Rush Days

2012-08-28T06:00:47Z

Old Sacramento will transform to an 1800s frontier town this weekend, complete with dirt streets, gunfights and, of course prospectors looking to stake their claim and hit it rich in the gold fields.

The 13th annual Gold Rush Days will be held from Friday through Monday in Old Sacramento, and visitors will find the streets shut down for the event as a mining town sets up and thousands explore what life was like at a turning point in Sacramento’s history.

“I think it reminds people about how Old Sacramento is relevant,” said Chris McSwain, district manager for the Old Sacramento Business Association. “It really is a destination that has a global history. The Gold Rush wasn’t just a local event, it was something that attracted the entire world.”

Organization is spearheaded by the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, and McSwain said the group does an excellent job coming up with programming for the four-day event.

Some of the events scheduled include Civil War drums and drills, craftmaking, Pony Express rides and dancers in period costumes.

“Having people come back to Old Sacramento and remembering why it has relevance is good for everybody, and the businesses get into the spirit as much as they’re able to,” McSwain said.

Some of the businesses sell reproduction period clothing and fit in well, while others take advantage of the thousands of people expected to attend.

McSwain said he hopes the event draws Sacramentans who think of Old Sacramento as merely a place for special occasions and reminds them that there are numerous shops and eateries that can be enjoyed anytime.

Admission to the event is free.

Lei's Kitchen: East meets West in downtown Sacramento's newest eatery

2012-08-27T07:39:19Z

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 breakfasts such as three-egg omelets are served, as well as Sprowls’ biscuits and gravy, made from scratch.

For lunch, Chinese food is served, including dishes such as the popular general’s chicken, which is served with rice and topped with a sweet, spicy sauce.

“It’s similar to orange chicken, but it’s a bit spicier,” Sprowls said.

Other dishes such as Kung Pao beef and lemon chicken are also served.

Breakfast and lunch items range from $3 - $7, and dinner entrées run from $6 - $11.

Alcohol is not served, but the restaurant is connected to the next-door bar called Chambers Room, and food can be served in the bar from the restaurant.

The Chambers Room was shut down for about a month and a half, owner Susie Hill said, because one of the conditions of the alcohol license is that the space now occupied by Lei’s Kitchen serve food.

Before Lei’s Kitchen opened on Aug. 8, the space had been vacant since 2009.

Sprowls said the two businesses complement each other, and the location is ideal.

“We’re right here in the middle of downtown, and we have farmers markets nearby,” he said. “I like to the farmers market (in Cesar Chavez Plaza) and get my ingredients for the night’s specials.”

He said that Lei’s Kitchen sources its food locally, and he frequently buys from farmers markets for fresh ingredients.

“There’s no better feeling than walking through a farmers market in a chef’s coat and buying something you’re going to make that night at the restaurant,” he said.

Three members of the Lei family, which owns the restaurant, work in the location preparing the Asian dishes and working with Sprowls on the menu.

Sprowls said one of the hallmarks of the business is a large portion size for a reasonable price, and he’s hoping that helps the restaurant succeed despite a struggling economy.

Joe Lopez was one of the people who stopped by the restaurant for lunch on Friday, and he said he had beef and fried rice.

“The brown rice and the eggs and the beef were all really good,” he said, “And it’s a really good price.”

Hortense Calderon was another who tried the restaurant out on Friday, and she said she likes the place.

“I’d come back here every day,” she said.

Parking plans for central city after pilot program cut

2012-08-23T05:20:23Z

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, and at the end of the day, we will recover our cost and talk about profit-sharing.”

Chan added that the East End garage near 19th Street and Capitol Avenue currently charges $2 for a full night, and he would expect rates to be at a similarly low level.

“What we can do is begin to expand the off-street supply in these impacted areas and charge a reasonable rate to encourage folks to use those in the business corridor instead of residential areas,” Chan said.

He added that once enough parking is available off-street in the central city, more restrictions can be placed on residential areas – where the recent pilot program failed. The idea is that that would keep the residential parking open for residents.

Many residents in Boulevard Park and Marshall School/New Era Park opposed the pilot program, which would have extended parking enforcement hours on Second Saturday, neighborhood association representatives told The Sacramento Press last week.

Concerned residents cited the difficulties of having guests over if parking were to be restricted, noting that only one guest parking pass is given per residence.

Chan said the next year will see guest passes easier to get, and he hopes the additional parking in privately owned lots will be full of those who come for the businesses, leaving residents – and their guests – free to park in their neighborhoods.

“It’s more comprehensive as opposed to just moving the problem a few blocks,” he said, adding that he killed the pilot program last week due to overwhelming lack of support from residents.

Parking in privately owned lots would likely be paid for at machines in each lot, which could then dispense tickets drivers could place on their dashboards. They might also be able to be paid by cellphone. Parking enforcement officers could swing through the lots on their regular patrol routes, increasing costs minimally.

Costs would be recuperated through the city’s take from the fees, and once the city broke even, property owners could benefit.

“We don’t need to make money here,” Chan said. “We just need to cover our cost.”

The city recently cut a deal with the owners of the old Greyhound station downtown, and another with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. While they are small lots, Chan said, it makes better use of the land.

“I think it’s fantastic,” said Midtown Business Association Executive Director Elizabeth Studebaker. “It’s exactly the kind of opportunity we need and the city needs in Midtown to create more available and affordable off-street parking.”

She added that there are numerous opportunities for the city to work with small business owners, and that the city managing the lots would be cost-effective.

Chan said he expects the parking situation to be more efficient within the next year.

“Be on the lookout for things to change relative to managing the parking supply,” he said. “We’re making sure we’re as efficient as can be with this asset. Whether city-owned or privately owned, it’s a significant impact on our central city.”

Musicians featured in 'Musicians of Midtown' art exhibit to play benefit concert at The Urban Hive Saturday

2012-08-22T01:23:13Z

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 Monday that she has added more sketches, but no new paintings, for Saturday’s show and concert.

At least four of the bands featured in the series will be playing for a free charity benefit concert hosted by Concerts for Charity, which will seek to raise enough funds to purchase a square for the upcoming Chalk it Up! event in Fremont Park, according to Clay Nutting of Concerts for Charity.

The exhibit begins at The Urban Hive, 1931 H St., at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The music starts at 6 p.m., with performances by Element Brass Band, Marcus Cortez, Dean Haakenson and Ricky Berger.

“I’ve seen Brooke’s work around town, and I always appreciate when someone is passionate about music and art like I am, so I was happy to help,” Nutting said Tuesday. “She’s giving some of the proceeds from her paintings, and we’re selling beers and wine to make a little money for charity.”

Walker-Knoblich said she thinks the local music scene is one of the big draws to the Midtown area, and her goal with “Musicians of Midtown” was to visually demonstrate the way she feels when she hears music.

“I want people to think about music differently and think about how different notes can have these emotional impacts on our lives and foray into the visual landscape,” she said.

Rather than just an art show, Walker-Knoblich said she is hoping it proves to be educational.

“While music is one of the most accessible artforms, I don’t think the visual and auditory get merged very often,” she said. “It’s usually one or the other. The intention behind this exhibit was to bring out the full quality of these two senses and help people understand the artform.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

With so many exciting events taking place in Sacramento each week, narrowing down the options can be a daunting task. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right in time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Urban wine tasting room coming to Sacramento's K Street

2012-08-18T06:45:52Z

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 bringing in high-end boutique wineries, Chomko said.

The names of the wineries aren’t being released as yet, pending Alcoholic Beverage Control approval for the space, but Lamer and Chomko said there will be a wine for everyone’s budget.

“We’ll have bottles you can take with you, and we’re expecting to retail those for as little as $15 and up to over $100,” Lamer said.

Chomko added that she wants to have affordable, everyday wine as well as wine that will draw serious collectors.

While not set up as a restaurant, the business will include food options such as smoked salmon hors d'oeuvres, artisanal cheeses and charcuterie plates. Details are still being worked out, but there will be a happy hour-type program with wine and food pairings, as well as wine education.

When it’s done, people entering the 2,350-square-foot space will see a wall of retail wine racks before turning left and seeing a concierge desk – where guidance on trips to wine country will be offered.

Along the left-side wall will be the bar. Wine will be up front, and the food preparation area will be toward the back of the building.

Seating for slightly less than 100 people will be offered both indoors and outdoors, with approximately 30 able to sit on a patio on the pedestrian part of K Street between 12th and 13th streets.

A private room with seating for 14 can be rented, and a more open rear section of the business will hold 30-40 people for standing receptions.

“This is perfect location,” Chomko said. “We’ve got the Convention Center, the theaters, the Capitol – all that is nearby. What’s not to like?”

Valerie Mamone-Werder, business recruitment manager for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said Thursday that the business is a good fit for the K Street area downtown.

“This is a really great business,” she said. “They have a long history in the wine industry, and they’re really great operators.”

She added that Chomko and Lamer understand what the city and business community is doing on K Street, which has undergone an overhaul in the past several years, and she said she thinks they will be a good part of K Street’s future.

Chomko said she has been a wine educator in the Napa, and Lamer recently sold two wine businesses he founded in Amador County. They are now moving to Sacramento, which they will be calling home.

“We’re excited to be here,” Chomko said. “Carmel, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco – they all have something like this, but Sacramento doesn’t. Sacramento has small ones, but nothing like this.”

Midtown Second Saturday pilot parking program canned

2012-08-17T06:06:01Z

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 ideas had been discussed twice in the past, with ~~the most recent~~ one being voted down in 2007.

Murphy added Friday that, according to residents, the second parking restriction was voted down in 2009.

Murphy said one of the chief issues residents had with the program was that if they wanted to have visitors over on Second Saturdays, they would have been limited to one visitor parking pass per home, and all others would have to park farther away.

Those sentiments were echoed by Asha Jennings, chair of the Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association.

“We did oppose the pilot,” she said. “We got as much feedback as we could from the neighborhood, and there were consistent concerns that it would just shift parking to different blocks.”

Boulevard Park formally voted to oppose the program Aug. 1, noting that temporary signage alerting drivers to the increased hours for parking enforcement would be ugly.

“There would be sawhorses with signs hanging from them up and down the block,” Jennings said. “It would be similar to how they put them up during construction. There were concerns about the aesthetics of that.”

Parking Services Manager Howard Chan was unavailable for comment on Thursday.

[Editor's note: A change was made to this article after publication. The incorrect information has been struck out.]

Local restaurant consultant on the five mistakes restaurants make

2012-08-16T13:34:55Z

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 are just two examples, but those types of events give people the chance to get to know the restaurants and their offerings in a very casual atmosphere. Partnering with local charities or participating in charitable events also goes a long way. De Vere's Irish Pub’s St. Baldrick's event is a wonderful example of an event meant to bring the community together for a worthy cause and enjoy the company of others while getting to know a particular venue.

Finding the right social media formula is important as well. Things like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to connect with your customer base, and people love to "like" things. It is crucial to find the balance where you aren't chasing away your guests with too many posts or losing your audience by posting too little. Social media has proven to be a great way to let people know about events, community outreach, specials and restaurant giveaways. Those restaurants not using social media outlets to reach the masses have an archaic way of thinking and should consider joining the rest of us in this century.

Not listening to their guests. One thing I recommend is the use of comment cards. When I say "the use of," I mean the proper use. This means doing something with the information provided. Some restaurants don't see comment cards for the true gifts that they are. These are opportunities provided by the guests telling owners exactly what they would like to see done differently. Like anything else, you need to filter through these things as you can get inundated with people's personal ideas on how to run the perfect restaurant. Within that sea of comments there are some very valid and valuable pieces of information owners can use to improve their business. If you are just using them to collect email addresses, you are missing the big picture.

Not doing research on your concept. Before opening a new restaurant, owners need to look at what they want to do, where they want to do it and how they are going to execute it. What types of concepts are doing well? Is there a concept the neighborhood is lacking? Do they want to follow in the footsteps of something popular? Do they want to do something new and cutting-edge? Do your prices fall in line with that of your neighbors and similar concepts? There is a tremendous amount of risk involved in this business, so doing your homework is vital.

Training and education. Of course, staff members should have a specific level of knowledge that meets or exceeds the needs of the restaurant. Restaurants need to take this a step further and continuously test and challenge their staff. Managers and owners need to write and administer tests on alcohol, food, service, etc.

Some places need it once a month, perhaps at a mandatory staff meeting. Other places in need of more help should test their staff members on a weekly basis before or after their shifts. There should be tests to further the education of every staff member: hosts, servers, bussers, runners, cooks, etc. This obviously means management needs to customize the exams to fit specific job descriptions. The more information you provide your staff, the more they can provide the guests.

Proper funding/finance. This goes for new owners mainly. I can't begin to tell you how many people I've met over the years who wanted to take their life savings and open a restaurant because it looks like so much fun. These folks are in for a rude awakening 100 percent of the time.

If you are opening a restaurant and are close to the date of your soft open and see the money running out, make no mistake, you are in trouble already. I highly recommend having enough in reserve funds to keep the business going for at least a year. This means payroll, vendors, repairs and many other unforeseen instances we all know can pop up in life.

Some folks with a good plan and strong business model can make it work with six months’ worth of cash, but this is not always the case. If it sounds impossible to have that much liquid cash on hand, perhaps you might want to consider a different business. This is of course not set in stone, but common sense will tell anyone you need money to operate, and (most) restaurants don't generate profits in their infancy.

I have also witnessed the opposite effect, which is where an owner has deep pockets, spares no expense on décor, artwork and furniture with little focus on having the right team members in the right positions. In these situations things tend to fall apart sometimes before the restaurant is even open. Generally these turn into very expensive life lessons.

Rail Bridge Cellars launches jazz, blues series with intimate seating

2012-08-06T15:10:42Z

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 in 1926, and it played host to some of the city’s elites.

Now, with the jazz and blues series, Gelber said he is trying to create a space with an intimate feel where people can go for an after-dinner drink and great views of the town.

“Maybe you go out to a nice dinner, and you want to go someplace where you can have a drink and talk and hear some local music,” Gelber said.

That’s the idea behind the weekly Blues and Jazz Unplugged, which kicks off this Saturday. Admission is $20, and tickets must be bought in advance online. Ticket purchase includes a glass of wine or beer and hors d'oeuvres. Additional glasses of wine are in the $5 - $6 range.

Entry is limited to 48 people so the area remains intimate, and people can book their spaces anytime until tickets are sold out, including the day of the event.

Doors open at 9 p.m., and the first musical set begins at 10, with a second set at 11. The doors close at 1 a.m.

Playing first in the series is Clemon Charles, a Sacramento musician originally from Barbados.

“I’ll be playing some eclectic music with some jazz and a little bit of world-beats blues,” Charles said. “I’m doing it with a lot of Caribbean influence because that’s where I’m from, and a lot of my music has a lot of island influence.”

Most artists in the series will play with an acoustic guitar, Charles said, adding that some will use pianos. Vocals will feature strongly in the performances as well.

Mangia – from the creators of Paesanos – to replace Java City in Midtown

2012-08-02T00:07:04Z

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 who are used to Java City being there,” she said.

The atmosphere will be casual, and there is currently no final word on how many people it will be able to seat. Job interviews are currently under way, and Scarpulla said about 15-20 employees will be hired.

The Sacramento Press will follow up when more information becomes available.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

The Sacramento Press on Capital Public Radio's 'Insight' - Medical marijuana, political scandal and fire at McKinley Park

2012-08-01T06:10:16Z

Sacramento Bee reporter Ryan Lillis and I discussed a number of city issues including the City Hall credit card scandal and the McKinley Park fire with host Beth Ruyak on Capital Public Radio’s “Insight” program Tuesday.

The show began with Ruyak asking Lillis about Lisa Serna-Mayorga, an aide to Mayor Kevin Johnson who resigned after an alleged $9,000 were put on her city credit card for personal issues, including a trip to Disneyland.

An investigation has been launched, and the city is looking at its policies for credit cards. Lillis will chat with The Sacramento Press on Wednesday at noon. To view that chat, click here for the Sac Press Live link.

Ruyak and I discussed the aftermath of Saturday morning’s devastating playground fire in McKinley Park in East Sacramento. Authorities suspect it was the work of an arsonist, and after the initial anger and sadness, the community is working to get the funds together for rebuilding the structure. Find out how you can help here.

Another topic Ruyak and I discussed was the Launch 2012 Music, Design and Fashion show that took place last week.

From its beginnings with a number of musicians playing to complement snippets from silent films to a mid-week architectural exhibit in Midtown and the music festival on Saturday featuring DJ Shadow and Chromeo, organizer Clay Nutting said he thought the event was a success, and while there were a few hiccups – he said the event proved that Sacramento can support a large-scale arts event, and he looks forward to next year’s event.

The half-cent sales tax proposal on the November ballot was another topic Ruyak covered with Lillis, who pointed out that voters are becoming more receptive to the idea of small sales tax increases, but he expects that more organized opposition to it will surface before November.

In other city news, the medical marijuana debate is continuing. I talked about some of the City Council’s proposed changes to smaller details of the city’s medical marijuana ordinance – including possible changes to where some dispensaries can be located. Another issue the city will address is whether to ban open-air home growing of medical marijuana. Lillis said the issue has been debated at length, and he foresees much more debate before it’s done with.

Café Roma expands in downtown Sacramento with larger food menu, adds beer and wine

2012-07-30T21:55:44Z

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, full-service dining and patio seating.

The seating area will approximately double, allowing about 50 people to eat inside, with another 30 outside. The current portion of the cafe will remain counter-service, and Saadeh said the new portion with its full-service menu is a reflection of what he saw in Italy on a trip in May.

One of the goals with the expansion is to keep the prices affordable, and Saadeh said most entrées can be paired with a wine for a total of between $15 and $17.

The food menu will be expanded, and one of the dishes Saadeh said he will bring on board is a spaghetti alla carbonara – topped with a sauce with eggs, ham or bacon, and cream.

Beer and wine will also be added to the menu. Saadeh said about 20 - 30 percent of the wine offerings will be imported from Italy, and there will be California wines to complement them.

Beers will include some Italian selections as well as domestics.

Café Roma opened less than two years ago, and while Saadeh said the expansion comes more quickly than he had planned, he’s happy to be in a position to grow in the still-shaky economy.

“Café Roma is a relatively new business to downtown, and we’re thrilled to see them at a point where they’re ready to expand to larger space,” said Lisa Martinez, spokeswoman for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

“He really focused on unique Italian cuisine, but at the same time his price point is really accessible,” she added. “They’ve got really good italian food, and it’s at a really affordable price. They’ve hit the sweet spot.”

Construction began July 23, and Saadeh said he hopes it will be complete by September, in time to celebrate two years in business in October.

The restaurant will remain open during the expansion, with the exception of one weekend, which will be announced. The closure is expected to be short and to come toward the end of the contruction, with the restaurant reopening when the inspectors give it the final OK.

The final touches will be revealed when it opens, but Saadeh said Renaissance-style artwork will feature in the décor, and classic tunes from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin will be scattered throughout the cafe’s musical playlist.

“It’s all about giving people more than just a meal,” Saadeh said. “We’re giving them a nice place to go and show them something unique that you’d find in Italy.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Photos: Trio Restaurant, Bakery and Market now open

2012-07-27T08:30:52Z

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 restaurant carries specialty items such as imported olive oils and local roasted nuts.

The restaurant, located at 826 J St., is open from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. on weekends. Blum said she hopes to eventually get a full bar, and keeping Trio open later.

Rubicon Brewing Company to open new beer production facility in West Sacramento

2012-07-26T21:50:45Z

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 facility in West Sacramento not far from Ikea. Phillips said he hopes to have it in operation by the end of the year, if all goes well.

“Our plan is to release Monkey Knife Fight in 22-ounce bottles as soon as we open,” he said. “Probably by beer week (in February), we might do a big announcement where we move into 12-ounce packaging and you could buy six-packs of Rubicon beer.”

Currently, the production at the brewpub at 2004 Capitol Ave. in Sacramento produces about 2,000 31-gallon barrels per year. Phillips said that the goal is to be able to produce as many as 20,000 barrels at the new facility in four to five years, enabling Rubicon to expand to markets in Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

“Sacramento sales are our number-one focus, but we’d also like to expand our wholesale network,” he said.

The production facility isn’t set up to be open to the public, and Phillips said there are numerous accessibility and licensing hurdles to get over before that becomes a viable option – if he even wants to go that route.

“I may just instead open a tap room in West Sac, but that’s a business decision for down the road,” he said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

City makes headway on new medical marijuana laws

2012-07-25T02:20:19Z

The City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee mulled several new restrictions on medical marijuana on Tuesday, but chose only to act one one of them – recommending increasing the distance any new dispensaries must be from a school from 600 feet to 1,000 feet.

It will now be up to the full City Council to decide whether that should be a law.

The committee also considered:

Whether to allow any of the 34 dispensaries in Sacramento to relocate within 300 feet of a residential zone
A ban on outdoor growing of medical marijuana by residents

600 OR 1000?

Medical marijuana advocate Lynette Davies asked the committee not to change its 600-foot ordinance to 1,000 feet during the meeting’s public comment period, saying that the city’s law should continue to mirror California’s 600-foot law.

The city’s proposed rule is meant to conform to a federal law that gives harsher punishments for selling illegal drugs within 1,000 feet of a park or school – yet federal law prohibits all growing and selling of marijuana for any reason.

“Federal law does dictate at times what takes place,” City Councilman Darrell Fong said. “I think this needs to go to the City Council for full discussion.”

Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy added a facet to the proposed 1,000-foot rule at the city level that barriers such as freeways and rivers should be considered – meaning that if a dispensary is 1,000 feet from a school, but there is a river between them, the 1,000-foot rule would not apply.

NIMBY DEBATE

After a unanimous vote in favor of the 1,000-foot rule, the city was divided on whether to allow any of the 34 dispensaries in Sacramento to relocate within 300 feet of a residential zone.

According to a city ordinance, no dispensaries can be within 300 feet of a residential zone, but 34 that submitted applications last year will be able to apply for a new permit within 300 feet of residences if the City Council votes to give them exemptions.

Of the 34, only 18 are still operating, but all would have the chance to try to open in a new location, exempt from the rule that they need to be 300 feet from a residence, subject to city approval.

City Councilman Steve Cohn said he wants to see some flexibility for dispensaries that have worked with the city in the past and might need to relocate from a district such as Midtown if their landlords don’t renew their leases.

“This would only affect those who are already in,” he said.

Proponents of giving the exemption to the existing dispensaries pointed out that the various zoning rules leave very few places in the city to open a dispensary.

City Councilman Jay Schenirer said he doesn’t want to see a “dispensary row” in one of the few areas where dispensaries can operate under current city code.

OUTDOOR GROWING BAN

Another topic the committee couldn’t decide upon was whether to ban outdoor growing of medical marijuana by residents.

Sheedy said she has received numerous complaints from her constituents regarding odors during harvest time and burglaries.

Some of the speakers during the public comment section said outdoor growing is essential, because watering a plant growing under natural sunlight is far easier and cheaper than setting up an indoor garden.

If adopted in its current form, the ban would not go into place until January, allowing those who are already growing plants outdoors to harvest this year’s crop.

All of the issues will have to go before the full City Council for approval before being implemented, and the more contested ordinances will likely require multiple discussions at the full City Council before any decision is reached.

After threat of legal action by ACLU, Sacramento postpones discussion on restricting protests at City Hall

2012-07-24T22:47:56Z

The City Council Law and Legislation Committee postponed a discussion on whether there will be restrictions on the ability to hold protests on the City Hall property after the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union staged a protest and said its lawyers were closely following the issue

City Councilmen Darrell Fong and Jay Schenirer saying they wanted the language of the ordinance to be made clearer.

“I believe people should have access to City Hall,” Fong said Tuesday. “We do have some other concerns we have to address. We will meet soon and get language out there, and we will bring it back.”

The issue will be brought up again at the City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee on Aug. 9.

He did not elaborate on what the other concerns were, but the postponement came after a protest in front of City Hall by members of the American Civil Liberties Union and Occupy Sacramento opposed to the ordinance.

In an interview before the protest, local ACLU board member Cres Vellucci told the Sacramento Press in a video chat that the city has other, existing laws to deal with the issues that the council has said the ordinance was meant to address. He also said that a lawyer in the organization's San Francisco office was reviewing the ordinance and following the issue closely:

Debra Reiger, chairwoman of the Sacramento chapter of the ACLU, said she is glad to see the item postponed with an intent to adjust the language.

“The City Hall area is a public forum, and doing severe restrictions including fees for signing up ahead of time to speak at the space is a constitutional issue,” she said.

She added that the ACLU is involved with a similar ordinance in Redding, Calif., and that the ordinance there is currently under legal review.

Homemade caramels coming to Midtown Village Cafe

2012-07-24T05:27:45Z

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 Sweet George five years ago from her place in New York City. Now, back in her hometown of Sacramento, she is one of the first businesses setting up in Midtown Village Cafe at 19th and I streets, opening Aug. 1.

George said she’s made about 50,000 of the caramels, and she had to tweak an old recipe to make sure they were soft enough to chew, but wouldn’t get destroyed by the heat.

“Sending them over to the desert was the perfect test,” she said. “They held up during transit and over there in Iraq.”

She combines her love of music with her love of making caramels – “My Sweet George” is a reference to George Harrison of The Beatles, and his music is always on when she makes her candies.

The caramels come in a variety of flavors, including coconut almond, lemon butter, sea salt dark chocolate and wild cherry pecan. She said she has previously sold them for events such as weddings and baby showers, and now she will be selling them out of Midtown Village Cafe.

Prices range from a seven-piece gift bag for $5 to a 1-pound gift bag for $25. Pricing for individual caramels will be listed later.

Midtown Village Cafe itself is a new take on co-working, co-owner Brian Fischer said.

“The goal of the village is to be a collaborative space other businesses can use for a launching platform,” he said. “It’s kind of an incubator for other people, with low overhead.”

George will be able to make her caramels in the cafe’s kitchen and display them in the glass cases.

George acknowledged that, despite her experience running distribution centers in the music industry, going out on her own is stressful, and definitely a risk.

“I won’t say I haven’t had some sleepless nights,” she said.

Fischer said that opening Midtown Village Cafe to other businesses is a way for entrepreneurs without significant financial backing to bypass some of the hurdles new businesses typically have to get over with financing, permitting and finding a space.

“I think she’ll do well,” he said. “I love the caramels. Everybody loves the caramels. They’re addictive.”

Sacramento to talk medical marijuana on Tuesday

2012-07-23T19:44:15Z

Sacramento will consider more guidelines for medical marijuana dispensaries Tuesday, as a city committee will look at how far the dispensaries should be from parks and schools, even as federal court cases determining their legality are still under way.

The City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee will discuss medical marijuana dispensaries at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall, 915 I St., so the city is prepared to act at the end of the court proceedings, Law and Legislation Committee Chairman Jay Schenirer said Monday.

“We need to work this out so we can move forward once those cases are resolved,” he said. “I think we have a model policy, and we want to be moving in the right direction so we’re not just starting when those cases are resolved.”

The cases in question are the result of federal crackdowns on marijuana dispensaries over the past year. Despite their legality under state law and the laws of many cities, federal law holds that marijuana is an illicit drug, and does not allow for its medicinal usage.

“You have this untenable policy situation with the federal, state and city governments all having different policies,” Schenirer said, adding the the eventual outcome of the court cases will help determine what rights marijuana dispensaries have, which should give a clearer picture to local officials, enabling them to make laws.

No laws will be enacted on Tuesday, and Schenirer said the meeting is designed to give city staff direction when drafting ordinances, which will likely come back to the Law and Legislation Committee for final review before going to the full City Council for a vote – but only after the court cases are decided.

One of the issues being looked at Tuesday is how close a medical marijuana dispensary can be to a school or a park, which would be similar to a recent City Council action that bans tobacco-centric businesses from opening within 1,000 feet of a school without a special use permit. A similar ordinance has been aired regarding gun shops.

In April, San Francisco medical marijuana dispensary owners faced steep penalties – and 40 years in prison – if they didn’t shut down their dispensaries situated near parks and schools, according to a Sacramento Bee article.

The dispensaries were targeted under a federal law designed in the Reagan era to combat crack-cocaine dealers selling to kids, the article states.

Sacramento regulates marijuana dispensaries under a city ordinance passed last year.

That law doesn’t trump the federal 1,000-foot rule, however, and the Bee article mentioned one Sacramento dispensary that closed after federal pressure.

Schenirer said he’d like to see a grandfather clause that would allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to continue operation in their current locations under city law.

“To the extent that we have control,” he said, “I’d like a grandfather clause for people who have previously done well.”

Food trucks, city: We’re close to getting an ordinance

2012-07-20T23:30:45Z

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.

Right now, under a 2008 ordinance, food trucks are only allowed to stop for 30 minutes at a time in city limits, and there is a curfew.

The new ordinance gives food trucks a wider berth, but in its current state prohibits them from operating within 400 feet of a restaurant – something Vcule said he would like to see amended.

“I think it’s a step in a positive direction,” Vculek said. “We meet again in two weeks and hopefully secure all the sticking points, and then it will be in the council’s hands to pass through as an ordinance.”

City Councilman Jay Schenirer, chairman of the Law and Legislation Committee – through which the ordinance must pass before going to the full council for a vote – said he thinks a lot of progress has been made, and just a few details need working out.

“This is a complicated issue,” he said. “I was very pleased with the outcome today.”

When it comes to the ordinance, he added, one option is to provide different tweaks to it for different geographic regions in the city – recognizing that the downtown/Midtown core is a different environment from Land Park, East Sacramento or The Pocket.

The next meeting will be held Aug. 3, and Schenirer said that a best-case scenario has the Law and Legislation Committee discussing the ordinance in late August or September.

“I think that the brick-and-mortar restaurant owners and the food truck operators came together and are both looking for a win-win situation here,” he said. “I think there’s still some details to be ironed out, but I’m hopeful that we can finish that Aug. 3.”

Vculek said the meeting was attended by representatives of various city departments, other food truck operators and restaurant owners. Other meeting attendees did not immediately return phone calls Friday afternoon.

“The city has made an attempt to work with both sides, and now we’re at a point where both sides have made concessions and are working on something that we can all agree on,” Vculek said.

If an ordinance is passed, Vculek said, it will likely be revisited after six months.

“It’s going to be a process,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll be set in stone.”

Thieves steal equipment worth $30k from Sacramento Shakespeare Festival

2012-07-19T20:58:42Z

About $30,000 in high-tech equipment was stolen from the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival’s booths at William Land Park, officials said Thursday.

“Tuesday night, some thieves broke into our booth at the top of the hill,” said Lori Ann Delappe-Grondin, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival. “They ripped out a window of one of the booths and busted in doors of two others.”

Delappe-Grondin said the stolen equipment included a sound board, a light board, a generator, tools and lighting fixtures.

A replacement sound system is being brought in and taken out daily now, and the show start times have been moved back to 6 p.m., since the sun sets late enough to allow the plays to run their full time without artificial lighting.

“We’re doing this as they did it in Shakespeare’s days – under the sun,” she said.

Officer Michele Gigante, spokeswoman from the Sacramento Police Department, said officers responded Wednesday afternoon to the theft, and crime scene investigators went to work.

“We’re still investigating,” she said. “It’s really early, but hopefully someone has some information they can let us know.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact police at 264-5471, and people with information can remain anonymous.

While the festival has insurance, Delappe-Grondin said Thursday morning that it was unclear exactly what the insurance would cover.

Donations to replace the stolen equipment are being accepted at the shows, and an online system is in place on the group’s website.

“I think it is important that people know that this is a 27-year institution of providing Shakespeare in the park,” she said. “This has rocked our community. People are disgusted and devastated, but the community has already stepped up and shown support for us.”

Ticket prices for the weekend’s shows are set at $10 – instead of the usual $15-$18.

“We don’t want this to discourage people from coming,” Delappe-Grondin said. “Let’s fill the house and show these people who stole from us that they cannot stop us – the show will go on.”

SactoMoFo 5 scheduled for Saturday

2012-07-17T00:30:26Z

About 30 food trucks will gather on Saturday for SactoMoFo 5 under the freeway at Sixth and W streets.

What started more than a year ago as a showcase of the food truck scene in protest of city ordinance that food truck operators regard as unfair has gathered a strong following of both trucks and those who love the food.

According to SactoMoFo, Saturday’s event will be the biggest one yet, with the amount of new trucks and, like last time, beer.

~~Sacramento’s newest food truck, OMG Burger is scheduled to participate in the event as well~~ [Update: Due to a last-minute permiting delay, OMG Burger will not be able to participate in this SactoMofo, according to event organizers.]

The event is free, and parking is free with a donation of school supplies or canned/packaged food, which will be donated the the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Here's the complete list of food trucks, via SactoMofo organizer Paul Somerhausen:

Sacramento-area vendors include: Drewski's, Squeeze Inn, Simply Southern BBQ, Smoothie Patrol, Dave's Dawgs, Addison’s Originals, Miz Shirley’s, Fat Face, Annie’s Sno Biz, Star Ginger, Leila's Lumpia, Coast to Coast, Chando's Tacos, Lil Rich’s Shaved Ice, Emma’s Tamales, Willie's Burgers, Volkswaffle CA, Addy's Paella, Swabbies, Juice On, Whole Foods Market, and Gizmo’s Rolling Video Games

Making the trek from the Bay Area are: The Chairman, Koja Kitchen, Seoul on Wheels, El Porteno, Sanguchon, Hapa SF, Curbside Cuisine, and Curry Up Now. Also, The famous Red Truck will come down from Lake Tahoe.

Since the initial SactoMoFo, the law limiting food trucks to 30-minute stops in the city and placing a curfew on their operations has become a topic of conversation at multiple levels in the city – from food truck owners and traditional restaurateurs to the City Council.

Talks will continue this week, and though the progress seems slow, City Council members have previously told The Sacramento Press that they want to make sure any new law is done correctly. A scheduled start to revising the law last year was scrapped.

New trucks continue to pop up despite the law, and OMG Burger owner Ben Jones said Friday that the 2008 law is an inconvenience that he hopes will be repealed soon, but didn’t deter him from joining the movement.

Sacramento has also seen food truck operators expanding their reach over the past year. Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen partnered with Republic to sell its food in the 16th Street business, and Coast to Coast Sandwiches expanded to a brick-and-mortar location with the kitchen at Pour House, a new restuarant nd bar expected to open within the month.

KrushBurger – formerly Mini Burger – is also expected to get into the brick-and-mortar restaurant game later this year.

The food truck scene is a two-way street, however, with established restaurants getting on board.

Willie’s Burgers, The Squeeze Inn and even Mikuni have or are planning to join the mobile scene.

Saturday’s event is expected to draw crowds, and organizers recommend that people heading out to sample the food bring “small bills and an empty belly.”

The event kicks off at noon and runs until 7 p.m.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Sacramento's newest food truck: OMG Burger

2012-07-16T04:37:00Z

Meet Sacramento’s newest food truck: OMG Burger.

Owner Ben Jones said he’s always had a passion for mobile food, and since food trucks are such a popular craze at the moment, he decided to toss his hat in the ring.

“I wanted to serve the best burgers in town,” he said Friday.

The truck’s signature burger – the OMG burger – is ground-up bacon blended into a beef patty topped with Cool Ranch Doritos and homemade ranch dressing.

“All of the burgers are original and creative,” Jones said, adding that the Bahng-Gu Burger is a nod to his half-Korean heritage, a cheeseburger topped with Korean bulgogi and fresh kimchi.

His favorite burger, he said, is the Dirty Sanchez, which features carne asada topped with homemade salsa and potato chips.

Prices for burgers will range from $5 to $8.50, and Jones said combo meals – including a burger, shoestring french fries and a soda – will run about $10.

“All the patties are handmade, and we take a lot of care with the details,” he said.

Paul Somerhausen of SactoMoFo said he is looking forward to tasting Jones’ offerings.

“The menu is very interesting and very provocative,” Somerhausen said. “He brings what food trucks are all about – a new angle to an American staple food. He brings a fresh look at the hamburger and has some very creative recipes.”

OMG Burger joins three existing burger trucks in Sacramento, The Willie Wagon, The Squeeze Inn and KrushBurger (formerly Miniburger).

Jones said he isn’t looking to get into a brick-and-mortar space, but if the truck is successful, he’d like to expand to Southern California and Las Vegas.

Setting up the business took about six months, including locating a truck that wasn’t too expensive and didn’t need too much work.

Jones’ background is in owning a small moving company, and OMG Burger is his first foray into food service, and he said he hired two restaurant veterans to bring food service experience to the table.

OMG Burger is expected to roll out on Friday, and it can be followed on Twitter, @OMGBurger.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

[Editor's note: This aricle has been corrected to reflect the fact that due to a last-minute permiting delay, OMG Burger will not be able to participate in this SactoMofo, according to event organizers.]

Plans taking shape to bring Lowbrau, a German beer hall, to former Lounge on 20 space

2012-07-12T18:32:08Z

A deal is in the works to bring a German beer hall with a modern twist to the former Lounge on 20 space at 20th and K streets.

Called Lowbrau, one of the business partners, Michael Hargis, explained that it’s a fresh take on a Bavarian beer hall.

Some of the classic Bavarian elements are planned to be incorporated, such as long communal tables, a healthy selection of imported German and Belgian beers, and imported sausages for the food menu.

“It’s a play off the German beer halls,” Hargis said. “It’s not going to be uber-German, and the name Lowbrau kind of shows that we’re not taking ourselves too seriously.”

Since the deal is not finalized, details at this point are scant. Hargis said he will be able to share more information if the deal is struck and he’s able to get into the space.

Despite some rustic German elements, Hargis said modern design cues will be a fit for the Midtown area.

The idea was partly inspired by other businesses with similar concepts – Wurstküche in Los Angeles and Suppenküche in San Francisco – and Hargis said he hopes Lowbrau will see the same success in Sacramento.

In Germany, the beer hall is a communal gathering place, and the communal tables encourage strangers to get to know each other over a half-liter or liter of beer. Hargis said he hopes Lowbrau will be able to provide a similar sense of connectivity to the community at 20th and K streets.

Hargis stressed that the deal has yet to be struck, so at this point it is still in the planning stages and is not a sure thing. The Sacramento Press will continue to follow developments with the business and the former Lounge on 20 space.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Council members want end to 'unfair advantage' for lobbyists, negotiators

2012-07-12T05:49:37Z

After a recent Grand Jury report found that two former Sacramento city managers negotiating on behalf of a trash disposal company got a favorable contract that was a financial misstep for the city, City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said she wants the city to implement a policy that would prevent the scenario from repeating.

Ashby said she wants to come up with a policy that would end what some have called the “revolving door,” where former city employees can join the negotiation or lobbying teams of private businesses.

Critics say their presence gives the private companies an unfair advantage in negotiations.

“When you work for the state and you retire, you can come back as a retired annuitant, but one thing you cannot do is come back as a consultant on subject matter from which you had direct involvement,” Ashby said.

A Sacramento Bee editorial said the trash services contract showed “gross incompetence and shocking indifference to the issues of ratepayer costs or basic fairness in public contracting.”

The Grand Jury stated that the presence of former city managers on the negotiating team influenced some current city employees.

“Lobbying from immediate past city managers was problematic for some city staff,” according to the Grand Jury report.

Councilman Darrell Fong agreed with Ashby on the need to take a look at stopping the “revolving door.”

“People coming back – I have a concern about it,” Fong said. “They leave and reinvent themselves and come back.”

He suggested not allowing former city employees to come back as negotiators for private businesses for a three-year term, but added that it’s early, and there needs to be discussion on whether that is an appropriate amount of time.

Fong said he did not like the solid waste contract from the outset, but he was not on the council when it passed, and he voted against approving the sale of the contract about six months ago.

Ashby added that there are numerous examples the city can develop a new policy around, and any policy would have to allow the city to tap into the “wealth of knowledge” that retired city employees often have, without compromising the city’s position in contract negotiations with private companies.

The contract between the city and BLT Enterprises of Sacramento, Inc. was negotiated in 2010, before Ashby was on the council, and she said the city should put in safeguards to ensure any future contract negotiations aren’t hampered by similar issues.

“It’s imperative that we discuss the Grand Jury findings and modifications to policy to address any issues we have,” she said. “I think there are still some opportunities to turn it into a win for the city of Sacramento.”

The Grand Jury report found other issues with the contract, including the length of the term – it expires in 2032 – and a lack of competitive bidding for it, which the report says is a violation of a city ordinance.

Ashby, who said she did not like the contract, said it’s unfair for her to judge the other council members based on hindsight. When the contract was sold to another waste management service, Ashby said, the city’s legal counsel advised against attempting to renegotiate it.

Calls to the other City Council members were placed Friday and Monday, but council is in a two-week recess and some members could not be reached. Here’s how they have responded so far:

• Rob Fong: His spokeswoman said he refused to comment on the issue.
• Steve Cohn: did not return calls.
• Bonnie Pannell: did not return calls.
• Kevin McCarty: did not return calls.
• Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy is recovering from surgery, according to her office.
• Jay Schenirer was unable to comment on Monday

We will continue to follow up with council members until we have all on the record as to where their views on the Grand Jury report and Ashby’s call for tighter regulations.

Midtown skim jam brings beach sport to urban core

2012-07-11T18:36:42Z

A 100-foot sandy "beach" will rise in the parking lot behind Midtown's BarWest Burgers & Wings on Saturday, and 1 inch of water will slide over it – perfect conditions for the evening's skim boarding competition.

"It's kind of like a giant Slip 'N Slide where you're staying on the board and doing tricks like you would on a skateboard," said Brendan Mohr, owner of Ground Zero Board Shop and one of the event organizers.

Inland Skim Movement's Brian Kniveton, one of the event's organizers, said the sport originated in Sacramento in the mid-1980s, and while he usually takes his assortment of rails and other fixtures on which to do tricks down to the river, he said he wanted to try building a beach in the urban core, and the Second Saturday Art Walk was the perfect venue.

"We have free skim boarding lessons in the day," he said. "Second Saturday is usually considered to be something for college ages and above, but skim boarding is fun for all ages, and we thought we could get some younger kids out here during the day to check it out."

Lessons will be held from 2 - 4:30 p.m., and the two-hour competition will commence at 5 p.m.

The beach is based on a two-by-four framework that is then covered with a waterproof plastic coating before the sand is added. The 100-foot-long beach is 8 feet wide, and about an inch of water will run atop it at all times, giving conditions similar to skim boarding on a beach after a wave recedes.

Video by Lon Porteous

A $2 entry fee that goes to the Sacramento Food Bank is waived by bringing in a canned good. Upon entry, spectators will get a raffle ticket to win one of a number of prizes, including skim boards.

The full menu from BarWest Burgers & Wings will be available, and a beer garden will be set up for adults. BarWest owner Trevor Shults said a combination plate of three spare ribs, coleslaw and corn on the cobb with a Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown with souvenir glass will be available for $19. Local DJs will provide musical entertainemnt for the event.

Find the event in the parking lot behind BarWest at 28th and J streets.

"Our whole idea when we opened this was to bring the beach to Sacramento," Shults said. "I don't think you can come any closer to oing that than with this."

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Fox & Goose adds Churchill-themed banquet room

2012-07-09T06:38:24Z

A private banquet room modeled after the home of Winston Churchill is the most recent addition to Fox & Goose Public House at 10th and R streets, and owner Allyson Dalton said it has a World War II theme with a modern twist.

“I’d always wanted to do a private banquet room,” she said. “We get lots of requests, and now we have it.”

The room can seat 32 at custom-made white oak tables in large chairs, and it can accommodate 55 people when standing.

Reading lamps give the lighting an intimate feel, which is complemented by wood floors.
While Churchill is best known for his leadership of Great Britain during World War II – and for his signature cigar – Dalton said that there was more to the man than his wartime successes.

“He was a prolific writer and loved champagne,” she said. “He’s not just an interesting war figure, but he had a fascinating rise to power, and he was the quintessential Englishman.”

The theme for the expansion dates back to 2009, when Dalton and her husband were in England and first saw the now-famous “Keep Calm and Carry On” propaganda poster drafted in World War II. A trip to Chartwell, Churchill’s home in Kent, inspired the décor.

“I was fascinated by the lack of opulence,” Dalton said. “It was very lived-in. I loved the feel: It was very English, but not stuffy.”

She said that feel translates perfectly to Fox & Goose, allowing it to be a little more formal than the rest of the restaurant, but still retain some of the pub feel.

The banquet room can be reserved for breakfast, lunch or dinner by calling the Fox & Goose.

A more gritty part of the expansion is the bathroom upgrades, something Dalton said she has wanted to do since the mid-1990s.

The London Underground – the Tube – is the theme for the restrooms, with a large London Underground emblem on the hallway wall and subway tiles in both restrooms.

Each one takes its name from an Underground stop, with the men’s room called King’s Cross and the women’s room called Queen’s Park.

New custom concrete sinks and a large-scale map of the London Underground complete the look.

Marvin Maldonado, of inForm, the firm that designed the expansion, said he is happy with the end product and that the construction followed his firm’s designs to a T.

“It is still a work in progress,” he said. “One of the more authentic parts she’s going to add is that her husband’s grandfather served in the war, so they’re going to bring in some of his things to add that extra touch of authenticity.”

He said working in the 100-year-old warehouse presented unforeseen minor problems, but city representatives were easy to work with.

“The city did a great job helping us through this,” he said. “The city gets a lot of negative press right now, but there are people down there who work hard and really helped us out.”

The restaurant has been in business since the 1970s, serving traditional pub fare from the British isles. Last year, outdoor seating was added, and the space serves as a venue for live music and other community gatherings, such as the lighting of the archway on the R Street corridor.

“I love how the project turned out,” Dalton said. “It’s exactly how I envisioned it.”

Downtown post office's final day before move July 20

2012-07-05T06:26:40Z

The downtown post office’s last day in the federal building at Eighth and I streets will be July 20, after which the post office will be in Westfield Downtown Plaza.

“We’ll be moving and opening up on the 23rd,” said Ralph Petty, marketing manager for the Sacramento District of the U.S. Postal Service. “Our grand opening will be Aug. 6.”

The move has been talked about for some time, and the new location inside Downtown Plaza will allow access to the post office seven days per week, Petty said.

Currently, the federal building in which the downtown post office is housed is only open five days per week, and it closes at 5 p.m.

Petty said the post office lobby – including access to post office boxes – will be open at all times the mall is open, which is 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s a much nicer setting,” Petty said.

There will not be an automated postal center at the new location, but two window clerks will be on staff, and the post office will validate parking.

Staff will be on-hand at the post office from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday. Unlike the current space, customers will not be required to go through a security checkpoint.

The post office will be located on the ground floor of Downtown Plaza on the J Street side across from the Golden 1 Credit Union, according to a Westfield Downtown Plaza representative.

Historian William Burg, in commenting on a previous Sacramento Press story, said the new location is not far from another post office that used to be on the corner of Seventh and K streets, where St. Rose of Lima Park currently is.

The Squeeze Inn goes mobile with a food truck

2012-07-03T23:07:19Z

No stranger to producing food in a small space, Squeeze Inn owner Travis Hausauer rolled out his newest venture recently – The Squeeze Inn Truck.

“Part of it is of course getting in on the food truck craze, but it’s also having the ability to be more involved in the community,” truck owner Ken Bourquin said Tuesday, adding that he has had the truck at fundraiser events for the SPCA and other entities lately.

Currently, the focus is making sure the famous burgers match the quality of the ones served in the various brick-and-mortar locations throughout the region, he said.

“We have a big name and a good reputation, so I want to make sure that we’re doing justice to the history of The Squeeze Inn,” he said.

The truck just got its graphics wrap done, and it features a picture of the original Squeeze Inn location off Fruitridge Road on one side and three diners seated at stools.

Burgers are served with the signature “bubbling cheese skirt” from the truck, and while the equipment on a mobile platform is different, Bourquin said the food comes out the same.

One deviation is that there are currently no french fries being served on the truck, as the fryer can’t keep up with the demand, so chips are served instead, though he said he is looking to rectify the situation, and possible serve onion rings.

Prices are the same as the restaurants, he added, with a burger, chips and a soda running $10.

Don’t expect to see the truck running around Midtown and downtown Sacramento right away, however.

“We’re taking baby steps,” Bourquin said. “Mainly, right now, we’re doing a lot of fundraising and community events. We’re focusing on giving back to the community and not driving around on a route.”

That could change after a while, and Bourquin said his eventual goal is to serve food from the truck to people who can’t make it to a brick-and-mortar location on their lunch breaks.

The best way to get in touch with the truck, he said, is to call 712-3994, or visit The Squeeze Inn’s website.

Originally, The Squeeze Inn was located off Fruitridge and Power Inn roads, and it was successful even before it was featured on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” It has since expanded to Roseville, Galt and earlier this year, to Midtown.

Those interested in the newest way to grab a squeeze with cheese can follow the truck on Twitter, and Bourquin said social media efforts will be stepped up in the near future, allowing people to find out where the truck will be.

“We’re really excited, and we’re looking forward to being able to serve more customers,” he said. “We’ve been very blessed with the way Sacramento has received us.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Tako Korean BBQ coming to historic gas station on Alhambra

2012-07-03T00:06:53Z

The old gas station on the corner of Alhambra Boulevard and T Street is scheduled to open next week as Tako Korean BBQ, selling tacos and burritos with a Korean flair.

“It’s really big in L.A., and we wanted to bring the concept up here,” co-owner Alex Won said Monday. “We’ll have beef, pork and chicken with a Korean sauce and slaw on tortillas.”

The concept is similar to GoGi’s Korean Barbecue, which opened inside Cafeteria 15L last year.

Details are still being finalized, but the tacos and burritos will likely be sold in combo plates with rice, and salads will be available. Won said diners should expect to pay between $6 and $8 for lunch.

Also planned for the space is a selection of Korean beers and soju, a Korean liquor that tastes similar to vodka but is about 20 percent alcohol, Won said.

He said the business will pay homage to the building’s historical use as a gas station, retaining the same look from the outside, albeit with patio tables and umbrellas, and using a retro-themed logo meant to recall the gas station signs from half a century ago.

Co-owner Yoon Cho said the name Tako is a play on the words taco and Korean. She formerly owned Yunece 61, a Memphis-style barbecue restaurant.

“There, the location was not as good,” she said. “Everybody said they liked the food, but here we have a much better location.”

Currently Sacramentans, the owners moved to the area from Seoul, South Korea, in 1986.

She said the changes in restaurants farther up on Alhambra Boulevard, with both Lyons and Eppie’s being replaced in the past month, will likely equate to increased traffic at night, and she hopes to benefit.

“To start with, we will probably be open from 10:30 (a.m.) to 10 (p.m.), but if people want to come in later, we will stay open late – maybe 3 in the morning,” she said.

The restaurant is contained in the building at the former gas station, and indoor seating is limited to a few tables, but patio seating, takeout and catering options are planned to make up for the smaller interior space.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Bay Miry of D&S Developments, which has owned the property for eight or nine years. “I have a really good feeling about them. I know their food is good, and if they execute it well, they will be very successful.”

Miry said his firm initially wanted to put in another gas station, but neighbors opposed the idea, and a four-story residential building was then planned. When the economy went downhill and getting funds became difficult, the project was scrapped.

“We thought, why don’t we try to find a good operator to open a unique and exciting concept?” he said. “We went to their house, and they gave us all kinds of different things they want to potentially offer there. Their food is unbelievable. I think it’s going to be a hit.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Revolution Wines expanding food menu in Midtown

2012-07-02T06:41:47Z

Revolution Wines is stepping up its game when it comes to food, adding Executive Chef Darren Thompson to the staff and rolling out larger portions of food, with an eye to expanding the kitchen within the year.

“Instead of just small plates, we’re going to be doing more entrée-size portions,” Thompson said.

Last week, Thompson introduced several sandwiches, which are the initial phases of the refocus on food.

“Right now, our capabilities are kind of limited,” he said. “We have plans to put in a hood and a stove and that kind of thing. When we get that up and running, we’ll have more entrées.”

Current favorites such as the cheese pairings and bruschetta won’t be going away, but owner Gina Genshlea said she wanted to redesign the menu and add more protein in items that pair well with red wine.

One of the sandwiches debuted last week was a deconstructed French dip, Thompson said.

“It’s a big piece of chuck roasted with herbs and anchovies and oliye oil and sliced real thin,” he said, adding that he served the sandwich on grilled Italian bread and soaked it in a house-made au jus. The sandwich is served with a green salad and capers.

Unlike a traditional French dip, Thompson said, where the diner dips it into au jus, this one comes ready to eat, but is more conducive to being eaten with a fork.

Another open-face sandwich is made with Idaho trout flown in fresh and smoked at Revolution Wines. It includes Meyer lemons, herbs and whipped cream cheese on a baguette and is also served with capers and green salad.

A barbecue brisket smoked for 10 hours will be served on mini ciabatta rolls with coleslaw and house-made barbecue sauce, and Thompson said there will be more options available as he tweaks the menu.

“We’ve been planning to do this,” Genshlea said. “Our chef before moved out of town to be with her boyfriend, and so when we interviewed, as soon as we met Darren, he was our top contender.”

Thompson’s experience includes Sacramento establishments Ella Dining Room & Bar, Selland’s Market-Cafe, Kupros Bistro and Lounge on 20, as well as a sushi restaurant in Auburn. The sushi experience, he said, will allow him to bring in some raw dishes in addition to the sandwiches and cooked entrées.

The sandwiches will be in the $12 range and are designed to be a full lunch, Genshlea said, adding that most of what is on the menu ranges from $4 - $18.

“We do have a small plates menu,” she said. “It’s lots of cheeses, beet salad with goat cheese and bruschetta with triple-cream brie melted with sea salt and local honey.”

Revolution Wines is located at 2831 S St. in Midtown.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Pour House details emerging, opening in one month

2012-06-29T00:29:36Z

Pour House will open by the end of next month or early August, operator Trevor Shults said Thursday, adding that the 32 beer taps will feature only craft brews, while whiskeys and bourbons will play a central role in the business’ appeal.

“It’s tough to turn the big guys down, but we wont have Coors Light or Bud Light or any of those on draft,” Shults said, adding that he wants to stock local brews such as Ruhstaller, and some up-and-coming beers from the region, with one in particular from Lincoln.

“We hope to be the first to bring Hoptologist Double IPA from Knee Deep Brewing,” Shults said, adding that it recently beat Pliny the Elder in a tasting contest.

By the time bottled brews are factored in, Shults said he hopes to stock around 100 different beers.

It’s been widely reported that four of the booths in the business, located at 1910 Q St. in the old Whiskey Wild building, will have taps at the tables, and Shults said each table will feature two beers and a whiskey on draft, and the beers will be rotated.

Each of the booths will have an iPad set into a table and covered with Plexiglas to show diners how much they've drank, and how much more they can have.

The table serve system is Alcoholic Beverage Control-approved, and limits the service to two beers or two shots of alcohol per drinker similar to the way gas pumps regulate fuel flow, Shults said.

After the limit is reached, a server must go by to reset the system, ensuring no one is being served too much.

“It’s more regulated than pitchers of beer,” Shults said.

The exposed, low-wattage lightbulbs, exposed brick walls and soon-to-be-hung Steampunk-style artwork by local artist Terry Flanigan are complemented by scrap-wood paneling behind the bar and a custom back bar with lockers that can be rented for alcohol storage.

Only two TVs will be installed, with one for the front bar and one for the back bar.

“This is in no way another BarWest,” Shults said, referencing his establishment on J Street.

Another facet of the business is the inclusion of food from popular food truck Coast to Coast Sandwiches.

When co-owner Robert Ramos started the food truck, he said his original goal was to open a brick-and-mortar store, but unable to secure a loan, he went the food truck route.

Now it’s come full circle.

“This is the perfect marriage of two really good ideas,” Ramos said.

All of the food from Coast to Coast Sandwiches will be available at Pour House, and the kitchen will allow him to prepare food that wouldn’t be possible on a mobile platform.

“We got a huge barbecue, and now we can do some things like a Texas brisket,” he said, adding that a Carolina pulled-pork sandwich will also be featured.

Prices for beers will range from about $4 - $10, and Ramos said the prices for food will be close to those of the food truck at lunch, but in line with the amount of food served.

The business will employ about 45 people, and it can seat approximately 150.

Shults said part of the business will revolve around pairing alcohol with food, and there will be a Whiskey 101 class periodically for about 25 people at the back bar.

“We also want to do something for when the trains come by,” Shults said, noting that the train tracks run beside the business. “When a train goes by and the building shakes, we’ll do $2 shots of Jack.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Council Tuesday: Gun shop law

2012-06-26T00:10:33Z

Gun stores are targeted in a new ordinance City Councilmen Kevin McCarty and Rob Fong plan to introduce at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, McCarty said last week.

The ordinance would require any new gun stores to go through a permitting process with the city – similar to a recently passed ordinance governing tobacco stores located within 1,000 feet of schools.

Any gun store located anywhere within the city would be subject to the new ordinance, McCarty said, but the ones already in business wouldn’t be affected, including M&J Gun Trade, which is scheduled to go into the old Cornerstone space at 2330 J St. as early as this week.

Critics of the ordinance say it undermines the Second Amendment, and proponents say that it lets neighborhoods have oversight into the kind of businesses that can go in near them.

Jesus Figueroa, one of the licensees of M&J Gun Trade, said his shop will largely stock collectible and relic firearms, as he handles estate sales and other antiques, and the federal firearms license issued to him is a necessary part of transferring the guns.

Before the ordinance can become a law, it will need to be researched by city staff, then pass through the City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee before coming to the full City Council for a vote.

McCarty was also the author of two 2007 firearms ordinances. One of them requires gun owners to report any lost or stolen guns to authorities within 48 hours, and the other requires a thumbprint and identification for registration of ammunition.

Read The Sacramento Press’ full article on the gun shop ordinance here.

'Cash mob' to benefit local bookstore on Saturday

2012-06-22T00:12:53Z

As independent bookstores feel the crunch from the economy and the rise of digital sales, bibliophiles are looking at new ways to keep the businesses alive, and one of those ideas is a “cash mob,” which will converge on Underground Books in Oak Park this weekend.

The idea of the cash mob is that a group of people will descend on the store with the intent to all spend money – a sort of flash mob with the purpose of giving local retailers an economic stimulus.

“It seemed like summer was a good time,” said Mary Ann Robinson, a librarian at Sacramento City College who organized the cash mob. “People are looking for summer reading, and she has a lot of good reading.”

Robinson said she is a fan of Underground Books, and she wanted to do what she could to boost the business’ sales.

Underground Books owner Georgia West – widely known as Mother Rose – said she wasn’t aware of the cash mob until Robinson, whom she’d met only a few times, gave her the heads-up that there would be an influx of customers Saturday evening.

“It’s a tough business,” West said. “It’s a specialty industry, and the economy has really hit us hard.”

She said the store isn’t in immediate danger of closing, but it isn’t riding high, as she is the owner/operator, sometimes aided by interns.

The store will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, and West said she enjoys interacting with the community, but also feels bookstores like hers play an important role in keeping literacy and the joy of reading alive.

Primarily stocking books of African-American interest, she said the store also carries other titles, and any book can be ordered.

West said popular summer reading titles include “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, “Destiny’s Divas” by Victoria Christopher Murray and “Home” by Toni Morrison.

“We want to serve as a place for the community to come and feel at home,” West said, adding that the work of local artists hangs on the store’s walls for sale and customers are welcome to come for the free WiFi and comfortable seating.

The name Underground Books is a reference to the Underground Railroad, as slaves were not allowed to read.

“The shop’s tagline is ‘find your freedom,’ ” West said.

The cash mob will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Robinson said. The store is located at 2814 35th St., next to Old Soul Co. at Forty Acres.

“To me, bookstores are one of the core parts of a community,” Robinson said. “If we don’t have bookstores, we don’t have a community.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

City to ponder new law regulating gun store locations

2012-06-21T22:20:38Z

A new law governing gun shops will be proposed at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, and while proponents say it will give the city a chance to vet gun shops before they open, opponents say it undermines the Second Amendment.

City Councilman Kevin McCarty said he and City Councilman Rob Fong will ask staff to look into an ordinance that would require a conditional use permit for any new gun store within city limits.

The law would not likely affect the incoming gun store at 24th and J streets, but would govern future ones.

“We want reasonable regulations,” McCarty said. “This doesn’t even regulate them. It just regulates where they’re located.”

But Gene Hoffman, chairman of the Calguns Foundation, a California-based Second Amendment advocacy group, said it walks a thin line, at best.

“The simple question is can you place a bookstore there?” Hoffman said Thursday. “If you can place a bookstore there, you can place a gun store there. Otherwise it’s a violation of the Second Amendment.”

He added that banning a gun store would be just as much a violation of the Second Amendment as a whites-only diner would be a violation of the equal protections granted under the 14th Amendment.

The proposed law comes after The Sacramento Press reported last week that a new gun store will likely come to the old Cornerstone location at 2330 J St. in Midtown, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued a dealer license to that address.

The site is a block and a half away from where Old Sacramento Armory – another gun store – stood for decades before closing in the mid-2000s.

Currently, the city treats gun stores like any other retail use, and no special city oversight is required before they can open.

McCarty said Wednesday that there are other instances where the city regulates businesses, including requiring conditional use permits for tobacco businesses operating within 1,000 feet of schools – an ordinance the council passed Tuesday night.

“If you’re a Subway sandwich shop, you can lease a building and move in,” McCarty said, “but there are certain things you have to ask permission for.”

He said the future opening of the gun store “raised some people’s eyebrows in the neighborhood,” and that he thinks it’s an issue that bears looking at.

“We’re just looking at a little more hurdles,” he said. “It’s not a flat-out ban. They could still do it, but this would give people the ability to come to public hearings.”

Hoffman said the city, if it eventually enacts the law, needs to make sure that any restrictions need to apply equally to any other businesses that might open in the same space, or risk opening itself up to a lawsuit.

“We will be announcing a lawsuit in the next couple of days in a similar situation in Northern California,” Hoffman said. “The gun store went in for a variance, and it got a variance, but the local board of supervisors overturned it.”

He declined to give details of the situation, but said the lawsuit will be announced within days.

Jesus Figueroa, co-owner of M&J Gun Trade, said he could open as early as next week at 2330 J St., but added that a law like the one being proposed would likely make some prospective gun store owners balk at doing business in a city that already has tight gun store regulations.

"I think people will take their business elsewhere," he said.

Other municipalities have similar laws, and Bill Sharff, co-owner of STS Guns in Folsom, said he had to place his gun store a minimum of 500 feet from residences and 1,000 feet from schools.

“The first place we leased was 480 feet from from a residence, so we had to get another spot,” he said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the Second Amendment. The gun store owner has rights, but you also have to realize you deal with public sentiment also.”

Sharff said the permitting and licensing process to open his gun shop – which opened on Christmas Eve – took him about seven months.

McCarty said the proposed ordinance will join two others from 2007. One requires ammunition sales within city limits to be registered with the buyer’s thumbprint, and the other requires that all lost or stolen firearms be reported to police.

Laws regulating ammunition sales have been upheld by the Supreme Court, McCarty said, and Hoffman said the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has determined that gun shops and shooting ranges are an essential piece to the portion of the Second Amendment that protects the right to bear arms.

McCarty declined to say whether he thinks regulating the location of gun stores will lead to reduced gun violence. ~~, pending the outcome of staff research.~~

[Editor's note: After the article was published, McCarty contacted the Sacramento Press and said his comment regarding staff research was regarding legal issues, not whether gun stores correlate to violence.]

Hoffman pointed to research done by the city of Sunnyvale, Calif., last year that found “there is no correlation between gun-related crimes and the location of firearms sales businesses.”

Hoffman and Sharff both said that gun stores are among the most-regulated businesses in the country, and people selling and purchasing firearms must undergo criminal background checks.

"The types of people who go to gun stores are the law-abiding and cops," Hoffman said. "The last time I checked, hanging out around law-abiding people and cops who are armed isn't what most criminals want to do."

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Gay Men's Chorus to hold benefit concert for Francis House

2012-06-20T17:16:53Z

The Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus is stepping up with a benefit concert June 26 to help the nonprofit homeless support center Francis House fill a $10,000 funding gap that came when the Catholic Church pulled funding earlier this year.

That funding was pulled, according to news reports, because Executive Director Faith Whitmore expressed support for gay marriage rights and Planned Parenthood.

“We decided to put together an event that says we do support the work that Francis House does, and we think Faith is a good leader in this community,” said Mike Tentis, president of the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus. “We’re not outraged. We just want to raise some money and do some good.”

Tentis said the Gay Men’s Chorus will sing a wide variety of songs, including ones the men will sing at an upcoming competition in Colorado, where they will represent Sacramento.

Joining the Gay Men’s Chorus will be the American River Chorus and the Sacramento Women’s Chorus.

“It’s absolutely wonderful that they want to do this concert to benefit Francis House, and we’re grateful,” Whitmore said.

The concert will be held at Pioneer Congregational Church, 2700 L St., and tickets are $35 for reserved seating, $25 for adults and $10 for children. The event will last a little more than an hour, Tentis said.

The nonprofit Francis House has an annual budget of about $650,000, according to a press release.

Whitmore told The Sacramento Press that on the last Saturday of every month during the summer, Francis House will host children’s days with barbecues and games from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

“We’re going to have bounce houses and crafts and games,” she said. “My heart always goes out to the kids.”

In addition to children’s services, the organization also gives emergency housing, transportation, job counseling and other services to 25,000 to 30,000 low-income earners every year, according to the release.

Drive-thru, gun store, restaurant, pool discussed on 'Insight'

2012-06-20T05:25:55Z

On Tuesday morning’s Capital Public Radio “Insight” program, I discussed a new gun store, a controversy about a McDonald’s drive-thru and other issues with host Beth Ruyak.

The first story we discussed was the opening of a pool in Southside Park. The Southside Park Pool only opened because of a grassroots effort led by the Southside Park Neighborhood Association, which saw a partnership with the city and the YMCA of Superior California.

A joint campaign between the city and Save Mart supermarkets raised $1 million to keep other pools open, but Southside Park Pool was not a part of that effort.

On a more controversial topic, a new gun store is slated to take the spot of the old Cornerstone breakfast place in Midtown. A firearms dealer license was issued last week, and while many residents and local business owners support the shop, others say Midtown isn’t the right place for it. Click to see their comments on the gun store.

Even more controversial than the gun store was the decision on whether a new McDonald’s in Oak Park would get a drive-thru approved. The City Council decided not to allow it, and the show was recorded before the meeting on Tuesday.

The chain restaurant appealed a Planning Commission decision that denied a drive-thru, and residents were looking to keep the drive-thru out of the area, citing nuisance concerns and the fact that it’s across the street from a UC Davis Med Center obesity clinic.

New to the grid is the Lil’ Hopper, an offshoot of the Sactown Hopper run by Allen Transportation. While the Sactown Hopper has been taking people between Sacramento State and the central city for a few months, the Lil’ Hopper starts this week, running a 30-minute circuit of popular restaurants, bars and clubs in the downtown and Midtown core. The $10 ticket is good for both bus routes.

Finally, we discussed the arrival of a new downtown restaurant with a concept similar to Dean and Delucca’s. Trio Restaurant, Bakery and Market is a Mediterranean-themed eatery that will move in to Eighth and J streets. It’s owned by Gönül Blum, who also owns Vanilla Bean Bistro, and it opens July 1.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Train station work will boost Sacramento public transit options

2012-06-20T05:10:52Z

The Sacramento Valley Station at Fifth and I streets got a boost to its renovation with the awarding of a $15 million federal grant, and officials said it’s a key step in bringing an intermodal transit facility to Sacramento that will allow residents easy access throughout the region.

“The intermodal transit facility allows the most effective and efficient use of public transit to happen because you have a single transfer point to get from multiple modes of transportation into our area,” said Dennis Rogers, senior vice president for public policy and economic development for the Metro Chamber of Commerce.

He added that with other transit projects such as the in-progress light rail Green Line construction that will ultimately take passengers to the airport, someone could come from Auburn on heavy rail, then transfer to light rail to go to places in Sacramento, or even to Folsom.

“Also, someone could come from anywhere served by light rail, then jump on heavy rail and head to the Bay Area,” he said.

The $15 million grant is matched by $15 million in local Measure A transportation tax funds. The goal is to finish the design phase by next summer and have the project finished by 2015, Sacramento Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said in an email.

“We don’t view this as something that is a benefit to just the city of Sacramento,” Rogers said. “We view this as an asset to the entire region.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Queen Sheba Ethiopian restaurant a hit on Broadway

2012-06-16T06:39:11Z

Queen Sheba is one of many ethnic restaurants on the Broadway corridor, where diners can sample food from such places as Nepal, China, Japan and beyond.

Vaguely reminiscent of both Indian and Mexican cuisine, the Ethiopian food at Queen Sheba, located at 1704 Broadway, is an authentic taste of owner Zion Taddese’s homeland, she recently told The Sacramento Press.

“I left Ethiopia, and I was in England for 10 years,” the 38-year-old Taddese said. “My aunt had an Ethiopian restaurant in London, and that’s where I learned how to cook and take care of customers.”

Taddese came to the United States in 2001 and opened Queen Sheba about seven years ago. It has been in its Broadway location for the past five years.

I recently met with Taddese to talk about some of the hallmarks of Ethiopian cuisine, and she told me that it’s characterized by a lot of flavorful spices such as garlic and ginger, an abundance of vegetables and meats such as beef and lamb.

While flatware is available at the restaurant, one of the first things diners will notice when they get their food is the side of rolled-up sourdough crepes served with entrées. It’s called injera, and is similar to Indian naan bread in that it’s baked on a grill and is meant to be used to eat the food.

Meals are served family-style, and diners tear off pieces of the bread to scoop up the food from the main plate.

“It’s about getting together and sharing the food,” Taddese said. “Back home, nobody eats by themselves. That’s what we’re trying to reproduce here.”

One of the most popular traditional dishes at Queen Sheba is the kitfo – a minced beef with a medley of spices.

Spices common to Ethiopian dishes include turmeric and paprika.

To showcase the range of Ethiopian foods, Taddese brought out a plate with kitfo, potatoes, lamb, yellow split peas, red lentils, greens and doro wat – chicken served with an egg.

She explained that many first-timers have a tough time getting more than one type of food with per bite while using the bread as a utensil, but once they get the hang of it, they are able to mix and match with ease.

A lunch buffet features vegetarian items, and Taddese said that is one of the restaurant’s most popular offerings.

The sourdough bread contains wheat and the gluten-free grain teff, and those who cannot eat gluten can call a day or two in advance to ensure the bread is baked solely with teff for a full gluten-free meal.

If you’re looking for a taste of Ethiopian cuisine, Taddese said her staff is ready to walk first-timers through the process.

“Most people who come in here want to know about our culture and our history,” Taddese said. “Our staff is ready to explain the food and the culture so they can have the whole experience.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Gun store coming to Midtown

2012-06-14T23:32:20Z

The next tenant for the old Cornerstone space at 2330 J St. could be a gun store, as a federal firearms dealer license was issued for that address Wednesday.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Helen Dunkel said Thursday that the license was issued to Manuel Hernandez and Jesus Figueroa, and the business listed on the license is M&J Gun Trade.

“It’s an 01-type license, so that’s handguns, long guns, and probably accessories and ammunition,” Dunkel said.

Calls to the license holders were not returned Thursday afternoon.

According to Principal Planner Greg Bitter of the city Community Development Department, there is no public hearing process before the store can open.

“Selling firearms is considered retail use and is allowed in the general commercial zone,” Bitter said. “There is no specific land use or entitlement needed. All they would need is building permits for any internal tenant improvements.”

He added that he currently has no specific information on the intended use of the space.

The space previously housed popular Midtown breakfast spot Cornerstone, which moved in 2010.

M&J Gun Trade won’t be far from the site of a previous gun shop, Old Sacramento Armory, which ran for decades a block away at 2215 J St.

Old Sacramento Armory closed in the mid-2000s and was replaced by Capital Stage last year.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Former Brew it Up! owner seeking investment for comeback

2012-06-14T03:22:03Z

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,” Costello said. “We just pushed the finer dining aspect of it too hard.”

Costello said he will not own the next business, Brewhouse Concepts Land & Management, but will be an employee. Any new business will likely be run by a board of directors made up of investors.

The business itself will be markedly different as well. Instead of focusing on a brewery and restaurant concept, Costello said, the plan will be to focus on larger-scale manufacturing of the beers that already have a name in the local market and expand to other parts of the state and region. A tasting room and individual brewing facilities will still be included.

“We have a strong portfolio of beers people like,” Costello said.

Beers that were popular at Brew it Up! and will return if the new business is funded include the Vienna Lager, Oatmeal Stout, Engine 2 Pale Ale, Nordendorf Pilsner and Captain Ron’s Double IPA.

Despite using Brew it Up! recipes and having the name associated with the new business, there is a solid barrier between the two, and Costello said it is too early to say whether existing gift cards, Groupons or the like that were for Brew it Up! will be honored by the new business.

Until money is invested, Costello said, there won’t be serious talks about a location, but somewhere in Sacramento, West Sacramento or Roseville will be a priority.

“It makes sense to start in Sacramento because we already have a market here,” he said. “We’re going to be in a place with lower overhead, and we won’t serve food, initially.”

The setting could be a warehouse or other more industrial space than the downtown corner of 14th and H streets, where Brew it Up! was located, and though there will be a tasting room, food will be handled by outside sources such as food trucks.

“I took what worked, and I focused on that,” Costello said, referencing the new business plan. “Now we’re looking at what else is strong, and we’re focusing there.”

Since the closure of Brew it Up!, local craft beers have become more popular, and breweries such as Track 7 Brewing Co. and Ruhstaller Beer have opened and expanded their operations.

“Hyper-optimistically, if I am able to get the funding by the end of the month, I could open three months from then, so by Oct. 1,” he said.

Sonny Mayugba, executive vice president of the marketing and communications firm Augustine Ideas and a partner at Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar, said he’s seen Costello’s business plan, and he thinks it can be “wildly successful.”

“He learned a lot from failure,” Mayugba said. “He had a pretty good success for years, but he’s learned a lot from the old place and is applying it to the new one.”

Mayugba said he was a fan of Brew it Up!, and he liked the aspect of indvidual brewing.

“I not only used it personally, but it was a great thing for company gifts and employee team-building and things like that,” he said. “I thought it was very cool that you could do that in Sacramento.”

Despite his praise for the private brewing aspect, Mayugba said he thinks it’s secondary to the distribution angle of the new venture.

“The part that has me most excited is the manufacturing aspect,” he said. “Beer is seeing a huge resurgence, especially in craft brews. My thought is to keep it eminently local and really own a small region. He’s not going to come out and be where Sierra Nevada or Lagunitas is right away.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Lil' Hopper: New bus makes bar hopping easy, safe

2012-06-13T06:18:06Z

A new central city hop-on/hop-off bus route begins June 22, and it aims to provide a low-cost shuttle service between restaurants and bars on the weekends, according to owner Laura Allen.

Called the Lil' Hopper, the 27-seat bus will make 30-minute loops throughout downtown and Midtown. It will likely start at 7:15 p.m. and end at 1 a.m.

The scheduled route will begin at 12th and J streets and make stops along J, K and L streets and Capitol Avenue on its loop. Stops include 15th and J, 18th and J, 23rd and J, 24th and K, and 18th and Capitol Avenue.

The Lil' Hopper will run Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are $10 for the night, and they can be purchased from the bus driver.

“People have asked for the new route,” Allen said. “Some people get on downtown, and they don’t want to ride back to Sac State before going to the next stop. This is more of a bus for people who want to hop between different locations on the grid.”

The bus comes from Allen Transportation, the same company that launched the Sactown Hopper in March. The Sactown Hopper transports riders between stops in the central city and the area around the Sacramento State campus, and is also expanding its operation to run Wednesday through Saturday beginning next week. A single ticket allows unlimited rides on both buses.

“We’re trying to keep people safe, let them have fun and make sure they don’t drink and drive,” Allen said.

h/t: Story tip via The Gridizen Facebook page.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

IHOP's arrival continues restaurant shuffle trend

2012-06-12T00:19:12Z

IHOP’s scheduled July 2 opening at 30th and N streets is the most recent case in a trend over the past month that saw chain restaurants taking over the spaces of their competition.

The well-known restaurant will take the space that previously housed Eppie’s once a minor remodel is complete, District Manager Wade Hampton said Monday.

Also scheduled to open across the central city July 2 is Perko’s Café, which is now located in the old Denny’s spot at 925 Third St.

On May 22, Mel’s Diner opened in the former Lyon’s restaurant at 30th and J streets.

IHOP is not deterred by the recent turnover, Hampton said.

“We felt that this location needed a breakfast house, definitely needed IHOP’s presence,” Hampton said. “There’s customers down here we can serve.”

The restaurant will be open 24 hours per day.

“I don’t think this location represents any more challenges than any other location,” he added. “I think those types of trends do come and go. I think some of the older restaurants tend to fall by the wayside and newer brands come in.”

The 3001 N St. location is the only IHOP in the central city.

Via The Gridizen Facebook page.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts shuts down retail

2012-06-11T23:38:02Z

Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts closed its retail space last week, but the business will live on as catering and wedding orders continue to grow.

“It’s a good move, but it’s also sad,” owner Carissa Jones said Monday. “I’ve already had lots of hugs from my customers. It just wasn’t working, and I didn’t want to lose the rest of the business.”

She said that weddings are booked through 2013, but there were days when the labor costs of being open to the public outpaced revenues. The shop focused on European-style desserts with an American twist, which included cookies, house-made pop-tarts and other pastries, cakes and pies.

The dessert shop opened in January of 2011 with a variety of secondhand baking equipment as Jones, whose previous experience is in catering, fulfilled her childhood dream.

According to the Cowtown Eats blog, Sacramento Magazine named the bakery “Best New Bakery” in 2011, and it recently grabbed a “Best of the City” title in Sactown Magazine.

The wholesale side of the business is growing as well, Jones said, adding that her desserts are stocked at Shady Lady Saloon and Midtown Village Cafe.

Items at Shady Lady Saloon include raspberry lime cheesecake and salted caramel profiteroles.

Jones said she and her staff have not yet set a minimum order requirement for catered goods, but it won’t be possible to call the shop and place individual small orders.

The business will stay in its spot at 12th and F streets, and Jones said the best way to reach the shop is to call 952-5253.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Bike-based ice cream business 'pops' up

2012-06-08T00:34:16Z

Rachel Sprinkle-Strong might just have the perfect name for her bicycle-based ice cream business, Popcycle Creamery.

The 44-year-old Sacramentan recently bought a bicycle from a specialty shop in Portland, which has a freezer mounted on the front, which can hold enough of her artisinal ice cream to fit in more than 200 push-pop containers, and she’s already been hitting local events.

“I’m really going for pushing the envelope with the flavors,” she said.

Flavors include basil with honey and pine nuts, goat cheese and cherry, lavender honey, strawberry balsamic and lemon verbena.

“I try to use seasonal ingredients locally sourced whenever possible,” she said, adding that she uses mint from her garden and other produce from farmers markets.

The idea to do a mobile ice cream business harkens to her first job as a teenager in Ohio, when she helped a local ice cream parlor owner make ice cream. She later worked in ice cream shops and then spent 20 years in corporate communications.

She moved to Sacramento about 13 years ago, but a little more than a year ago, she was laid off from her job at Verizon.

That gave her the time and the motivation to get back to one of her passions.

“I was always into food,” she said. “I was looking at a food truck, but since it’s just me and no partner or investors, I looked at how to start small and turn it into something people will truly enjoy.”

On Wednesday, she catered some of her popsicles to local public relations firm Edelman for an office party.

“We kind of designed our own flavors,” Edelman Receptionist Kim Baker said. “We wanted a tropical theme, and she brought us mai tai, pineapple mojito and banana chocolate macadamia nut.”

The flavors, Baker said, were made without alcohol, and they were very close in taste to the drinks.

“They were great,” she said. “We were all looking at her list of flavors and deciding what we wanted next time.”

During this week’s Second Saturday Art Walk, Sprinkle-Strong will serve from 2 - 6 p.m. at Heart Clothing Boutique, located at 1903 Capitol Ave.

For the time being, Sprinkle-Strong said she is focusing her efforts on deliveries in downtown, Midtown and East Sacramento, with a minimum order requirement of six popsicles, priced at $3.50 each. The popsicles come in at just over 3 ounces of ice cream.

“I’m going to have rotating weekly flavors, but if you want 12 or more, you can pick your flavors from my list if the weekly flavor isn’t your cup of tea,” she said.

Sprinkle-Strong said her two-year plan is to expand into a food truck, with a retail location to follow within a year after that.

She makes the ice cream at a commercial kitchen in the Del Paso area, and she said the freezer on the bicycle is commercially insulated, and she uses dry ice to keep everything cold.

Kicking off the business in the summer was good timing, she added, though she anticipates being able to offer holiday flavors such as pumpkin and cranberry in the colder months.

She is also working with local caterers and wedding planners, and she said she hopes to be able to team up with local restaurants in the near future.

To contact Sprinkle-Strong, visit the Popcycle Creamery website.

“I was giving out samples at the Good Market on Sunday,” she said. “I ran out of my 300-plus samples, so hopefully that’s a good sign.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Trio: a new downtown Sacramento restaurant à la Dean and Deluca

2012-06-05T23:42:09Z

A downtown restaurant opening July 1 will feature not only sit-down and takeout service, but a market with Mediterranean-style food that will take up about 30 percent of the space, adding unique grocery items to an area devoid of grocery stores.

Gönül Blum is putting the final touches on Trio Restaurant, Bakery and Market – a garden-to-table Mediterranean establishment that will take over the 3,600-square-foot space at 826 J St. that formerly housed Table 260.

“The concept is healthy, organic, locally grown food – a garden-to-table concept that is fresh and healthy,” Blum said. “It’s going to be a lot like Dean and Deluca.”

Blum also own’s Vanilla Bean Bistro, which switched spaces with Formoli’s Bistro farther up J Street about a year ago.

Trio, however, won’t be a second location for Vanilla Bean Bistro.

“It will be a much bigger space, and we’ll have huge display cases when you walk in,” Blum said. “My menu is very unique, and I create my own sauces and everything. And the market is something we don’t have at Vanilla Bean Bistro.”

Open for lunch and dinner, Trio will serve sandwiches, soups, full meals and salads.

An open-faced chicken sandwich will be served on focaccia bread with sautéed seasonal vegetables. Blum said it will come with salad or soup.

Another sandwich is the open-faced lamb burger.

“It’s served over bread with organic rice and free-range lamb topped with salad, and we have our own house-made yogurt sauce,” Blum said.

Dinner options will include a chicken dish served with fresh seasonal fruits, mascarpone and cream cheese as well as moussaka, made with an eggplant and three cheeses.

Inspiration for the dishes comes from around the Mediterranean, including France, Jordan and Blum’s homeland, the southern portion of Turkey.

Lunches will run about $10 and higher, with dinner starting at about $20 per person. Takeout sandwiches will likely start at about $7, she said.

Blum is taking a cance on Sunday brunch, which she said she is not sure will be successful in the heart of downtown with the nearby businesses largely closed, but she is going to give it a shot.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. seven days per week.

Sean Kohmescher is the owner of Temple Coffee, which has a coffee bar located around the corner from the new restaurant, and he said he’s happy to see another nearby business come in – and stay open seven days per week.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “We had kind of a surge of a lot of restaurants going out, and now I’m glad to see new businesses opening up downtown.”

He added that few businesses in the area, adjacent to K Street, which is undergoing a sort of Renaissance, are staying open all week, but he hopes the trend continues.

“I hope that people consciously go and support the businesses and know how important it is to support the vibrancy of downtown,” he said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Midtown Thai Basil celebrates 10 years with festival

2012-06-04T06:14:19Z

Thai dancers, boxers and, probably most importantly, street food, will take over the corner of 25th and J streets Saturday as Midtown restaurant Thai Basil celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

Owner Suleka Sun-Lindley said the event will kick off at 9 a.m. as five Buddhist monks make their rounds, collecting food in a time-honored Thai tradition.

“Whenever they have a new business open or an anniversary or something else significant like that, they have the monks come out of the temple – always an odd number – and they take food offerings and give blessings,” Sun-Lindley said.

People visiting the festival will be able to take food from a table and hand it to the monks as they walk around the business.

The same was done a decade ago when Thai Basil opened, and though the monks will finish their blessings at 11 a.m., the festival will continue with a rural-style Thai dance troupe from Berkeley and Thai boxers.

“In Thailand, the boxers must dance before they go into the fight, so you will see that,” Sun-Lindley said.

Traditional Thai jewelry and other items will be on sale at a table alongside the restaurant, and Sun-Lindley said she hopes it will be a good way to showcase Thai culture, which is less-celebrated than some cultures in Sacramento.

“We have Cinco de Mayo and the Greek festival and others, but there aren’t any big Thai events, so people can come and see traditional Thai culture on Saturday,” she said.

A beer garden and Thai barbecue will be held on the restaurant’s back patio, with Thai sausage, spicy pork, grilled chicken and shrimp skewers available for about $5 with rice.

When Thai Basil opened, Midtown was in the beginnings of its ascendance to the popular hive of arts venues, restaurants and bars that make it one of Sacramento’s most popular destinations today.

“Midtown has come a long way,” Sun-Lindley said. “We came in at the right time.”

Other Thai Basil restaurants were opened earlier, with the Roseville location in its 16th year and the Elk Grove location in its 13th year, but Sun-Lindley said she enjoys riding her bicycle to work at the Midtown restaurant and being a part of the community.

“We have seen some kids coming here and really watched them grow up,” she said. “Everybody down here knows each other, and it has a small-town feel.”

One of the restaurant’s longtime customers is 55-year-old Sacramento resident Mike Smith, who said he discovered it after moving from the Bay Area about seven years ago.

“It’s a wonderful place to eat,” he said. “Every time I go in there and try something new, it becomes my favorite dish.”

He said his apartment is a block away, and he eats at the restaurant regularly.

The business has also seen its share of vandalism, with black paint thrown on the door, and a statue stolen from the back patio on two different occasions, but Sun-Lindley said the rapport she has build with customers is one of the joys of the job.

Sacramento Wine and Dine Week is currently under way, and Thai Basil made a special dish for the occasion, which will still be on offer during the 10-year anniversary: spicy eggplant with organic tofu in a green peppercorn and wild ginger sauce served with rice.

“We just want people to come down, have a low-key event and experience Thai culture,” Sun-Lindley said.

Thai Basil is located at 2431 J St.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Never Felt Better Vegan Shop to close

2012-05-30T23:40:23Z

Never Felt Better Vegan shop will shut its doors Thursday, ending a nearly seven-month run at its 19th and P streets location.

“We’re going to go ahead and close down,” co-owner Jen Fosnight said Wednesday. “To be honest, we’ve been struggling to pay – it’s a great deal, and it’s not too much rent – but business has just been slow.”

The shop focused on vegan retail items such as clothing, non-leather wallets, art produced by vegans and soaps, and also carried some food.

“We’ve tried a bunch of things, but it was either lose this or lose the house,” Fosnight said. She added that the products will still be available online at the Never Felt Better Vegan Shop website.

Vegan options at numerous restaurants in the area are growing, Fosnight said, adding that if the business had just sold vegan food, it probably would have succeeded.

In the future, she added, the business might relocate in the East Bay.

The business will be open from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday for its final day of business.

For more information on the business concept, read a previous piece by The Sacramento Press.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Carmichael Dave: I’m coming back

2012-05-30T22:36:01Z

Sacramento hasn’t heard the last of “Carmichael Dave” Weiglein.

The 36-year-old radio personality and self-described stay-at-home dad took a moment for a phone interview with The Sacramento Press Wednesday afternoon. He’d just put his two kids down for naps and said he recently attended a preschool graduation.

But that’s not all he’s been up to. Since being fired from KHTK 1140 The Fan, Weiglein has been plotting his next move. He’s not going away, and he wants to make sure his former employers know about it.

“CBS Radio made a catastrophic error in letting me go, and one of my biggest motivations is to make sure that statement rings true for many years,” Weiglein said. “I want them, if it hasn’t already happened, to sit in a smoky back room with papers and figures and say, ‘We really fucked this thing up.’ ”

He may not like the way he left, but Weiglein says that being fired for the first time in his life did not take away his “deep appreciation” for CBS Radio. They gave him his chance, saw his talent and allowed him, a guy who was once just a teenager calling in to a show, to become being a fixture of the Sacramento sports talk scene.

It’s just that he’s not about to stop there.

“Nobody who knows me can expect me not to fight,” he said. “Whether it was sweeping the floors as an intern or the last year with the Sacramento Kings going forward and trying to work with this community, the last thing anyone can expect is for me to slip away.”

Weiglein said he has “been in a bunker these past three weeks” working on his next project. He is staying tight-lipped, but there were some details he was willing to share.

The content will be on a medium that is accessible to everyone, and it will still be in the form of radio (This sounds an awful lot like a podcast and/or streaming Internet radio to us, but Weiglein wouldn’t say if that was the case.l). Soon, he said, his website carmichaeldave.com – currently a shell site used as a placeholder – will become a countdown clock.

[ Update: After this article was posted, Weiglein wrote the following on his Twitter account Wednesday afternoon, "So in a roundabout way, my FIRST announcement is this: Sean and Dave Unfiltered. Coming soon. Very soon."
The "Sean" in the equation refers to Sean Salisbury, whose Twitter handle, Sean Unfiltered, lists him as a former University of Southern California quarterback and TV/radio sports analyst.]

Content for his new venture will be similar to what his fans are used to, Weiglein said

“The content is going to be me-related,” he said, “and with me comes the Kings. Obviously I’m a fan first and foremost, but I will finally be able to go at the Kings predicament from an angle that has not been available to me in the past.”

Weiglein said the show will be the equivalent of him sitting at a sports bar, having a pint and talking about whatever strikes him – be it sports talk or the more off-topic chats regularly held in sports bars.

“There will be no handcuffs on me anymore,” he said. “I won’t be dealing with some of the hurdles I had to deal with in the past.”
And that leads to the question that has been on his fans’ minds for the past three weeks: What, exactly, happened?
He confirmed that he was terminated from CBS Radio, and he said he still doesn’t know why.

“I will never be able to tell the whole story of everything that happened,” he said. “There’s rules, and I will always be governed by them due to agreements I have with CBS, but most importantly because I do not know. I swear on my kids I’m not sitting here with knowledge as to why I was let go.”

He said his termination caught him off guard, and still doesn’t make sense to him. He added that it was not a money issue, and his contract with CBS Radio ran through July of 2013.

“The numbers for the show were fantastic, and I thought I was a pretty decent part of that,” he said.

Calls for comment to 1140 The Fan were not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon, and previous calls for comment to the station were not returned.

Some of Weiglein’s fans suspected from the moment of his termination that it might have had to do with the fact that one of the station’s partners is the Sacramento Kings organization.

“When I worked for CBS Radio, understand that CBS Radio’s biggest partner is the Sacramento Kings,” he said. “There’s not censorship. We’re not directed to say certain things, but there was an understanding that we were partners with the Sacramento Kings. I also have fantastic relationships with the kings. I heard directly from ownership, including George Maloof, (and) from many other high-up people that they appreciated me.”

He said his new project will not be designed to “kill the Kings,” but will allow him to approach some topics he previously wasn’t able to.
“Some of the roads I wasn’t able to travel before are roads I can travel now,” he said. “Those are roads I think are relevant, and they weren’t in the arsenal I had in the past.”

A spokesman for the Kings did not immediately return calls for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

For his own part, Weiglein said he has no regrets.

“I want to say it was a good thing not just for me, but for the members of the community that have been so fantastic in following me,” he said. “I am forever indebted to them, and they protested loudly. Their protests won’t be in vain.”

Editor's note: This article was updated at 5 p.m. May 30 to reflect the information from Twitter.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Chef Oliver Ridgeway of Grange talks about his roots – and guilty pleasure

2012-05-29T03:59:10Z

Executive Chef Oliver Ridgeway came to Sacramento last year and began working for Grange, the restaurant in the ground floor of the Citizen Hotel at 10th and J streets, when former chef Michael Tuohy left.

The Sacramento Press met with Ridgeway, 35, last week to talk about his cooking experience, what he enjoys most and what his take on Sacramento is after spending much of his career in international cuisine.

Sacramento Press: How did you get your start in the business?

Oliver Ridgeway: My father had a restaurant in Sussex, England, where I was born. It’s near the coastal city of Brighton. My parents were divorced – always have been since I’ve known – and that meant weekends with my father working in the restaurant. I was always around, and it was just a natural progression, really. I’ve always enjoyed the environment and the buzz and the excitement around it.

It’s something I went to school for after high school, and I’m still doing it.

SP: When did you come to the United States?

OR: Originally in 2001 I did a short stint in New Orleans for six or seven months, and then I went over to Park City, Utah, in 2002 and did the Winter (Olympic) Games. I’d previously done the summer games in Australia.

It was mainly VIP sponsors for the performers in the opening ceremonies, like private dinner boxes, and that sort of thing.

SP: How did you become involved with the Olympics?

OR: I flew to Australia in 2000 and ended up seeing an old friend I’d worked with back in ’98 on the Queen Elizabeth II, and he had a gig at the stadium, and he got me some part-time work. They said, “Look, we’ve got the Olympics here in September, why don’t you come back?”

It was really top-notch equipment, and money was no object on the food. The luxury box holders were people like Rupert Murdoch and Deutsch Bank, and you never knew if they would be entertaining, so you could have people come in out of the blue.

SP: If you had to cook one dish that you think of as your absolute favorite, what would it be?

OR: I like to cook a good bouillabaisse, a good seafood dish. It’s a Provencal dish. I like the delicacy of the broth and how you’ve got different shellfish and seafood elements, and when they’re all cooked in harmony, you’ve got a really good dish. It comes across as like a peasant’s dish, but really, not really.

We don’t serve it here, but I definitely recognize some of the flavors in what we do.

SP: What do you enjoy about cooking in Sacramento?

OR: I enjoy cooking with seafood and a lot of vegetables. They’re really in abundance here.

SP: More common than in Sussex?

OR: Yeah, I think England produces a lot of vegetables, but I think the climate here in Northern California, you know we’ve got asparagus coming out the back door, and everything is in proximity.

If you go to a market on Sundays, it’s all grown here: strawberries, blueberries, cherries, summer squash is in now – green beans. It’s all from here. It’s not imported, and at Grange, that’s what it’s all about, but it’s really not hard to cook local because everything is from here.

SP: Since coming to Grange, how would you say your cooking has changed?

OR: We are a local sustainable farm-driven restaurant, and I think I have stayed true to that and brought some of my global flair. You use ingredients, but you make sure not to mask them. I definitely recognize things from the Mediterranean and my time in New Orleans and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

SP: What do you enjoy cooking most here?

OR: I really enjoy spring, after a long winter just seeing all the vibrant ingredients coming out, sort of the pan searing with olive oil and really lightening things up a bit.

SP: What is an aspect of your job that people don’t know about or aren’t familiar with?

OR: In today’s job, you’re the forefront of your kitchen, and you’re almost an ambassador for your business, so you come out and talk to the guests and let them speak to the chef and let them understand why we’re doing something we’re doing, and it goes a long way to really making sure they have a great evening. It kind of puts the icing on the cake.

SP: How has the advent of Yelp changed the business?

OR: Well, everybody’s a food critic, and like it or not, they all have their opinions. Sometimes you do have criticisms where they might have a valid point, but we’ve been really fortunate where we’ve hit some good home runs, but there’s no filter, and I think it is great to have an opinion. Love it or hate it, it’s not going to go away. We use it as an active tool, and we will respond to them and always look into something. You have to learn from it. You can’t have a negative attitude about it.

SP: Is there anything you look forward to with summer cooking?

OR: Tomatoes. I can’t wait to work with tomatoes, and we’ve got the stone fruits coming out – the peaches and nectarines – and I’ll probably be doing some raw preparations with fish, crudos and ceviches.

SP: What is your guilty pleasure food?

OR: If I’m going to be dirty, and I suppose it really doesn’t have to be dirty, but pizza is mine. I like a good wood-burning oven, Italian pizza, just a margherita with mozzarella and fresh basil, just a simple, delicious pizza.

SP: Where would you like to see Grange go from here?

OR: Just to really have it be a destination where people go when they visit Sacramento. I want it to be a must-go-to restaurant because we’re celebrating the foods of Sacramento, and everything we cook is from here. It’s innovative, it’s fun.

SP: What do you like most about Sacramento, from a livability aspect?

OR: I’m still discovering it. It’s got so many little pockets. My first impression was of downtown, and then you walk five minutes and you’re in Midtown and it’s cool and funky, and you’ve got those little cafes. I like the diversity of the city, and you’ve got so much to discover here. Then, as you go farther out, you’ve got Napa and Sonoma and Tahoe and Yosemite and San Francisco and all sorts of places like that.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Grid Quiz: How well do you know bars on the grid? Win $20

2012-05-26T03:30:49Z

How well do you know bars on the grid? If you’ve gone out to have a beer, you’ve probably spent some time eyeing the beer taps at various bars, but will you recognize them again?

The Sacramento Press took some shots of downtown and Midtown bar beer taps. Can you identify them? If so, you could win $20 in cash.

Last week, we had 28 people respond to our restaurant quiz, and seven people got perfect scores. One winner was drawn to receive a $20 gift card to de Vere’s Irish Pub.

The drawing can be viewed here.

Do you have what it takes to win this week’s quiz?

Entries will be accepted as comments on this article, and the deadline to enter is midnight on Tuesday, May 29. Those with the highest scores will be entered into a raffle, and one $20 prize will be awarded.

Question 1: Whose taps are these?

A. Pine Cove

B. BarWest Burgers & Wings

C. Crescent Club

D. The Distillery

Question 2: Whose taps are these?

A. The Golden Bear

B. Alley Katz

C. Torch Club

D. Old Ironsides

Question 3: Whose taps are these?

A. Mercantile Saloon

B. Bonn Lair

C. The Other Office

D. Press Club

Question 4: Whose taps are these?

A. Ink Eats & Drinks

B. R15

C. Shady Lady Saloon

D. Cafeteria 15LQuestion 5: Whose taps are these?

A. KBar

B. Dive Bar

C. Shenanigans

D. Pre-Flite Lounge

Question 6: Whose taps are these?

A. Firestone Public House

B. Capitol Garage

C. Badlands

D. Bows & Arrows

Question 7: Whose taps are these?

A. MVP Sports Grill

B. Flame Club

C. Round Corner Tavern

D. Streets of London

Question 8: Whose taps are these?

A. De Vere's Irish Pub

B. The Elixer Bar

C. Fox and Goose Public House

D. Back Door Lounge

Surf's up in Elk Grove with Surf Xtreme

2012-05-25T00:10:45Z

If you’ve ever wanted to try surfing, but fears sharks and sunburns or just don’t have the time to drive to Santa Cruz , you can head to Elk Grove to try out the Flowrider, the indoor surfing wave at new business called Surf Xtreme.

Darla Parvizyar and her husband, Chris, opened Surf Xtreme at 3443 Laguna Blvd. May 1. In addition to the Flowrider, the complex also houses a 2,400-square-foot trampoline room, an outdoor paintball arena and a beer and wine bar.

“We wanted something that was fun for all ages,” Darla Parvizyar said. “We love kids, and we love making people happy.”

She said that the business was previously open and run by another owner, but issues with the humidity generated by the Flowrider were a drain on his pocketbook, and he had to shut down.

Chris Parvizyar said he and Darla enclosed the Flowrider and made other changes before reopening.

“The community was very upset when it closed a couple of years ago,” he said. “It’s one of only three in California.”

Using two large pumps set in a 10-foot-deep pool under the surface of the surfing area, the Flowrider sends water about two inches deep at 35 miles per hour. The surface is similar to a trampoline so that when people fall, they are not injured.

When the business is less crowded, riders have the surface to themselves, but on crowded days, the wave area is split to allow two riders at once.

All surfers are given instruction on how to stand up and what positions are good for surfing, and they are recommended to try bodyboarding – laying down – before standing and surfing.

“We make sure everyone has a good time,” Chris Parvizyar said. “I don’t want anyone to come here and do nothing but fall down all day.”

Riders are limited to 45 seconds on the wave at a time, but Chris Parvizyar said that most people can’t stay standing that long.

“If you’re on there for 30 seconds, it feels like you’ve been out there for several minutes,” he said. “It’s really a workout.”

The time limitation keeps the riders rotating through the lines quickly, and the maximum capacity for the room is 30 riders, so the wait is short, Darla Parvizyar said.

Angela Perry, executive director of both the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Elk Grove Economic Development Corporation, said Tuesday that Surf Xtreme brings much-needed family entertainment to the city and is a complement to the nearby bowling alley.

“We’re thrilled to have another new company bringing jobs to our community, and it’s always helpful to have something unique in our city to bring people from outside areas in,” she said. “We’re thrilled to have it back in operation.”

One hour of surfing for adults costs $19.95 for non-members and $17.95 for members, with subsequent hours costing $12.95 and $9.95, respectively. An all-day pass on the trampoline area costs $9.95, and a day of paintball costs $19.95, which includes mask, gun, 250 paintballs and air refills.

“If you’re good at surfing, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be good on the Flowrider,” Darla Parvizyar said. “It gives the illusion of surfing with the ride feel of snowboarding and the tricks of skateboarding.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Downtown Denny's closes, will become Perkos Café

2012-05-23T22:20:26Z

The downtown Denny’s location closed about two weeks ago, and now the local owners of several Perkos Cafés are refurbishing the space. They plan to open July 2.

Ryan Federico, 27, and his brother, David, 28, were contacted by the property owner when the space became available, Ryan Federico said.

The family owns three others, the one off Bradshaw, one in Antelope and a third in Yuba City.

Perkos Cafe sells diner-style fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including items such as steak and eggs, burgers and pork chops. The business has more than 35 locations throughout the state, according to the corporate website.

“It’s a great location,” Ryan Federico said Wednesday of the space at 925 Third St. “It’s a prime area downtown, it’s right by the freeway, and there’s lots of traffic.”

The landlord stipulated that the business not operate 24 hours per day, keeping noise levels down for nearby residents, Ryan Federico said.

The restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. most days and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“We don’t run any of our businesses 24 hours,” he added.

The floorplan will remain the same, but the booths are being redone, and the walls will be repainted, among other details.

Denny’s representatives did not return calls for comment Tuesday and Wednesday.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.