Cowtown Eats - Sacramento's Happy Hours

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Dining: 524 adds up to reliable Mexican dining - With traditional, straightforward recipes, his goal was simple: Feed the Alkali Flat neighborhood by combining the time-honored cooking of Mexico with the preferences of modern Sacramento. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Il Forno Classico: Italian Standby - Tucked into the Gold Centre Lane’s supermarket-anchored brick strip mall, Il Forno lets a diner know precisely what to expect with the banner across its facade: pasta, pollo, pizza, focaccia, risotto, pesce, bistecca, dolce, espresso, vino, martini, birra. Vinoteca is far less gussied-up than the busy interior of Il Forno. There’s coats of arms from Sienna, cross-thatch tan and black upholstery, similarly hued tile work. It’s festive but a bit dark, the two-person booths tight. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

First Bite: Heat - I had a knockout dinner last night at Heat restaurant, which specializes in Japanese fondue (shabu shabu). It's only been open for 10 days, but service was impeccable and the food was spot-on. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

Night Life: Morton's a good value for happy hour - If happy hour is a time to grab cheap food and drinks, you might not think of Morton's The Steakhouse on Capitol Mall. Morton's, known for its upscale dining, has an underappreciated gem in its Power Hour. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

Restaurant News

Your Sacramento Guide: More of the area's best restaurant tables -  A couple of weeks back, I brought up the notion of finding great tables in restaurants around the region. Not simply great rooms, though there are plenty, but particular tables that stand out for their charm, cozy privacy or engaging views of the street or the restaurant. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

The Press restaurant opens [Tuesday] in midtown Sacramento - David English, former executive chef at Ella Dining Room and Bar, opens The Press [Tuesday] at 4 p.m. at 18th and Capitol. The restaurant will occupy the former space of Dragonfly. With the Press, English has crafted a menu that's inspired by the Mediterranean and emphasizes fresh seasonal ingredients. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Eating Out - Top local chef Mai Pham is expanding her empire again. She has just leased the former Togo's site at Alhambra and Folsom boulevards and plans to open an eatery there, called Star Ginger, featuring flavorful street foods from Southeast Asia. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee. (Second Item)

The Tortilla Takes a Road Trip to Korea - What captured Ms. Lee’s attention was Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go, a retrofitted catering truck that rolled onto the streets of Southern California in November 2008, selling corn tortillas piled with Korean-style barbecued short ribs known as kalbi, garnished with onion, cilantro and a hash of chili-soy-dressed lettuce. John T. Edge in the NY Times.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Dining: Capitol Garage good; with a tune-up, could be great - No other place in town seems to be trying to do as much. With a tighter focus on what it does best, a tweak or two of service and a paring-down of the menu, this place could become an even more appealing treasure. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Cafe Capricho: On a whim - The cafe has a number of things going for it, starting with its name. Capricho  is “whim” or “caprice” in Spanish. Prices are bad-economy-friendly. Scads of joyful little nippers laugh, wander amongst the chairs and, occasionally, listen to their moms and sit still and eat their lunch. As though that weren’t sufficient thumbs up, there’s a friendly industrious staff that often includes one or both of the cafe’s owners and a relaxed atmosphere. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Restaurant News

Your Sacramento Guide: Restaurants play summer waiting game -  We've entered the month of gloom. Not, technically, we as a group. For most of us, it's the sunny middle of summer. Time to play outside and barbecue and travel and go to the fair. That's what we do. What restaurants do from mid-July through August is wait. They wait for people to slow down and, sometimes, for the temperatures to drop enough so folks will want to go out to eat. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.


KCRA sends their intern to try out the exotic state fair food. Video Link.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Bistro Michel: Èlan and energy - Though much is taken, much abides, as old Al Tennyson says. For almost as long as Ulysses was marooned, the space on the northeastern corner of O and 14th streets was Julie Virga’s eponymous Virga’s. Then it became Gaylord, an Indian restaurant. Having scaffolding around the two-story mixed-use structure while its exterior and interior was renovated didn’t exactly boom business, and Gaylord based into the sad netherworld of vanished restaurants. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Dining review: Eccentricities are part of the fun at Casablanca -  This restaurant is not for everyone. Uptight people, stay away. Fussy eaters? Surely you'd rather wait in line at Olive Garden or Chili's. Eccentrics? Only if you don't mind being upstaged. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Restaurant News

Early Taste of new State Fair foods - Looking to channel your inner Anthony Bourdain? The California State Fair has you covered this year. And no, we're not talking about cooking something straight from the petting zoo.  How about deep fried scorpions covered in chocolate, or grilled python kabobs? Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

California State Fair food prices cut 25% - Hoping to increase attendance and jump-start concession sales, officials at the California State Fair have slashed food prices by 25 percent. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Super Unimpressive Restaurant Trends - As a diner I’m pretty uncritical. I let a lot of stuff slide. I don’t give much of a care is service is good, or bad, or horrendous as long as the food is good. There are, however, a few things that drive me f’ing bonkers, and I’ve been running into them a lot lately. In Sac Rag.

L Wine Lounge gains partner, new ventures - The owners of L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen, 1801 L St., in Sacramento are teeing off a new business partnership, franchise concept and cookbooks. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Franks for the memories - Sacramentan John Koogle says he had 35 good years in the construction business. The past two? "Not so fun," he says. So Koogle and his wife, Suzann, recently scaled back their drywall firm, Interior Partitions Inc., and branched off into a new line of business: selling hot dogs. The couple on Thursday opened a lunch stand at 13th and I streets in downtown Sacramento, selling their basic "BiteMe Dog" and a "Sonoran Dog" (with bacon, pinto beans and cheese on a Mexican bolillo roll). Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee. (Second Item)

Greek restaurant shutters midtown Sacramento location - Greek eatery Daphne's has announced that it's closed its location at 19th and S streets in Sacramento. Niesha Lofing in the Sac Bee.

Five Guys joins Sacramento burger scene - The burger wars in Sacramento are getting another contender for the champion belt with the addition of Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurant, which next week opens its first Sacramento location at 4630 Natomas Blvd. Five Guys is one of the fastest-growing burger chains in the country. Mark Anderson in the Sac Biz Journal, or KCRA reports (video).

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Super Tortas Chilangas “El Abuelo”: Gramps’ way - As testimony to El Abuelo’s authenticity, there isn’t much English spoken by the waitstaff, who sport T-shirts featuring Superman’s “S” logo. The owner’s very pregnant daughter-in-law, however, is an exception. Unfettered from my limited facility with Spanish, recommendations can now be sought. Her favorite is pambaso, as El Abuelo’s name suggests, a Mexico City specialty. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

First Bite: Cafe Capricho -  East Sacramento has a friendly and colorful new family-owned restaurant on Folsom Boulevard, just a hop, skip and a jump from 33rd Street Bistro. Teeny Café Capricho offers a flavorful lineup of homestyle Mexican dishes, which include some not-so-typical selections. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

Restaurant News

Your Sacramento Guide: These tables have location, location, location -  A major date night was coming for one of my buddies. He had an anniversary to plan, so he made a dinner reservation for his favorite table. He even knew its identity: Table 8 at Aioli Bodega Española. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Need a Pinkberry fix? More shops set to open this month - Four more Pinkberry stores are set to open in the next few weeks in the Sacramento region. The area's first Pinkberry shops opened April 9 in the Howe 'Bout Arden shopping center and on April 29 in Laguna. Niesha Lofing in the Sac Bee.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Elk Grove international: One worldly strip mall has it all - Rand McNally says Hanoi, Vietnam, is 2,395 miles from Kabul, Afghanistan. Kabul is 3,806 miles from Manila. Hanoi is 1,088 miles from the Philippine capital. Rand McNally is full of it—and not in a good way. At the Laguna Village Plaza, Kabob Palace is no more than 15 paces from Savory Fried Chicken, which is across the parking lot from Viet Hoa. Besides being a microcosm of the glorious diversity that is California, the three restaurants at Franklin and Laguna boulevards all appear to be family-owned and operated. There’s also a Little Caesars in the mall, but calling that Italian would be like calling Anthony Quinn a Greek. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Counter Culture: Roxie Deli in east Sacramento piles on the quality - The fourth Earl of Sandwich may or may not have invented the concept of his namesake in the 1700s – it's debatable – but Roxie Deli & Grocery has certainly taken it to a new level. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Jim-Denny’s: Bring your appetite! - I loved the menu. It was HUGE, diverse – lots of vegetarian options, lamb, I think maybe seafood was thrown in there, and all very flavorful. We ordered the Bombay appetizer plate which consisted of samosas, pakora and some fried dumpling thing. It was sooo good – flavorful, interesting and not too fried, but still heavy. Don’t know if I would start out a large dinner with heavy apps again. Or maybe I would. Who knows. Cecily Fuller on Sac Foodies.

Build a Burger - Build-your-own burgers are all the rage. But who does ’em best? Here’s the lowdown on four local eateries where custom is king. Cathy Cassinos-Carr in Sac Mag.

Dining Review: Sake House - An edgier restaurant recently took up residence at Fountains, one that aims to attract not only shopping-weary customers but also a late-night crowd. Sake House, which brings a touch of big-city-lounge ambiance to this suburban shopping center, has an interesting provenance: It was created by investors Randy Paragary and Bob Simpson, and the opening menu was crafted by consulting chef Buu “Billy” Ngo of midtown’s Kru and Red Lotus. Day-to-day operations are managed by Mike Rapport, a developer who owns Basic Urban Kitchen + Bar and The Rose Room in Roseville’s historic district. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

The Dollar-Wise Gourmet: Farmers Market Fare - Think the farmers market is just a place for pretty produce? Turns out it also happens to be a hot spot for prepared foods. That’s what we discovered at the Cesar Chavez Plaza farmers market at 10th and J, open Wed-nesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Once you get past the perimeter of produce and enter the inner circle, you’ll find vendors serving a cavalcade of cuisines, from Chinese and Mexican to barbecue and crêpes. It’s almost like a shopping mall food court magically moved to the great outdoors. What’s good, and what’s cheap? Better yet, what’s both good and cheap? My pal J and I recently trolled the market to conduct a little taste test. Here, in order of preference, are our findings. Cathy Cassinos-Carr in Sac Mag.

Restaurant News

Press on the Handle -  Speaking of earlier than expected, The Press, the new restaurant coming from David English, is on track to open ahead of schedule and could be in business by late July. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Tops for ramen - A sign on the wall of Curtis Park's popular Shoki Ramen House says the eatery is expanding – to a "secret" location. But Kathy Ueyama, who owns the place with her husband, Yasushi, is spilling the beans. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

Gastropubs Galore in Sacramento - Jonathan Modrow, co-owner of The Golden Bear in midtown. Modrow set me straight last week after I wrote that Sacramento was about to get its first gastropub. “My partner Kimio Bazett and I have owned The Golden Bear for almost seven years and after our recent remodel have become a gastropub,” he wrote in response to my blog. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Dining: Occasional imperfections are part of the greatness at Mulvaney's -  You won't find many chicken dinners that cost $26, even at the finest restaurants. Around town, that's the price for lamb and filet mignon. Chicken for dinner is $16 or $18, maybe $22. But $26? Besides, true fine-dining enthusiasts almost never order chicken. So if you select it from Mulvaney's menu, it's only because you trust that it might be chicken as you've never tasted it. You will know the farm from which it hails is as good as it gets, doing right by the animals and the land. Old-fashioned values out in the country, it turns out, translate to superb flavor on the plate. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

House Kitchen & Bar: Mom never made this - House may not be home, but it’s certainly homier than 55 Degrees,  its stark, steel-and-glass Bauhaus predecessor on Capitol Mall. House’s warm shades of brown, with a tan wood wall studded with bright yellow daisies, are inviting. The wall is topped with an enormous sculpted whisk. So inviting is House that lots of folks are dropping by uninvited, filling up the place to 15-minute wait capacity at lunch. A circumstance that no doubt delights the manager, bartender, servers and owner, Chris Nestor. All handle the heavy traffic with aplomb. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review. (See their happy hour here and read my experience about their heavy lunch traffic here.)

Counter Culture: Gatsby's Diner food and style blend classic, contemporary - There's plenty going on at Gatsby's, in addition to the big portions: paper-thin house-made chips from Kennebec potatoes (the hot new variety), with proprietary spice blends on the side. Hand-cut french fries from russets. From-scratch salad dressings, chipotle mayo and soups, and house-cured pickles. Half-pound patties formed from choice ground chuck and laid on burger buns from Grateful Bread bakery. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Review: Bombay Bar and Grill - I loved the menu. It was HUGE, diverse – lots of vegetarian options, lamb, I think maybe seafood was thrown in there, and all very flavorful. We ordered the Bombay appetizer plate which consisted of samosas, pakora and some fried dumpling thing. It was sooo good – flavorful, interesting and not too fried, but still heavy. Don’t know if I would start out a large dinner with heavy apps again. Or maybe I would. Who knows. Ashley Robinson in Girls on the Grid.

Restaurant News

The Good Life: 33rd Street Bistro to celebrate a Sacramento eon in business -  Sometimes, successful restaurants are like good relationships. It's only after they're clicking that you really see why they work. Matt Haines would be the first to tell you they got a little lucky with 33rd Street Bistro, the restaurant and, by now, Sacramento institution he owns with his brother, Fred. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee. (See 33rd St. Bistro's happy hour here.)

Seeking urban cowboys - You might say Andrea Martin is bullish on downtown Sacramento. Today she's opening a new bar and eatery, called Bulls. Bob Shallit in Sac the Sac Bee.

Diners Charged Additional Fee To Eat In Midtown - You may want to look closely at your receipt next time you eat in midtown Sacramento. Some restaurants on the 10 blocks surrounding Sutter's Fort in Sacramento are charging a 1.5 percent assessment fee, which is on top of your sales tax. CBS 13.

The Gastropub Comes to Sacramento - Sacramento is finally about to get its first gastropub. John Gurnee, formerly the chef at Mason’s, is opening one, called Kupro’s, in the old Cheap Thrills space at 1217 21st Street. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag.

Sacramento Locals Get Richer, Snags Win At National Beer Pong Event - What started out as a drinking game has blossomed into a nationwide competition with a $25,000 first prize, all for doing what millions of college kids do when they should be studying. Tuesday night in Atlantic City, Michael Seviert and Byron Findley, of Sacramento, Calif., split the top prize as their team, Drinkin' Smokin' Straight West Coastin', bested all comers. Wayne Parry for the Associated Press.

Food Is the Thrill at Some Bachelor Parties - BY tradition, a bachelor or bachelorette party is a night of Dionysian excess. How that unfolds is a matter of taste. For some, it entails a liberating number of drinks and a close encounter with the taut, spray-tanned skin of an exotic dancer. But for one recently married man and his friends, it meant bottles from a good winemaker to accompany the crispy, golden skin of a roast suckling pig. Oliver Strand in the New York Times.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

Restaurant Reviews

Dining: It's in Plymouth, it's rightfully called Taste -- and it's worth the drive - I rank the new American style of cooking on display here only marginally behind the Kitchen in Sacramento and Ambience in Carmichael, (both restaurants with prix fixe menus with similarly blank-canvas names) and on par with a much-admired spot like the Waterboy. So let the synonyms fly. Dynamic. Smart. Romantic. And yes, expensive. Taste will neither insult your intelligence nor spare your pocketbook. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Red Lotus Kitchen & Bar: Food with flair -  Red Lotus does for dim sum what Kru, further down J Street, does for sushi: Transcends it. Kru is a lot more than a sushi place. And Red Lotus is way more than a dim sum place, although har gow, a sui mai shook up by shiitake and a fon gor-like scallop, and shrimp dumpling in mushroom broth are offered. There’s a connection. Billy Ngo, one of Kru’s owners, is the force behind Red Lotus. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Counter Culture: Smashburger's burgers really are a smash - After mostly demolishing four varieties of half-pound burgers, two kinds of fries and onion strings, I asked my lunch pal if Smashburger had earned his vote. "Oh, yeah, I'd get off a plane (from Washington, D.C.) and come right here," said Dan Lungren. Which is just what he'd done on that particular Saturday.    Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Restaurant News

Night Life: Sacramento's Shady Lady is real deal for cocktail connoisseurs -  The Shady Lady Saloon is a bar suspended in time. From the décor to the music, this midtown establishment mimics the joie de vivre  of post-Prohibiton America with a decidedly modern twist. Shady Lady owners Jason Boggs, Alex Origoni and Garrett Van Vleck want nothing more than to provide their customers with the best. The three men have a long history with the Paragary Restaurant Group. After working at several Paragary-owned restaurants, the next natural step was to pursue their passion and open a place of their own. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

On the food beat - Although Bob Masullo of Masullo Pizza (2711 Riverside Boulevard) works longer and harder hours than most can imagine, he still manages to stay abreast of culinary developments and trends. He was first locally on the black garlic tip, and he recently offered a pizza that was topped with both sambal (an Indonesian chili sauce) and bottarga (cured fish roe). I asked him how he keeps up. Becky Gruenwald in Sac News & Review.


MVP sports bar moves - A longtime restaurateur who once served the likes of Sonny Bono, Meat Loaf and Tim Allen has moved MVP Sports Grill to a new Midtown location. The sports bar opened last week in the St. Anton Building, 2110 L St. Ron Long, the sports bar's legally blind proprietor, had operated MVP at the corner of 17th Street and Capitol Avenue in the state of California's East End Complex for four years. Suzanne Hurt in the Sac Press.

Tacky No More: Making Boxed Wine Look Chic - Mass-produced wine bottles were a great innovation in the 1600s — the heavy glass was easier to cork and easier to ship than clay or stone jugs. But it wasn't until four centuries later that winemakers started experimenting with eco-friendlier packaging in the form of boxed wine. These rectangular juice boxes on steroids not only cost less to ship but also use vacuum-sealed bags to keep vino tasting fresh for up to six weeks after opening. The main drawback to boxed wine? It looks tacky. Sharon Kapnick in Time Magazine.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/