Cowtown Eats - Sacramento's Happy Hours

Dining News: Kupros Bistro, Call Your Office

I'm not a lawyer, and I've never had employees at a small business. I'm sure it's a tough gig. But there are a few things that I've picked up about managing people along the way.

• Personnel matters are confidential.
• Don't talk about somebody's pregnancy or medical conditions.
• Don't air your dirty laundry.

Apparently, the management at Kupros Bistro (where I actually had a delightful happy hour on Monday after work) hasn't learned these lessons yet, reports Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

For followers of Sacramento's restaurant scene, Facebook was abuzz this morning from posts on the page for Kupros Bistro with a serious accusation. The post came from Kupros Bistro itself, saying: "To all those I had the pleasure to meet in the last 2 and a half years: Steve, the owner no longer feels it is appropriate to have a (woman) expecting to work in his establishment so he has let me go. I wish all you wonderful regulars the best and will miss you:)"

Discriminating against a pregnant employee violates the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

The employee in question is a now former bar manager at Kupros and also helped book bands to play at the bistro.

However, Kupros owner Stephen Tokuhama called in with his side of the story. He said the employee wasn't fired, but rather quit this morning on her own volition.

Since his original post, the female employee and a witness to the exchange have both called Macias with more information. Read the entire post in the Sac Bee. (Something tells me that today isn't the end of the story.)

While we're at it, Sac Bee restaurant critic Blair Anthony Robertson lets us in on an exchange with Kupros Bistro's management after he wrote a middling review of the joint.

I had complained that the food was bland and that little on the menu showed any personality or daring. I also lamented that the opening chef, John Gurnee, who made a splash with his edgy menu choices and his excellent cooking skills, had been sent packing. I received an email from Kupros taking me to task for calling and speaking with the manager when he was busy, prior to the review. How unfair of me. Well, I called Temple Coffee today to chat with owner Sean Kohmescher, who, it turns out was busy. Know what he said? "Hey, can I call you back in 45 minutes?" How did he come up with that one?

The Kupros email went on to suggest that John Gurnee was a friend of mine. It also said that in my review I had not considered Gurnee's exorbitant food costs. Hmm, let's see. A) How would I know what his food costs are? B) Why would I care? and C) You guys set the prices on the menu, apparently based in some way on how you can make a profit while providing value to your customers. I think that's how it works. Banished from Kupros, Gurnee is now starring at one of San Francisco's hot restaurants, Wayfare Tavern, where he is executive chef. In the highly competitive Bay Area restaurant scene, food costs are more important than ever. Am I friends with Gurnee? I've never met him. Maybe Kupros should have asked.

Read his entire post in the Sac Bee.

Finally, recall that this isn't the first time that Kupros Bistro has had a run of bad PR. Back in March, they tried to sell a 12 oz glass of a rare Pliny the Younger IPA and a burger for $45. That move angered the brewery.

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Taste Sacramento's best hot toddy tonight and Tuesday at Ten22 - Last week, we brought you the winners of a Hot Toddy contest held at Golden Bear, featuring some of Sacramento's leading and up-and-coming bartenders. Well, now you can taste that winning hot toddy for yourself both tonight and Tuesday at Ten22 in Old Sacramento. The hot toddy comes from Karina Martinez, who was the hands-down winner with her "Mad King Charles" toddy. Its key ingredients include: Buffalo Trace bourbon, Torani Amer liqueur, chamomile citrus tea, and steeped in almond water. She also torched pieces of cinnamon bark for added aromatics. Yes, this was one impeccable hot toddy with its balanced flavors, thoughtful presentation and just enough boozy kick to keep you extra warm on a winter's night. They will cost $9 each. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Buffalo Wild Wings Opens In Natomas - A new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant opened today, Dec. 17 at the Promenade Shopping Center in Natomas. The Natomas Chamber of Commerce was on hand to celebrate the eatery's opening day with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. On Natomas Buzz.

Daily Dining News: Two Divergent Views on The Waterboy

Sac Mag's Kira O'Donnell's pallate and mine usually match up well. If she says a restaurant's good, then I generally like it too. But I have to disagree with her assessment of her recent trip to The Waterboy. Says O'Donnell:

The meal was superb – from the meatball-dotted Italian wedding soup and salt cod croquettes to the firm, moist swordfish, accompanied by roasted root vegetables and asparagus. At the end of the meal, her crusty, warm apple crostata arrived adorned with a birthday candle – a bright and cheery ending to a fabulous evening.

Read her entire review in Sac Mag.

I ate there on Monday night to celebrate our wedding anniversary, a return trip for me after a couple years and the first visit for my wife. We started with the sweetbreads ($14) - which were truly superb. For our entrees, we ordered the fish of the day, swordfish ($28) and the sea scallops ($25). The entrees were well executed, but not spectacular. We ended up spending about $135 for the two of us, including two drinks each, but for that kind of money, the meal should have been memorable and not just very good. To use a basketball analogy, I hoped for a Blake Griffin slam dunk, but I ended up with routine layup. I do want to point out that the service was excellent.

The Waterboy is clearly very successful judging by the fact that they had a full restaurant on a Monday night. Maybe I'm not their target audience, but my meal and experience this week reminds me why I hadn't returned sooner.

Previously: Waterboy owner Rick Mahan and Sac Bee restaurant reviewer Blair Anthony Robertson get in a kerfuffle over Waterboy review in the Sac Bee.

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Dining review: Thir13en could take a chance on greatness - You start off with an idea, a vision. You stake your claim, tell a story through your cooking and, if you want to keep the lights on, you adjust as the weeks turn into months. Sometimes you have to scale back, reconfigure and keep moving in order to remain relevant. But you don't have to sacrifice quality. If that sums up the concept behind Restaurant Thir13en, which opened last year at the Sterling Hotel with dreams of modernist cooking techniques and haute cuisine, it's because those early visions of culinary artistry have not been abandoned, only toned down. The restaurant and its concept are a work in progress. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

The Porch - The Porch appears to have gotten off to a rollicking start. The place is hopping. If you’ve got a hankering for Lowcountry roastedpeanut slaw, skillet cornbread or she-crab soup, it’s worth stopping by. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.