With the Governor Newsom’s closing of bars, wineries, breweries and nightclubs in the state, thousands of Sacramentans who depend on the hospitality industry to pay their bills have had their livelihood abruptly ended. Here are some resources that might help while we wait for the service industry to reopen.

First of all, any employee who loses hours or is laid off due to COVID-19 is immediately eligible for unemployment. Per the state:

If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down operations due to COVID-19, you can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim. UI provides partial wage replacement benefit payments to workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced, through no fault of their own. Workers who are temporarily unemployed due to COVID-19 and expected to return to work with their employer within a few weeks are not required to actively seek work each week. However, they must remain able and available and ready to work during their unemployment for each week of benefits claimed and meet all other eligibility criteria. Eligible individuals can receive benefits that range from $40-$450 per week.

You can apply online at edd.ca.gov.

The state also has a good calculator to figure out how much you’re eligible for. From what I can tell, it’s about half of what you made in the best quarter in the last year, capped at $450 per week. It’s a system that your employer’s already paid into and free to you. If you wait, you can’t go and apply for retroactive benefits, so do it right away to get as much as you can for yourself.

There are also local companies that are looking for workers right now.

All the supermarkets are looking for additional workers to help deal with curbside and delivery orders.

• Nugget
• Raley's
• Safeway

Here are a couple others that I spotted:

• Walmart
• Amazon (Starting pay is $17.05 per hour, through the end of April!)

If you have a lead on jobs or other good resources, let me know and I'll update this post.

* Updated 10:45 p.m. on 3/16/2020

I love eating meat. There's nothing better than the sound of a steak sizzling on a cast iron pan, the smell of a well worn smoker imparting flavor into a brisket, or the satisfaction of finishing a tomahawk rib eye. I can't imagine a scenario (short of a health issue) that would make me quit eating meat.

But too much meat probably isn't good for our health, and definitely isn't good for the environment.

Early attempts to make meat replacements using tofu or other fillers have fallen short. Honestly, if you're going to eat vegetables, why not eat them in their best possible form instead of trying to mimic the flavor, texture and smell of another food?

Recently, Beyond Meat has hit the market, a plant-based burger that claims to look, cook and taste like ground beef. The venture, backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, took seven years to develop the plant-based burger.

So where can you taste the much-hyped burger? The Burger Patch, a one day pop up restaurant on Saturday, May 13, will serve the 100 percent vegan burger.

Phillip and Danea Horn are launching this endeavor, and Phlilip agreed to a Q and A with Cowtown Eats.

Q: Can you tell me about the concept of the Burger Patch?

The Burger Patch is a quick-serve take-out concept serving up 100% plant-based burgers, fries and shakes! These aren't your typical veggie burgers. We're talking thick, juicy patties featuring the new Beyond Meat Beyond Burger. Draped with all the fixins, our special Patch Sauce, melted cheddar and bacon if you please - all plant-based. Our menu is simple with less than 10 items including gluten free options.

Capitol Beer Fest, one of the highlights of Sac Beer Week, is being held this Sunday afternoon at Railyards.

The event features 125 brewers, 15 food trucks and live music, with proceeds going to the Runnin' for Rhett Youth Fitness Program. Click here for a list of the breweries participating along with the beers they plan to bring.

Cowtown Eats readers can win two VIP tickets to the event, a value of $65 each. VIPs can enter the event starting at 12 noon (one hour earlier than those with general admission tickets), along with token-less beer tastings and a collectible glass.

General admission ($40) starts at 1 p.m., and they also receive token-less tastings and a collectible glass.

Loyal Cowtown Eats readers can win a pair of tickets to this Sunday's event.

You can enter three different ways:

• On Twitter: Send the following message on Twitter. "I can't wait to try XXX at @SacBeerWeek_'s @capitolbeerfest on Sun. Get your tix at http://www.capitolbeerfest.com/tickets/ #CowtownEats" Replace the XXX with whatever brewery that you're excited to sample.
• On Facebook: Comment on the Cowtown Eats Facebook Page (preferably, the post that links to this contest) and tell us what brewery you can't wait to try.
• Leave a comment below with which brewery vendor you're excited to sample.

You can enter once per medium. All those who enter via any of these three means will by 9 a.m. on Friday, March 10 will be entered to win the two VIP tickets. A winner will be selected by random drawing. I'll contact you via whatever means you entered to let you know how to claim your tickets.

As for me, I'm looking forward to trying Flatland Brewing Company from Elk Grove. I haven't had a chance to make it out to check them out yet.

For tickets or more information, visit http://www.capitolbeerfest.com/tickets/. Pro Tip: Buy them in advance. Prices go up on Sunday.

* Congrats to @NJPelczar, who won the two VIP tix. Please e-mail [email protected] for details.

Sacramento has a number of top notch restaurants serving ramen, including Shoki, Ryujin and Raijin. I've also heard good things about the ramen at Kyoto on Broadway, though I haven't had the chance to try it myself.

But for one night, these esteemed ramen houses will face a mew competitor -- the Ramen Cart at Hook and Ladder.

For $10, new executive chef Matt Masera will be serving:

1. Kalbi Rib Ramen with grilled broccolini, wood sorrel butter and a six minute egg.
2. Vegetarian Ramen with mixed vegetables.

Both options include a beer.

Service runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on the Hook and Ladder patio. Cash only.

Hook & Ladder is located at 1630 S Street.

One of the best things about traveling is trying regional cuisine. But getting on a plane and spending a weekend in a new city costs lots of money.

A couple years ago, I went to Kansas City for a wedding and was blown away by their BBQ scene, which is probably best known for their sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce on burnt ends.

This Saturday, your taste buds can be transported to Kansas City at Smoke on The River at Miller, a state championship and Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned event. The event will feature a People’s Choice BBQ tasting, People’s Choice for Best Beer and Best Cider, live entertainment and unlimited beer tastings provide by local breweries.

You'll also be eating for a good cause. The event is a fundraiser for Sacramento Artists Council and will raise money for art programs that assist at-risk children, children of homeless families and fund adopt a school art programs for Sacramento Regional Schools.

Don't let the weather discourage you - it'll be 70 degrees on Saturday and isn't likely to rain on Saturday afternoon.

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at SmokeOnTheRiverSac.com.

PizzaRev, short for Pizza Revolution, is offering free pizza from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at its first Sacramento location at 58th & Folsom in East Sac.

All you need to do is Like them on Facebook or follow them on Instagram to save $9.

The Golden 1 Team has spent months hyping the food served at the new arena. It's going to be locally sourced. It has a top notch Executive Chef in Michael Tuohy. They're going to involve local restaurants. But they've always kept quiet about the prices.

Over the weekend, I was one of the 100,000 Sacramentans who got to visit the Golden 1 Center. Here are some quick thoughts about their food.

1. Food Prices: If you've eaten at other sporting venues, you won't be surprised. An entree will cost somewhere between $10 and $15. For example: three tacos from Centro cost $10 at Golden 1. (See a more detailed comparison below.) Even though it's pricey, games won't start until 7:30 p.m., so if you really want, you can grab something before the game and save a few bucks.

Here's a breakdown by restaurant:

2. Drink Prices: This is where they're really looking to make money. Beer cost $13 at most stands, regardless of whether it's a domestic macrobrew or a local craft brewery. I had a Sierra Nevada and a Monkey Knife Fight during my visit. A bottle of water was $5. Honestly, though, I don't blame them . They just spent more than a half billion dollars building the arena. They have to make up their money back one way or another and it's better that they profit off beer than food.

3. Lines for Food: While they deserve a lot of credit for having diverse cuisines to choose from, the stand with by far the longest lines was El Jefe, serving carnitas nachos. While the local restaurants may have bigger names, maybe all people really want at a game is delicious nachos? One person on twitter reported a 45 minute wait for food. While I understand that Saturday was really a soft opening, hopefully they increase the speed at that stand or replace one one of the "Dog House" hot dog stands with another El Jefe.

Want more detail? Check out all the menus after the jump.