Every month, Sac Mag helps me learn a little more about the city I live in. This month, Sac Mag's cover story continues the region's fascination with locally grown/cooked/invented/produced food, highlighting some of the area's well known favorites such as coffee from Old Soul, sweets from Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates and desserts from Kira O'Donnel's Real Pie Company. But they also have a slew of new discoveries. Read the piece in Sac Mag.

Other News:

Review: Crocker Cafe - With this track record of community-mindedness, it seems absolutely right that the Mulvaneys should be ensconced in the Crocker, plating up their earnest, farm-inspired fare and showering diners with local goodwill. The couple’s goal, says Bobbin, is to create great-tasting food that is an extension of the visitor’s visual experience. “They come in and see Thiebaud,” she says, “and beautiful pictures of the Great Valley. Then they stop in at the cafe and try food whose ingredients come right from that valley.” Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

The Dollar-Wise Gourmet: Good Food, Good Cause - The Dollar-Wise Gourmet is the Scrooge of Sacramento magazine, pinching pennies and counting coins. But even Scrooge would give it up for Plates Cafe and Catering, which serves up tasty cuisine at reasonable prices, all for a very good cause. Cathy Cassinos-Carr in Sac Mag.

Bone Marrow Is the New Black - Noticed poutine or pork belly on local menus lately? If not, perhaps you haven’t been eating out much. Just as meatballs and fried chicken were all the rage a year ago, these—and a few others—are dishes you can’t avoid right now. Here are a few local restaurants where you can taste the trends for yourself. Cathy Cassinos-Carr in Sac Mag.

New Downtown Bar Shenanigans Replaces Venue at 7th & J - A new downtown bar and grill is catering to a lunch and dinner crowd while still providing a venue to showcase local music and sports talent. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.

Bye-bye, Babycakes - of Sacramento restaurants. Here’s another one: Babycakes Bakery in East Sac. The J Street cupcake shop, which opened in late 2007, is no longer in business. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag.