Rum Rok Tiki Bar, by Sacramento night club king Bob Simpson, opened over the weekend.

The new bar is scheduled to be open Wednesday through Saturdays until 2 a.m. Most days, Rum Rok opens at 8 p.m., with an early opening on Fridays at 5 p.m.

Rum Rok's cocktail menu reads like a standard tiki bar's menu, featuring Mai Tais for $8 and Mojitos for $7. Most cocktails cost between $7 and $11.

They also feature classic cocktails such as an Old Fashion and French 75, both for $7. Click here to see the entire cocktail menu.

Good Day Sac reporter Cambi Brown Instagrammed a photo of the interior during a visit during their preview weekend.

Rum Rok Tiki Bar is located at 805 15th St., and can be found online at http://www.rumrok.com/.

* Corrected cross street in the title.

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Cielito Lindo Mexican Gastronomy: From the ashes, excellence - Despite the building’s original purpose, this is no fast-food taqueria. Instead, Alarcon and his staff provide exceptional service and vibrant flavors where customers might normally expect less...Don’t let the casual interior confuse you. It belies the fine-dining quality of the service and food. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

New owners maintain tradition at Sacramento’s Fox & Goose - But Berkey and Monson won’t be chasing what’s new to try to keep up. Though they are not Daltons, they are part of the larger Fox & Goose family – especially Monson, who has worked there for 16 years compared with Berkey’s two. “We know who we are,” Monson said. “What makes Fox & Goose so great is people have a special (association): ‘I had my first beer there,’ or ‘I met my wife there.’ ” Monson and Berkey said they plan to make improvements, but in a subtle manner Fox & Goose management always has favored, so as not to startle the natives. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

Update on former Downtown Plaza businesses, plus new Milagro photos - After checking out Downtown Plaza's sad remnants, we couldn't help but wonder about the status of two former tenants: River City Brewing Co. and Spinners bakery. Despite shutting their doors in Downtown Plaza, the businesses found new locations and once planned to open by the end of the year. Actually, both places once expected to open by early September. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Meet the couple behind and in front of Formoli’s Bistro - For its first four years, Formoli was located in a considerably smaller space at 33rd and J Streets, five blocks west from its current location. Then it literally swapped sites with Gonul’s, which featured Mediterranean cuisine. “The thing that I find curious,” Formoli tells me one recent morning in the restaurant, “is that when we were in the smaller space we were more of a destination restaurant. We’re doing very well here but we’ve noticed that most of our customers are from here in East Sac.” Ed Goldman in Sac Biz Journal.

B-Side - Don’t expect to see a cocktail list at B-Side; instead mixed drinks are ordered dive bar-style through word of mouth with the lounge’s expert bartenders. Though the bar itself won’t serve food, B-Side is expecting to host a variety of food trucks every day of the week. In Sactown Mag.

 

Consider yourself invited! We are excited to mark this occasion with the debut of our affogato collaboration with Maiden Ice Cream. Please join us Friday evening for this and more. See you then!

A photo posted by The Mill (@themillsacramento) on Aug 5, 2015 at 3:24pm PDT

Mother & Empress chef Matt Masera will host the first (that I know of) Maiden Sacramento popup on Friday evening as part of The Mill's first anniversary party from 7 to 9 p.m.

 

Today's tasting was a success. Excited for the first #maidensacramento debut at @themillsacramento tomorrow night. @chefthiemann

A video posted by matt masera (@mattmasera) on Aug 6, 2015 at 4:32pm PDT

The video Masera posted on Instagram seems to tease that the menu will be something along the lines of affogato (espresso poured over ice cream), but he didn't elaborate on the menu or prices.

But that's kind of the fun of a popup. Embrace a sense of adventure. Show up, be delighted and enjoy.

Masera has been teasing the idea of a Maiden pop up for more than a year. Back in July 2014, he Instagramed a teaser image of the concept.

 

#maidensacramento @chefthiemann

A photo posted by matt masera (@mattmasera) on Jul 5, 2014 at 6:24pm PDT

The Mill, the host the event, is located at 1827 I St. and can be found online at http://www.themillsacramento.com/.

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Tickets available for Dan Barber in Sacramento - The conversation is guaranteed to generate plenty of food for thought. Dan Barber, author of “The Third Plate” and chef/co-owner of New York’s Blue Hill, will appear in Sacramento on Oct. 6 at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria. The event is free, but pre-registration is required. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Roseville restaurant will offer beer, burgers, wings and ... custard - The owner of a new burger restaurant in Roseville is more than another entrepreneur with a dream. She has a family connection to a prominent casual-dining chain. Tino Phillips plans to open Buck & Sadie's Angus Burgers & Wings at 2030 Douglas Blvd. in November. Her father, Mike Phillips, is a founder of the concept behind BJ's Restaurants Inc., the Huntington Beach-based company that has locations in the Sacramento region and beyond. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Cielito Lindo - After shuttering his doors for over a year, chef-owner Ramiro Alarcon says he feels “blessed and excited” to be back in business, whipping up creative new dishes like Sopa Azteca (a savory tortilla soup) or the Huachinango en Salsa de Frijol y Epazote (a red snapper fillet baked with cilantro and epazote in parchment to seal in the moisture and flavor). The restaurant also added two expanded dining rooms and obtained its alcohol license to now offer a few rotating wines and bottled Mexican beers. In Sactown Magazine.

Adult pleasures: Sacramento ice cream, Ginger Elizabeth - Looking to get all your vices in one place? Look no further than Ginger Elizabeth's “Sacramento” ice cream flavor. Comprising New Helvetia Stout ice cream swirled with Old Soul coffee ice cream, then nuggeted with bits of butter toffee and chocolate-covered ice cream cones, and beribboned with toffee sauce, it's an express bus to hedonism. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

Footwear in, frozen yogurt out - Pinkberry closed last week in Davis Commons. A sign on the entrance to its store at 500 First St., Suite 5, said that as of July 27, “we will no longer be swirling at this store.” It referred customers to other area stores in Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Roseville and Folsom. Wendy Weitzel in the Davis Enterprise.

Cielito Lindo, which was ravaged by fire in April 2014, is scheduled to reopen its doors on Wednesday, June 3.

The building sustained approximately $100,000 in damage, per the Sac Bee's Chris Macias in May 2014, and the owner suspected at the time that the fire was intentionally set. At that time, he expected the rebuilding process would take six months, but as usual, it took longer than estimated.

The owner had previously told the Sac News & Review that the restaurant would reopen in early May, but it turned out to again take longer than expected.

The restaurant originally opened in October 2013.

Cielito Lindo can be found at 3672 J Street, or online at http://cielitolindomexicangastronomy.com/.

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Peppery punch: House bloody mary, Bacon & Butter - Don't think of the bloody mary as just a cocktail, consider it your brunch's vegetable side dish. Bacon & Butter crafts one that's simple but with enough spicy kick to jump-start your weekend. Rachel Keibrock in Sac News & Review.

New concepts being taken for former Sammy Hagar space in Roseville - RCDC executive director Chris Robles said a food service/entertainment use is still most likely for the 10,000-square-foot space. But there’s likely to be a preference this time for someone locally based with a track record of success, such as a popular concept in Sacramento or Folsom. Ben van der Meer in Sac Biz Journal.

Cielito Lindo, which was ravaged by fire in April 2014, is scheduled to reopen its doors in the next week.

The building sustained approximately $100,000 in damage, per the Sac Bee's Chris Macias in May 2014, and the owner suspected at the time that the fire was intentionally set. At that time, he expected the rebuilding process would take six months, but as usual, it took longer than estimated.

Sac News & Review's Janelle Bitker has more on the reopening:

Now, Alarcon plans to reopen Cielito Lindo (3672 J Street) the first week of May: May 7 or 12, he wrote to SN&R with the help of a translator. The bold, complex flavors and upscale flair will remain, but regular customers can look forward to some big changes as well.

“The seating area will be much larger,” Alarcon said. “We’re adding two rooms and changing the colors. Everything is new and right now it is very pretty.”

The change in the interior design of the restaurant is notable because the Sac Bee's then restaurant critic criticized the drab building while praising the cuisine.

The restaurant originally opened in October 2013.

Cielito Lindo can be found at 3672 J Street, or online at http://cielitolindomexicangastronomy.com/.

* Updated headline to make it more accrurate at 8 a.m. on 5/5.

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Picture taken the day of the fire.

Cielito Lindo, which was ravaged by a fire in late April, will reopen in January 2015, reports Cathie Anderson in the Sac Bee.

Ramiro Alarcon, who owns the restaurant with his wife Claudia Alarcon, told me that he has been catering events and teaching cooking classes while waiting for contractors to complete repairs to the building he is renting at 3672 J St. in east Sacramento. Alarcon spoke to me through a translator because he said his English was not yet as good as his Spanish...

Alarcon’s restaurant was open for only seven months before the fire. The cause of the blaze is undetermined, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

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Picture of Cielieto Lindo's fire damage taken the day of the fire.

After the devistating fire that destroyed much of the newish East Sac Restaurant, Cielito Lindo owner Ramiro Alarcon vowed to reopen, with the location dependent on an insurance payout, reports the Sac Bee's Chris Macias.

Initial estimates from his insurance company pencil out damages of approximately $100,000. Alarcon said he expects Cielito Lindo to be closed for a maximum of six months for repairs, but hopes to open sooner. He frets about his employees dealing with lost wages.

“For many of the workers, this was the only job they had,” said Alarcon. “They’re having trouble.”

Depending on the final damage report, Alarcon said he may end up moving Cielito Lindo to another central city location. He prefers to keep serving food in east Sac, where the neighbors have shared plenty of encouragement during these uncertain times.

Read the entire story, which doubles as a really well-written profile of the chef and the challenges he's overcome, in the Sac Bee.

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Per KCRA (video above), the fire started at 3:30 a.m. early Friday morning and was deemed suspicious.

The fire started outside the building, reported KCRA, but the kitchen was not damaged.

Cielito Lindo opened on Sept. 2013 by the former chef at Downtown's Mayahuel.

Click here to read my early review of the restaurant or the Sac Bee's more recent review.

Cielito Lindo is located at 3672 J Street. You can find them online at CielitoLindoMexicanGastronomy.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.