Empress Tavern, the meat lovers counterpart to the vegetarian Mother, is scheduled to open on Thursday for dinner.

Over the last several days, they've been holding preview dinners, including a big party on Saturday.

The best preview that I've seen over the last week is from Catherine Enfield on Munchie Musings:

Inside the bar occupies the center with 360 degree access. I liked that many of the tables have leaves on them to make them either square or circle in shape. The benches are similar to Mother in that they also act as storage bins. On the far wall are the most impressive tables. There are several arched alcoves with longer tables for parties of 6-8. Someone joked that they should place bar doors on them so it would look like prison cells. At the farthest corner is the Chef's Table, long and beautiful.

The open kitchen is in full view with the star being the large rotisserie. When I arrived it had two racks of chickens and a rack of porchetta. Yum!

The food will be familiar carvery selections. I'm glad they will be going truly nose-to-tail based on some of the offerings at the event. Offal selections that night included chicken hearts with chimichurri and lamb sweetbreads. But most folks will probably stick with the steaks, porchetta, chickens, and burgers. We asked to see a menu, but there were none to be found at the event.

Read the entire post on Munchie Musings.

Empress Tavern is located at 1013 K Street and can be found online at http://empresstavern.com/. You can also make reservations for meals starting Sept. 9.

More News:

Empress Tavern opens Thursday for meat nirvana - Start making your reservations now. Empress Tavern—the meat-centric restaurant from the Mother team—opens on Thursday, but it’s already booked solid until the following week. Those earliest reservations were snatched up by friends and industry folks who attended a preview gala Saturday night—and understandably so. The space is stunning. It feels undeniably, well, cool. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Empress Tavern to open in downtown Sacramento on Thursday - Appetizers went fast at Saturday’s party, though we did snag a piece of turducken (a chicken stuffed into a duck, with the result then stuffed into a turkey). It offered an intriguingly sweet finish and tasted most prominently of turkey. Plans to allow Crest patrons to take alcoholic beverages to their theater seats have been put on hold, theater manager Yulya Borroum said, until details are worked out. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee. 

Food, setting shine at Oak Park Brewing - The food at Sacramento’s Oak Park Brewing Co. meets all expectations for craft-beer companionship, and then some. Chef Steve Yarbrough and crew deliver the fat, salt, heat and sugar that pair so well with beer, and at a higher level than one might expect in a restaurant that affords a view of large metal fermenters in the next room. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

Icy fresh: Fruit Basket sorbetto, Devine Gelataria - Summer demands delicious seasonal refreshment—the colder the better. Devine Gelateria's Fruit Basket sorbetto is made from fruit in the prime of its season, and the recipe regularly changes to highlight whatever is fresh and delicious. Meg Masterson in Sac News & Review.

Not your usual fare: Gala dinner chefs come from outside the grid - Oliver Ridgeway of Grange and Ravin Patel of Selland Family Restaurants are the lead chefs for this year’s sold-out dinner. In May they began recruiting chefs for the event, which will serve about 740 people. The result is a culinary lineup that’s not confined to well-known eateries on the grid. “I think it’s nice to widen that scope,” Ridgeway said. “I think everyone’s brought a different skill set.” Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal. ($$)

Ernesto Delgado, the owner of Mayahuel, is in negotiations with the city to open a taco bar at the spot formerly occupied by Cafe Soleil, reports Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

Valerie Mamone-Werder, a business development manager with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said the city is in “exclusive negotiations” with Delgado to take over the restaurant site but said no deal has yet been made...

Real estate broker David Herrera of Colliers International said he understands that Delgado plans to offer Mexican food, including a taco bar, along with beer at the new site if he can reach agreement with the city’s Parks Department.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

Until then, you can still enjoy Mayahuel, located at 12th & K.

More News:

Davis Beer Week - Third time’s a charm for the Davis Beer Week, Aug. 10 to 16. Now in its third year, the seven-day, citywide celebration of suds is set to kick off on Monday, Aug. 10. With more than 60 vendors and the addition of the Bike and Brew Fest at Davis Central Park, the event will be bigger and better than ever — all despite fears of cancellation earlier in the summer. Barbara Harvey in Sac Mag.

Café Plan B - Café Plan B, a French restaurant in midtown which opened in 2014, had caught my eye many times and recently I had just the right occasion to check it out. A colleague and I decided to venture out of the office for a rare midtown lunch outing and we were not disappointed. Right off the bat we loved the open-air feeling of the restaurant – an ideal mix of indoor/outdoor, even on a warm day. We decided to start our meal with an order of the Prawn Stix, pancetta-wrapped prawns which arrived on skewers with a spicy aioli on top. The dish was a perfect start to the meal and definitely had us excited for the next course. Liz Conant in Sac Foodies.

XOSO Presents Sactown Wings on Aug. 15 - Calling everyone who loves chicken wings, beer, and helping support the community (so yea, basically everyone) – Sactown Wings is nearly upon us! Mark your calendars and work up that appetite-this year’s Annual SacTown Wings Event, is put on through XOSO Sports and Social League. Laine Himmelmann on Girls on the Grid.

Beer Run: In the age of craft brew, big beer comes up short - In the interests of updating and calibrating my palate, I decided to do a more thorough big beer tasting. I invited celebrated beer enthusiast and world traveler Louie Toro, Burgers and Brews co-owner Derar Zawaydeh and Brandon Megowen, brewmaster of Zawaydeh’s in-the-works local brewery called Olde Ritual. On a recent afternoon, we sipped and scored some of the best-selling beers in the land...The best big beer we tasted? Budweiser. There, I said it. Budweiser was better than Stella Artois, which I had always considered a better, more sophisticated, pricier Bud. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Big Sexy Brewing Company - After their lease fell through in Auburn last June, James Thompson and Mark Taylor, owners of Big Sexy Brewing Company, took a year to find a place that would suit their needs for a local taproom. Now they are aiming for an October opening in a South Sacramento warehouse, which will provide them with 8,400 square feet of brewing and taproom space, outdoor seating and a hop garden. In Sactown Mag.

California's Austin, not The New Oakland.

That's how 7x7, a popular San Francisco's Web site that celebrates "trailblazing spirit and to maximize every moment in this magnificent place," describes Sacramento.

(FYI - The site's name is a reference to the roughly 49 square miles within San Francisco's borders.)

7x7 writer Garrick Ramirez is actually pretty spot on with his recommendations for those venturing from 90 miles down I-80.

Among his dining suggestions:

Preservation & Co: "Take home Sacramento-priced bottles of the shop's housemade sriracha, pickled beets, and the killer bloody mary mix that made them famous."

Ruhstaller: "The real joy comes from visiting their hop farm in nearby Dixon. Haybales, wooden spool tables, rustic shelters and sunset campfires lend a magical setting."

Coin-Op Game Room: "Old-school favorites like Roadblasters, Simpsons, and AC/DC pinball sport handy cup holders for the huge selection of craft beers."

Shady Lady Saloon: "Hidden inside a historic masonry building, this unpretentious cocktail bar plays up the city's Gold Rush past with bordello chic interiors."

Federalist Public House: "A lively crowd assembles for pizzas and pints at this modern beer garden comprised of white shipping containers, a bocce court and rooftop garden."

Also featured are Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Devine Gelateria, Bottle & Barlow, Temple Coffee and Hook & Ladder.

This is the second time in recent months that Sacramento has been featured by a SF-focused publication.

Read the entire story on 7x7.

More News:

Alcoholic boba tea now for sale at Lazi Cow in Davis - If you’ve ever wished you could get drunk on tapioca milk tea, get ready to find fulfillment in Davis. Lazi Cow (407 G Street) shut down for a few months this spring for a major remodel. The boba shop held its grand re-opening in June with cow print walls, a large cow sculpture that doubles as a bench, a swing—why not? Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Get ready for more doughnut ice cream sandwiches - The Parlor built a following -- so much, in fact, that this week the owners confirmed a Roseville location is in the works. It will be at 1490 Eureka Road, in the Eureka Ridge shopping center, and is scheduled to open in late July or early August. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Roseville tapioca shop closes - Fans of Tapioca Express in Roseville will have to get their fix elsewhere. A sign outside the store at 1132 Galleria Blvd. says it's "closing indefinitely" Thursday. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Dining review: In Roseville, ASR’s food does not match its ambition - Roseville’s ASR Restaurant & Lounge, which measures 11,000 square feet when counting a patio outfitted with cabanas and a VIP section, unfortunately leans more rule than exception. Though admirably thorough – open every day, the restaurant serves lunch, dinner and late-night bites – it falters at the detail level, on such key matters as flavor combinations and consistent service. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

Fish Face kicks off Sacramento's poke trend - Fish Face is chiefly a to-go poke stand, inspired by the shops that dish out raw fish salad by weight in Hawaii. There, you’d stare at pre-made combinations—kimchi octopus, sesami tuna, spicy shrimp—before making a decision. At Fish Face, you build your own salad. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Tootsies, a popular spot for Capitol staffers to indulge in frozen yogurt and snacks at 11th & L, has been replaced by Namaste Deli.

The Capitol Morning Report has the details:

New owners Babita Chanda Becha and her husband Ken bought the business in November and decided to give it a fresh start...They changed the name to make it clear that it's a deli serving sandwiches, salads and other items...

They will continue to serve a variety of sandwiches and frozen yogurt that Tootsies was know for. The hours of operation will be Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Read the entire story in the Capitol Morning Report.

They also report that the owners intend to "introduce hot dishes including chicken curry over rice and chicken tamales to the menu."

Namaste Deli is located at 1121 L Street, across the street from the State Capitol.

More News:

An intense yum: Shake, Devine Gelateria & Cafe - It may seem like a waste to blend gelato into a milkshake—its denser, creamier texture gets lost. But with less air than American ice cream, gelato's flavor is much more intense. Therefore, the resultant gelato shake is more intense. Therefore, not a waste at all. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Selland family’s OBO to share space with another restaurant - OBO will have 4,700 square feet and will share the building with another high-profile restaurant, which has yet to be made public. Selland’s new restaurant will have ample outdoor seating and a full bar. For those who still crave a certain famous pasta dish at Ella – the pappardelle pasta with poached egg (a dish created by Zimmer) will find a permanent place on its menu. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Big Sexy Brewing gets Sacramento location - A planned Sacramento brewery now has an address, in addition to a memorable name. Big Sexy Brewing Co. has signed a lease for a space at 5861 88th St., according to James Thompson, co-owner and director of sales and marketing. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Meals and reels served up at 4th Sacramento Food Film Festival - Fans of movies and food—which is to say, virtually everyone—can partake in some delicious viewing at the fourth annual Sacramento Food Film Festival, which will pair food-related films with culinary experiences at locations throughout the city from March 19-29. Jessica Rine in Sactown Mag.

Work finally begins on 700 K, where developers envision new life for old buildings - West of the Grant building, Insight Coffee Roasters is one of four identified future tenants for the building. Red Rabbit is looking at a bar/restaurant space toward the western end, while the owner of Kru sushi wants to do a "Japanese speakeasy." Shady Lady's owners also have plans for a retail space. The exact number of retail tenants will depend on whether some use both a first-floor and basement space, or knock out a wall, but will probably be around 14 to 16, Miry said. Ben van der Meer in Sac Biz Journal.

Tidbit Catering & Gelateria has been on hiatus since Labor Day, with no sign of reopening.

A sign on their restaurant said the store would be closed for a "short period," but the closure has spanned 3 months. That same sign has been in their restaurant window since at least Oct. 24, the first time I saw it.

An e-mail and call to the restaurant by Cowtown Eats was not returned. (Disclosure: I lived in the same college dorm as a family member of the owners.)

Back in April, the Garrett McCord said that Tidbit was "the ice cream place you wanted."

Gelato (milk based) and sorbet (fruit based) are both available in astounding off-the-cuff flavors that mostly draw inspiration from Asian cuisines. A vanilla-and-adzuki-bean gelato tastes sweet and earthy, with a flavor reminiscent to Chinese moon cakes. A nutty soy-based black-sesame-seed gelato is as rustic and charming as your favorite Instagram filter. In addition, I found myself drawn to both the pistachio and oatmeal flavors, the latter reminiscent of the Mother’s Cookies Iced Oatmeal cookies that your gran bought you, assuming you had a happy childhood...

What boggles my mind is why people aren’t lining up every single day for their gelato and sorbet.

Sacramento, I’ve heard you whine for a decent ice-cream store equivalent to San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Creamery—the kind of place that makes unique flavors on the premises at affordable prices.

So, here it is. Tidbit. The ice-cream place you wanted. Why aren’t you here forming lines around the block?

Unfortunately, Tidbit, with its well-loved gelateo and sorbet, was located around the corner from Devine Gelateria, which itself had lines out the doors. I hope they do as the sign promises and returns as a "better, more vibrant Tidbit," but for now, there's no indication that they will.

Tidbit Catering and Gelateria was located at 1907 Capitol Ave.

More News:

Coriander Vietnamese Restaurant - When an insatiable craving for Vietnamese cuisine strikes, many turn to Stockton Boulevard with its dozens of restaurants serving hearty bowls of pho, savory spring rolls and enough bánh mì to fill the bellies of any hungry customer with a taste for Southeast Asian flavors. Now, those who seek to broaden their palates with traditional herbs and spices should look no further than Midtown for their next fix of bánh bèo. Steph Rodriguez in Submerge Mag.

Speed Isn’t Everything; Snail of Approval Awards celebrate local business and the slow food movement - Sacramento is America’s Farm-to Fork capital for many reasons: fresh, seasonal food available year-round, almost 8,000 acres of boutique farms, and the largest Certified Farmers’ Market in California. Last month, Slow Food Sacramento recognized seven local businesses for their commitment to providing products and services that use regionally grown seasonal produce, honoring them with the Snail of Approval award and decal...Sacramento is America’s Farm-to Fork capital for many reasons: fresh, seasonal food available year-round, almost 8,000 acres of boutique farms, and the largest Certified Farmers’ Market in California. Last month, Slow Food Sacramento recognized seven local businesses for their commitment to providing products and services that use regionally grown seasonal produce, honoring them with the Snail of Approval award and decal. Shannon Haslinger in Comstocks Mag.

Nation's burger restaurant proposed for former Sonic site in Natomas - Nation's Giant Hamburgers is planning its first Sacramento location on undeveloped land in Natomas. The restaurant chain has submitted plans for a multi-restaurant development on 2.93 acres at the southeastern corner of Truxel Road and Gateway Park Boulevard. Ben van der Meer in Sac Biz.

Let's eat: Three places to check out - Looking for somewhere different to try for lunch or dinner? Our three places to try include an Italian bistro in Fair Oaks, Indian food in midtown and more than just gelato. Featuring The Village Bistro in Fair Oaks, Bombay Bar & Grill & Devine Gelateria and Cafe. Andrea Thompson in Sac Biz Journal.

Lola’s Lounge: Vintage, modern and delicious - Chef Charlie Harrison’s food brings together Latin American favorites with modern presentations. The menu is wide-ranging, embracing cuisines from Spanish-speaking countries. There are Spanish tapas, for example, including bacalao, a buttery mash of potatoes and salt cod served in a mortar with toast and Spanish olive oil. The waitress advised us that it had a strong fish flavor, but we found the bacalao to be fairly mild and perfectly smooth, with a delicious touch of fresh thyme. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

A pizza place, a deli and a juice bar are among the three finalists for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership's Calling All Dreamers contest.

Last year, Andy's Candy Apothecary won the prize package valued at $125,000, and opened his new stor at J and 9th streets. I stopped by after dinner on Friday and found the shop to be charming. It's high end candy concept is a welcome and unique addition to that part of town.

The package includes a free year's worth of rent somewhere downtown, some startup capital and other support services.

There are currently three finalists, with three food-related contestants making the cut. They are:

Better Foods Deli

Metro Juice

Quick Draw Pizza

I'm a fan of the show SharK Tank on ABC where venture capitalists listen to pitches and see if they want to invest their money in new businesses. Watching these videos reminds me a little of that show.

Click here to cast your vote by May 11 and help one of these restaurants take home the prize.

More News:

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour comes back to Sacramento - Sacramento has brought back Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, an old-fashioned spot that makes customers feel like they just stepped into an early 1900s ice cream party. Located on 1625 Watt Avenue, Manager Zachariah Federowski said owners Paul Kramer and Mike Fleming wanted to revive the 1920s themed parlour in Sacramento after its closing in 1986. Erika Bradley in the Sac State Hornet.

VIDEO: Roseville Business Owner Sues City After Arrest For Allowing Customers To Dance - Roseville Station owner Len Travis was jailed in 2012 for a misdemeanor violation of Roseville’s city dance permit ordinance, all because he allowed his customers to dance. On CBS 13.