Sac Brew Bar, the brick and mortar home base for Sac Brew Bike, opens this weekend, reports Beers in Sac.

Sac Brew Bar’s Grand Opening will be on Saturday, October 3rd at 7:30PM, however, they'll be open early, starting at 10:30AM that same day. They are featuring a weekend lineup including Jackrabbit, Yolo, Bike Dog, Oak Park, Mraz, and New Helvetia.

Sac Brew Bar is located at 1519 19th St. and will be open 2PM-10PM from Tue. to Thu., and 10:30AM-10PM from Fri. to Sun. Follow Sac Brew Bike on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and to book a tour, visit: SacBrewBike.com.

Read the entire post on BeersInSac.com.

The owner tells Beers in Sac that they'll have 6 beers on tap along with 12 and 22 oz bottles.

Good Day Sac's Tina Macuha also checked out the new space.

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Bill would allow party bike riders to sip suds while pedaling - Drinking and driving is, of course, illegal. But partaking while pedaling might soon be OK. Sacramento state Sen. Richard Pan has a bill on the governor’s desk that would allow customers on pub-crawl bikes to sip some beer while pedaling between stops. City officials would have to give their OK first, Pan said. Tony Bizjak in the Sac Bee.

Owner of Cafe Soleil will mount comeback on Stockton Boulevard - Jorge Ix, the restaurateur who lost a struggle to keep Cafe Soleil open in downtown Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Park, has signed a lease to open a new restaurant at the former home of Merlino’s Freeze just southwest of the UC Davis Medical Center campus on Stockton Boulevard. Cathie Anderson in the Sac Bee.

Best of Sacramento 2015: Food & Drink Readers’ Picks - Featuring Best brewery, Best Affordable Eats, Best BBQ, etc. In Sac News & Review.

Best of Sacramento 2015: Food & Drink writers' picks - Featuring best oral trip to Hawaii, Best reason to cook for yourself, etc. In Sac News & Review.

Best taste of Iraq: Babylon City Market - Though it’s an Iraqi-owned store designed for the local Iraqi community—the first of its kind in Sacramento—Babylon City Market has drawn loyal followers from other Middle Eastern countries as well. English-speakers are welcome too, of course. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Fahrenheit 250, a BBQ spot that replaced Bisla's Sports Bar near Sac State is turning one, and they want you to celebrate with them by offering you 20% off your bill. Just pay them a visit between Thursday, March 26 and Saturday, March 28, dine in, and present them this coupon.

I've eaten there a couple times and gotten food to go several more times, and it's always a solid option for BBQ. I might have to hit their bar and watch March Madness while saving some money.

Fahrenheit 250 is located at 7042 Folsom Blvd., and can be found online at http://fahrenheitbbq.com/.

This news nugget was hidden in the long 32 Sacramento Restaurants Opening in 2015 post, but I thought it deserved its own post.

Team Broderick is slowly growing its empire across Sacramento. It started with a food truck, then a brick and mortar location, and then taking over Capital Dime and Trick Pony. What's next? A new seafood concept, co-owner Chris Jarosz tells Comstocks Mag.

I want to do seafood really bad. I used to love going to Blackbird when it first opened up; they would toss an octopus salad in front of me, and I loved it. But a lot of people don’t; you really have to ease them into it. Having a surf-and-turf-style restaurant that has some seafood that’s approachable for people but that also has a little flare is what it’s going to take. I have a concept that I would really like to roll out in the next year.

It's unclear whether this would launch at a new location, or at one of their current locations. Given that Broderick appears to be a success and the recent critical love that the new Trick Pony's received, if they do it at one of their existing locations, my money is on Capital Dime. But that's purely a guess.

Read the entire interview in Comstocks Mag.

I've also covered this ground in the past, but Team Broderick has earned their success the old fashioned way - through hard work. While the rest of us were nursing hangovers on New Year's morning, Jarosz on Good Day Sac promoting the BBQ they'd have that day at Capital Dime.

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New Roseville doughnuts are healthy, but how do they taste? - The business boasts "the world's most delicious and nutritious doughnuts." Tasha Richard, its CEO, says her doughnuts are healthy because they're steamed, not fried...But can you have the tasty satisfaction of a doughnut when your order includes multiple references to chia seeds? The short answer: Yes, but if your sweet tooth is strong, you'll have to add lots of toppings. Or go somewhere else. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Hook & Ladder draws diners with housemade pasta, pizza and happy hour - With cocktails, wine, beer and bites all for under $6, the happy hour is one of the city's most popular. But it's also worth it to pony up the $10 for one of the many house cocktails crafted by bar manager Chris Tucker and his team of bartenders. The drinks menu changes about eight times a year to keep things seasonal. Presently until Christmas, the restaurant is running a "12 days of toddys" special, with a different hot toddy on the menu every day. Andrea Thompson in Sac Biz Journal.

Try It: Oak Park Brewing Company’s Irish Fries - I had a delightful dinner recently at the new Oak Park Brewery on Broadway. The highlight of the evening was the kitchen’s irresistible “Irish fries,” smothered with rabbit gravy and melted Provolone cheese. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

Fahrenheit 250 has new additions and deals - One of our go-to ‘cue restaurants, Fahrenheit 250, has made some recent additions and added some deals. Yes, it’s known for its smoked brisket, pulled pork and St. Louis-style pork ribs, but let’s look at the menu add-ons. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Midtown Sacramento toy boutique, run by owners of food truck Wandering Boba, closing - A designer toy store in midtown Sacramento is closing, but will continue to operate as an online retailer. Dragatomi, which sells designer toys and art inspired by pop culture, announced in a Facebook post that its store at 2317 J St. will close Wednesday. Sonya Sorich in Sac News & Review.

South will finally open on Tuesday, the restaurant announced on Facebook.

It had an inspection today, but some "minor fixes" were required. The inspector will return on Monday and the restaurant expects to be open the next day.

Here's a little more on the restaurant from Tori Masucci Cummins in Sactown Mag.

Other big news for the restaurant is that a new executive chef is coming on board: Rachel Kelly, formerly of Revolution Wines and Ella...Kelly has a fresh vision for South’s menu, mixing Southern influences with a clean California edge.

With the tagline “tradition reinvented,” the restaurant’s menu will be split into “old school” and “new school” eats. Look for classic items like the signature fried chicken (N'Gina’s mother’s recipe; it’s seasoned inside and outside) and a crispy fried tiger shrimp po’ boy. Fun twists on Southern staples will include Carolina rice balls (a twist on arancini) and a deep-fried oyster and steamed crayfish Louie.

Read the entire article in Sactown Mag.

Owner N'Gina Kavookjian also took to her blog to describe the anxiety involved in opening a highly anticipated restaurant.

The hype is getting to me...

We have been blessed with the attention, the articles, the blog love that we have received over the past two years, but I find myself in these really shitty panicky moments of feeling like all the hype about South could backlash against us. That Sacramentians that crave the next "it" spot may put us on pedestal that, not only did I not want to stand on, but could not live up to in the imaginations of what some people perceive South to be.

Read her entire post on South's Blog.

I'm really excited to give the restaurant a try and to experience it as the owners have conceived.

South is located at 2005 11th St, and can be found online at http://www.weheartfriedchicken.com/.

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Shoki Ramen House - “A bowl of dreams” is what the folks at Shoki Ramen House call their noodles, and after my first experience there, I can honestly say a bowl of dreams it was. Ana Marie Aguas in Sac Foodies.

Not hipster-famous—yet - Our humble city's getting some national recognition on an episode of a show called Carnival Eats—airing on Food Network, the Cooking Channel and Great American Country—in which host Noah Cappe visits the California State Fair. In the episode, he'll sample the fair's “spaghetti ice cream,” (ice cream shaped like spaghetti and topped with a strawberry sauce) and lobster corn dogs. Jonathan Mendick in Sac News & Review.

Fahrenheit 250 raises the bar for barbecue - Ray Lettini and Gino Sardo opened Fahrenheit 250 in March. The primary concept was to offer quality meats cooked low and slow in the smoke of locally seasoned oak and fruit woods. This alone could set the restaurant apart from so many other barbecue joints that par cook meat before hot-smoking it, and which use wood pellets to create that smoke. But when you add in the other aspects of Farenheit 250, such as knowledgeable servers providing full table service, creative housemade side dishes and carefully crafted cocktails, you get a stand-out restaurant. Andrea Thompson in Sac Biz Journal.

New business brings healthy doughnuts to Roseville - A new Roseville business is attempting to achieve the impossible: using "healthy" and "doughnut" in the same sentence. And yes, there's glaze involved. Dr. Bob's Donuts & DoYos plans to open Monday at 336 Lincoln St. The business will sell vegan, low-sugar doughnuts made with organic grains and protein powders, among other ingredients. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Like many restaurants, going from inception to launch is never easy. But from the sounds of this long-ish profile of the restaurant in Comstocks Mag (that I've had open for weeks on my computer, but not read until now), the origin story of Fahrenheit 250 makes me respect the work they've gone through to open the restaurant even more.

First, a snippet from the profile by Douglas Curley in Comstocks Mag.

The past two years have been remarkably unpredictable for long-time Sacramento chef Jacob Carriker. In 2012 he went from overseeing a kitchen to managing an entire sports bar and nightclub. He participated in the sale of that establishment to buyers with an entirely different vision for the property, and he suffered the shock and anguish of learning that the previous owner, his former boss, had taken his own life. And it all took place in one chapter of the story of an eatery formerly known as Bisla’s...

The original idea was to form a multi-location restaurant partnership with Bob Bisla. His death changed everything...

For his part, Carriker knew a thing or two about kitchens and menus. He began his restaurant career at Club Pheasant in West Sacramento at the age of 15. He had stints as a cook and head chef at Fulton’s Prime Rib in Old Sacramento, the former Bridges on the River and Paesano’s in midtown. After several months of weekly menu presentations to Sardo and Lettini, Carriker made his recommendation.

“Since we had such a small kitchen and ultimately a very large restaurant, I suggested barbecue,” he says.

Read the entire story in Comstocks Mag.

There was also a recent story about Fahrenheit 250 that focuses on the interior design of the place, by Amy Serna in Submerge Mag.

The atmosphere brings a comfortable yet upscale barbecue dining experience. From the décor on the walls to the red mismatched chairs, the majority of the items inside Fahrenheit 250 were upcycled from Fringe, a Sacramento vintage and consignment store. While helping to decorate the interior of the restaurant, Monk kept three ideas very close in mind: “cool, comfortable and classy.”

The walls are lined with various wood panels originally from an old barn in Auburn, the red chairs are tucked into wooden tables that are topped with mason jars for water, the bar back and silverware “cabinet” is an old printing press. There are vintage benches from Harlow’s and large pieces of a metal windmill that hang on a few walls. The décor makes it feel as if you were eating in someone’s old farm house, making it welcoming and cozy.

Read the entire story in Submerge Mag.

In the Comstocks Mag piece, Chef Carriker says it took him about two months to get used to the cooker. I've eaten there twice - once as they opened, and they were good then, but again during the NBA playoffs, probably in mid-May. It was much better. It was clear that they were learning the ins and outs of the smoker and the meat was even more tender and flavorful. I definitely plan to return to get more BBQ.

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Sactown Wings Event - Love hot wings and ice cold beer? Then SacTown Wings is THE event for you! Held August 23 from 2-7PM in Fremont Park, this festival is the first of its kind in Sacramento and will feature not one, not two, but six Sacramento-based hot wing vendors. Rachel Smith on Girls on the Grid.

University of Beer opens in midtown and ups competition - But what about beer bars (and some restaurants that specialize in beer)? When do we reach overkill? This comes into focus more than ever with the recent opening of University of Beer on 16th Street (there is another location in Davis). This sparkling brew pub/sports bar has 100 beers on tap. Beer snobs will scoff and say that’s the carpet-bomb approach to beer. But it looks like University of Beer intends to be a serious player. I visited during its first week and enjoyed a very nice Petrus aged pale ale in a tulip glass. The bar was loaded with TVs and the acoustics were terrible – LowBrau can no longer hold its head in shame as the noisiest, echo-chamber beer joint on the grid. The crowd was also very young. (The doorman called me “sir,” which made me feel entirely non-hipster. Whatevs.) Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Federalist’s funding approach as unique as its shipping-container construction - Federalist Public House will also incorporate Leapset, an app and restaurant operation system from Sysco, to manage ordering and customer flow. Among the features: Once an order is placed at the counter, customers will receive a code that enables them to place additional food and drink orders without having to leave their seats. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Federalist Public House, a second midtown biergarten, will open on Aug. 1, reports Stephanie Towne in Sactown Mag.

The containers will house a kitchen area with a wood-fired oven, which will churn out everything from Neapolitan-style pizzas to roasted lamb and chicken for wrap sandwiches (other menu items include charcuterie, seasonal salads and other small plates).

The food will incorporate a farm-to-fork emphasis thanks to the expertise of executive chef Shannon McElroy (an alum of Masullo Pizza who also used to work for Feeding Crane Farms in North Natomas) while the beer and wine program will be run by beverage manager Tyler Stacey, once a sommelier at Enotria...

“Our tagline is pizza, beer and bocce,” he says. “Think summertime and warm activities, where you have a nice glass of wine while you are lounging around, playing bocce on a Sunday afternoon. In terms of what we are trying to do, it is a very casual approach [with] really good food.”

Read the entire story in Sactown Mag.

If you're really sure you'll love the place, you can become a Founder at Federalist, which will entitle you to you to 50 beers at just 25 cents each, among other perks. The cost to become a Founder? $250. It *might* be worth it if you live in the neighborhood and intend to become a regular.

Federalist Public House will be located at 2009 N Street and can be found online at http://www.federalistpublichouse.com/.

More News:

Starbucks closes downtown Sacramento location - Sacramento has one fewer Starbucks. The location at 15th and H streets in downtown Sacramento closed Friday. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Real Mex closes Chevys restaurant on Howe Avenue in Sacramento - Jared Dougherty, senior vice president of marketing for Chevys parent company, Real Mex Restaurants, told me: “The lease term ended, and we made the difficult decision to close the location....The managers have been relocated to other Chevys locations in the area and all other employees at the Howe Ave. location were given the opportunity to transfer.” Cathie Anderson in the Sac Bee.

Three Breweries, One Day! Jump on the Sac Brew Bus - Join Sacramento beer enthusiast Tyson Herzog and friends on a tour of three of the region’s best breweries on Saturday, July 26, 2014. Jump on the Sac Brew Bus at 10 a.m. at Fahrenheit 250 BBQ (7042 Folsom Blvd.) where you’ll first cruise to Bike Dog Brewing Company in West Sacramento before heading all the way to Heretic Brewing Company in Fairfield. In Submerge Mag.

Bacon & Butter closed in mid-May in preparation for their move to 51st & Broadway. After several delays, they're not targeting an early August opening, they announced today to their e-mail list.

Although we had hoped our new home in the beautiful Tahoe Park neighborhood of Sacramento would be ready by Father's Day Weekend, the building just wasn't ready yet.

As you may know, when dealing with active construction and city permits, sometimes things don't always go according to schedule :) We want our restaurant to be a positive, long term contribution to our neighborhood, and to get things just right, we're looking at about another month before we're ready to open our doors.

When we have a firm reopening date, we'll be sure to announce it here and on our Facebook page, but we're aiming for early August.

I've followed enough restaurant openings that there always seem to be permit, construction or other issues that seem to take longer than expected. As a fan of Bacon & Butter, though, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait so we'll be able to enjoy them for not just brunch but dinner too.

Bacon & Butter will be located at 5913 Broadway, and can be found online at http://baconandbuttersac.com/.

More News:

East Sacramento cheese shop opens up new culinary frontiers - The prepared food is morphing as the owners learn what works for their customers, but there’s only so much they can do. “There’s no gas range, no grill, no fryers. We’re limited on what we can serve,” Andrew says. Those limitations don’t seem to be hindering them, however. Next month they’ll likely gain their beer and wine license. Simultaneously, permits may clear allowing their outdoor seating to expand, which is good, since inside there’s only a window counter with two seats inside the shop. Andrea Thompson in Sac Biz Journal.

Wine and beer coming to midtown Starbucks? - Sometime soon, at a Starbucks near the Capitol, you might be able to order an Italian sparkling wine, Sonoma chardonnay or a Napa cabernet. Baristas at the Starbucks near 16th and K streets say their store is going to be one of the select stores to take on the Starbucks Evening program and that location is currently hiring people who are over 21 for that program. Mark Anderson in Sac Biz Journal.

Hop to The Red Rabbit - Sacramento’s scorching summer days transform beautifully into balmy, comfortable, warm summer evenings—the perfect environment for outdoor dining. This week we dropped in to midtown’s The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar to dine outside at one of the restaurant’s community tables and revel in the temperate weather. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.