If you've been to an event with craft beer lately, you've probably seen the Beers in Sac team pour beers, organizing the event, etc.

My curiosity was piqued last summer during Gather Oak Park, where people wearing Beers in Sac shirts were pouring the beer. They were just at the Fairytale Town event I had gone to several weeks earlier.

I knew they started as a Web site listing the various beers on tap in Sacramento and later added a smartphone app, but it was clear they were much more than that.

So I decided to ask. Here's an e-mail Q and A I did earlier this month with Ted Rozalski, who partnered with Scott Scoville to found Beers in Sac:

Q: How did Beers in Sac start?

A: The original concept was to host a live search engine for all beers currently on tap in the Sacramento region. After a few months of keeping the search engine updated, we decided our time was better spent by covering the happenings in the region as a whole by promoting events and developing content. We still feel, with the right technology and capital, someone will figure out how to properly keep an up-to-date search engine for beers on tap.

Q: From your original vision, what has it expanded to?

A: We originally proposed to have a website that helped users find their favorite beer in the various bars, restaurants, and breweries, but quickly found that there was so much more that had yet to be covered. We slowly started to promote and market for bars, restaurants, breweries, events, etc. Beers In Sac is online-focused, and social media driven, promoting via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We have delved into content creation, with contributing writers and photographers at Beers In Sac, covering reviews of beers, places, and news. Last year, we teamed up to co-produce a short film documentary on the resurgence of hop farming in the area.

Moreover, as the scene has grown, we realized that there was no central location for the industry to post beer jobs, or for job seekers to get jobs in the industry, thus we created the first ever Beer Industry Job Board, which we are proud to have indirectly played a small part in job creation in the region.

We've also grown our Email Newsletter, which has been a great way to get all the beer discounts, deals, and savings directly to those that want it the most.

Most importantly, as we continued expanding Beers In Sac, we found that the mobile experience needed improvement, so we created the free Beers In Sac app, available on iOS and Android, which allows thousands of users throughout the region to navigate the ever-growing craft beer scene.

Recently, we have started to develop smartphone applications for other industry businesses, for example, we built and managed the CA Craft Beer Summit App for the CA Craft Brewer's Association. And the Summit was amazing, definitely a must see event for next year!

Q: Who are the founders and how is the group organized?

A: Ted Rozalski and I are the original founders of the company, however over the past year, we have grown to include many staff, contributing to the growth and vision of Beers In Sac. This also includes Cicerone and BJCP Certified staff, which has not only contributed to the growth of our company, but ourselves knowledge of beer as well. The company is structured to continue to evolve as the market changes, and our primary goal is to continue to find ways to support the craft beer scene in the region, while informing the public via multiple platforms what's going on in the beer community.

Q: I see people wearing Beers in Sac shirts pouring beer at community events like Gather Oak Park and local fundraisers. How did you guys get involved in events like that?

A: As the Sacramento beer scene evolved, so did craft beer-centric events in the region. We've participated in various beer weeks, Sacramento and Stockton Beer Weeks, which helped give us a platform. We have been receiving requests by various event organizers to manage and curate beer areas. As things progressed, we were able to tap into our user base to find out what beers they wanted to see at events, and thus began to create beer areas that really identified with beer aficionados, as well as the person that was just getting into craft beer.

Gather Oak Park has given us a platform to curate beer areas for other large scale events, and currently, we are running the tasting garden at the Midtown Farmer's Market, which is bi-monthy, featuring a different brewery every month. Other events that we've run is the annual Cafe Au Ale which is a Coffee Beer Competition during Sacramento Coffee Week, the Fantasy Food Truck Showdown which is a Summer-long event series featuring a competition between the best of the gourmet food truck scene, Craft Beer Industry Night at the Sacramento Rivercats which was a unique opportunity for industry folk to gather and socialize together, and countless others.

We're really excited to be bringing the first ever Beer Fest to Elk Grove on May 27th, 2016 benefiting the Runnin' For Rhett Foundation (children's exercise program), and will also be helping organize another Beer Fest in Land Park in June, and Yolo Micro Brewfest at the end of next Summer. Almost every event we participate in, is centered around a Non-Profit, so it's been an incredible opportunity to partner with some great organizations doing amazing things in Sacramento. For example, we helped organize a Beer Fest at Fairytale Town over the Summer called Tales and Ales, and have first hand seen the impacts of the money raised from that event. It's amazing to bring your kids to this children's theme park that has been around for decades, and see improvements being made to ensure that it remains open for the next generation.

Q: Is Beers in Sac your day job? If not, do you guys make any money at this?

A: We are generating revenue via advertising, event management, and promotions/marketing, and are beginning to develop smartphone applications for other industry businesses.

We have outside employment that helps supplement what we do, but this is essentially full-time for us. We also have 1 full-time employee, and 1 part-time employee.

Thanks to Scott and Ted for indulging my curiosity.

Beers in Sac is partnering with Track 7 and the Sacramento Kings for Long Live The Kings, a special Sac Beer Week event on Friday, Feb. 26.

Head to Track 7 Natomas from 4 to 7 p.m. before the Clippers vs. Kings game for a special commemorative Kings/Beer Week engraved stainless steel credit card polished bottle opener, with proof of purchase. Visit Beers in Sac for more information.

* Photo via their Facebook page.

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VIDEO: Bacon Cocktail Competition - Jason Wilde from Bottle & Barlow throws down some bacon-themed cocktails. Amy Carraba on ABC 10.

VIDEO: Tasty treats galore at Sacramento’s Bacon Fest - Sacramento’s bacon fest is underway and Chef Bryan Martinez from Raley’s is here with his entry for the Bacon Fest competition. Deirdre Fitzpatrick on KCRA.

VIDEO: Bacon Fest at The Golden Bear - Bacon Fest is in full swing for the fifth year and Gary is at The Golden Bear checking out their bacon specialty drinks and foods. Check out their Happy Hour Specialties for Friday. Gary Gelfand on FOX 40.

VIDEO: Bacon Fest at V. Miller Meats - Gary has found the source of all the bacon making its way around Sacramento. V. Miller Meats does their best to give every cut of meat the attention it deserves. Gary Gelfand on FOX 40.

VIDEO: Bacon Fest Brunch - Chef Brian Mizner is in the studio from Hook & Ladder is in the studio with loads of bacon. They will be featuring everything bacon -- even bacon cocktails! -- on January 30 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Paul Robins on FOX 40.

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.

La Bombe, formerly located at 3020 H Street, closed on Jan. 1.

The ice cream shop, which opened about 18 months ago, was selected by the Sac Bee as one of the top 10 frozen treats around Sacramento in July 2012. Upon closing, it left these signs on the door.

La Bombe Ice Cream & More wishes to thank you, our valued patrons! We regret to inform you that La Bombe shall be closed for business effective January 1, 2014.

For Information regarding the purchase or sublease of the business or to contact us for other reasons, please do so at: 916-448-2334.

I placed a call to that number on Monday evening, but there was no answer.

La Bombe was owned by the ex-wife of the owner of midtown's Aioli.

A shop whose description closely matched La Bombe is listed on the Restaurant Exchange Web site for $50,000.

I hope something new and interesting fills that void soon.

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VIDEO: Wrap it in bacon and call it a festival - Sacramento kicked off its annual "Bacon Fest" Sunday night at the Grange Restaurant & Bar, which runs until Jan. 26. Several downtown eateries are taking part in this event including Hook & Ladder and chef Brian Mizner. On KCRA.

AUDIO: Live Line: Bacon Fest (Revolution Wine) - Just ignore your new year's diet and fitness resolution for the next few minutes because Bacon Fest is back in Sacramento! The very popular food fest of all things bacon and pork is returning for its third year, with participating restaurants conjuring up special menus featuring sizzling bacon dishes. Rachel Kelly, chef from festival participant Revolution Wines, joined Mike Simpson in studio to chat. On KFBK.

Greek Village Inn, a restaurant near Tokyo Fro's, Bandera and Capitol Beer & Tap Room on Fair Oaks Blvd. and Howe Ave, closed over the weekend.

Here's what they said a note on their Web site said:

Dear Loyal Customers

We are sending you this to inform you, that after Saturday, November 2, 2013 The Greek Village Inn will be closing its doors.

We have proudly served the Sacramento community for over 15 years, but due to the economic conditions these last four years, and as well the managements expansion of Safeway, have forced us to reevaluate our business and ultimately close down our operation. This decision did not come easily or without careful consideration to those affected.

Since 1998, we have dedicated ourselves to providing our customers with the most Authentic Greek Cuisine in the Greater Sacramento area.  We were able to explore our passion, and as a result, we were fortunate enough to receive numerous awards throughout the years. But none of this could have been possible without you—Our Valued Customer!  A heartfelt thank you!

Please come by and see us one more time so we can thank you in person for your past business and support. Our last reservations are Saturday, November 2, 2013.

Sincerely,

The Greek Village Inn Family

I don't make it out to that part of town often, so I don't have any personal experience with that restaurant. But I'm always saddened for the staff and the owners whenever a restaurant closes.

H/T Ally Gaffan at A Girl & Her Fork for the tip.

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Anatolian Table Turkish Bistro - Some restaurant openings are splashy and public, others modest and quiet. The launch of Anatolian Table Turkish Bistro in midtown—one of the quietest openings of 2013—also was one of the most exciting for the city’s foodscape. A second location for Ertugrul and Tugce Hazar, who own Anatolian Table in Rocklin’s Blue Oaks Marketplace, Anatolian Table Turkish Bistro brings a menu of fresh, vibrant dishes to the K Street dining scene. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

2H at Bunz and Company: A Winning Legacy - Our meal started off with zucchini slices, lightly dusted with breadcrumbs and fried to golden perfection. One word: yummy. For entrées, we settled upon a Chinese chicken salad and a New York steak sandwich, served on a French roll with their special 2H sauce. Our food reflected the best of what makes sports grills so appealing: comfortable, a tad nostalgic and completely satisfying—especially with a good beer or two (2H boasts 14 on tap), accompanied by a good game on television amongst friends. It’s reassuring to know we Rosevillians won’t let a good thing die. Kelly Soderlund in Style Mag.

Beyond Sushi: Nagato provides a beautiful break from the commonplace - It’s a shame that Nagato appears from the outside to be another common sushi place. Perhaps, even more shameful, is that it did not appear this way until recently. Nagato’s former home of nearly 40 years—a fun, funky, wood-paneled space on Fulton Avenue—was recently closed down so that developers could build that other banal omnipresence of suburban living, the chain pharmacy. It’s also a little sad that Nagato changed its name during the move. For those nearly 40 years, it was known as Nagato Sukiyaki, proudly stating its expertise in that fine traditional dish. Now, its signage reads “Nagato Japanese Restaurant.” Sure, it has lost some of its identity, but thankfully none of its expertise. Greg Sabin in Inside Publications.

After approximately four months of work, Dad's Kitchen has expanded by adding a tap room to its popular Land Park Restaurant.

Originally scheduled for opening before Sac Beer Week at the end of February, the tap room at Dad's Kitchen features 30 taps - 26 for regular beer, two for wine and two more for nitrogen brews.

The venue seats about a dozen people around the bar, with another 15 or so spots on a standing bar along the wall. The bar also features a couple large TVs so patrons can watch sports while enjoying their beer of choice.

For more information about their expansion, read a December 2012 article in Sac Press.

Dad's Kitchen is located at 2968 Freeport Blvd, next to Freeport Bakery.

Click here for more posts about Dad's Kitchen.

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Chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth Hahn teams with coffee roasters for special dessert day - On a recent weekday morning, superstar chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth Hahn and her husband, Tom, stood at a large table at Old Soul Coffee in midtown to do some research for an upcoming dessert creation. They stood, they stooped, they sniffed, they stirred. They slurped and yes, much like professional wine tasters, they spit discreetly into a cup. It was a bustling morning in the warehouse-style shop, with scores of patrons chatting, reading and engaging in their own form of tasting coffee. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Tilted Kilt restaurant franchise expanding to Sacramento - The Tilted Kilt restaurant franchise, a Celtic-style pub with female servers in short kilts, has announced plans to expand operations into Sacramento. Tilted Kilt has 80 restaurants in Canada and the United States, including several in Southern California. NoCal Tilt Holdings has signed a 10-store deal with Tilted Kilt franchising to develop the theme restaurants in Fresno, Sacramento and the Silicon Valley-East Bay areas over the next five years. Bill Lindelof in the Sac Bee.

Rick's Dessert Diner, a midtown mainstay for nearly three decades, is moving from its longtime home on K St. near 23rd, to a new space just a couple block away at J & 24th Streets, reports Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

The move was necessary because growing demand had outstripped capacity at the 1,900-square-foot original location, said Ahmed Eita, who started out working at Rick's as a manager and then bought the business in 1991.

"It breaks my heart to leave after all these years," Eita said. But he said doubling his space will allow him to increase sales of all of his confections, including wedding cakes, and meet a demand he's had to ignore.

"I have to turn down customers, and that makes me feel bad," said Eita, who is 54 and a native of Egypt.

Eita said he plans to transplant Rick's classic design scheme - booths, jukebox, checkerboard floors and murals of 1950s entertainment icons - to the new place. "But it will be nicer and bigger," he said.

The building exterior also will get a face-lift to give it an updated, but retro, look, said Ken Turton, the Sacramento broker who found the new site for Eita and also represented the building's owner, O Street Partners.

Rick's current landlord promises to find a dessert restaurant to replace Rick's, but only time will tell if he's successful.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

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Try It: Mei Mei Noodle Factory - Noodle lovers – don’t let the rickety screen door and gritty exterior of Mei Mei Noodle Factory give you pause. This no-frills, warehousy retail establishment sells some of the most delicious (and least expensive) noodles you have ever encountered. Made fresh on the premises daily, Mei Mei’s simple wares include thick udon, chow mein and stir fry noodles, as well as wonton, dumpling and pot sticker wraps. If you’re lucky enough to arrive on a day when the owners have made whole wheat or seasonal noodles (two favorite flavors are carrot and pumpkin) – snatch them up, as they go fast. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag. 

Crowds in Granite Bay camp out for Chick-fil-A's 'First 100' - It's happening again, right now, this time in Granite Bay, all because of a chicken sandwich...[T]hose folks are congregated at 4040 Douglas Blvd. waiting for Thursday's morning's grand opening of the Sacramento area's fifth Chick-fil-A, bringing the total number in California to 62. Why? Because the first 100 adults still in line at the new restaurant at 6 a.m. tomorrow will win free Chick-fil-A sandwiches for a year. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee. Video from CBS 13.

You know an event is big when a scalper greets arriving guests looking to buy and sell extra tickets.

That's what happened at the Second Annual Sac Bacon Fest Chef's Competition event on Sunday. As part of the closing festivities, local chefs from Magpie Cafe, Bacon & Butter, Grange Restaurant, Hook & Ladder, Mulvaney's B&L, Formoli's Bistro and others competed to determine whose pork cuisine reigned supreme. Sac Bee's Chris Macias has the results.

But once all digesting was done and votes were tabulated, one local eatery swept the competition. That would be Magpie Cafe which won a bacon-flavored triple crown: the audience award and both "critics picks" in which each chef was judged both on a strip of bacon and bacon-infused dish. Kelly Hogge, pictured above in a photo from Ryan Donahue, wowed the panel and audience alike with miso cured bacon paired with kimchee and kumquat and a wonderful pastrami bacon. Congrats to chef Kelly and all others for a fine showing.

Read the entire recap in the Sac Bee.

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Bacon Fest & Sassy Cocktails at Shady Lady Saloon - Originally dropping in with friends just for the cocktailing, I couldn’t resist ordering up a plate of the chef’s deviled eggs, containing salty bits of house-cured bacon, a tangy dash of Dijon mustard, capers and crunchy celery. They were fabulous – perhaps the best deviled eggs I have ever tasted – and they were the perfect complement to the expertly-crafted Gin Daisies and martinis we were relishing at the bar. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

VIDEO: Golden Bear -  Nina Hajian visits the Golden Bear's Bacon Fest Brunch over the weekend. On Good Day Sac.

VIDEO: Annual Festival Draws Bacon Lovers To Midtown Restaurants - Bacon lovers are in hog heaven pigging out on pork during midtown Sacramento's annual Bacon Fest. On KCRA.