Cowtown Eats

Weekly News Roundup

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

October 07, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Dining: Three W's for three newer venues -- Wow! Whoa! and What? - In this installment of "First Impressions," I can sum up each of three new Sacramento eating spots with one word. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

M Shahrzad Fine Persian & Iranian Cuisine: Persia most pleasurable - One thing that isn’t part of Persian cooking is hot sauce. Cholula is proffered when seeking a flame throw for the gheymeh. Persian food is made to share. Experience Shahrzad with a friend. Insist on one of Rhea’s tables. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Review: The Press Bistro & Bar - Little interactions like this are what make any bartender's customers coming back, and it takes just one evening of watching them belly-laugh together like the best of friends to see that Humenik's regulars are no different: his happy-go-lucky temperament keeps barstools occupied week in and week out. Or maybe it's the free food. Kira O'Donnell in the Sac Mag.

All Hail the Gastropub Kupros! - Kupros Bistro (1217 21st Street) has hit the ground running in Midtown. Chantel Elder & Laura Braden in Girls on the Grid.

The Dining Divas: House Kitchen & Bar - Pick an appetizer, any appetizer, and you’ll be happy. We started with the five-cheese macaroni and cheese and moved on to Cajun shrimp with grilled garlic bread, crispy chicken pieces with a sweet/spicy glaze, shrimp po’ boy sliders with coleslaw, and sweet corn tamale cakes. Gloria Glyer in Sac Mag.

Restaurant News

Your Sacramento Guide: The 'What's our signature dish?' search reveals ... - We're back talking about Sacramento's signature dish. Or rather, whether we have one. No one seems quite sure, which is what makes this fun. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Sayonara, Sake House - The bad news just keeps on coming, folks. Sake House in Roseville closed abruptly earlier this week. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Promo on the go - Old Sac's Ten 22 is wasting no time trumpeting its designation, by Sacramento Magazine, as the area's best new eatery. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

The Dollar-Wise Gourmet: Double Take - Craving something wonderful but unaffordable? For every high-ticket item, there’s a lower-priced alternative. Cathy Cassinos-Carr in Sac Mag.

Get Happy - They call it happy hour for a reason. After all, when you can get a cocktail and a bite to eat for $10 or less, what’s there to frown about? Here are 10 spots where the satisfying specials are certain to put a smile on your face. Catherine Warmerdam in Sac Mag.

What a Dive! - Who needs white tablecloths and tuxedoed waiters? These local dives (and we use the term lovingly) offer great food without the fuss. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

Sac News & Reviews Best of Sacramento Food & Drink Reader's Choice.

Sac News & Review's Best of Sacramento Writer's Picks.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on October 07, 2010 at 08:29 AM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

September 30, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Dining review: Tuli Bistro still pretty good, but it has slipped - There is still lots to love about Tuli Bistro, but for now we are in a tough situation, forced to downgrade its overall rating while cheering for it to rise again and take its place alongside some of our city's excellent bistros. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Night Life: Happy hour at Sacramento's Il Fornaio a posh but friendly nosh - Little interactions like this are what make any bartender's customers coming back, and it takes just one evening of watching them belly-laugh together like the best of friends to see that Humenik's regulars are no different: his happy-go-lucky temperament keeps barstools occupied week in and week out. Or maybe it's the free food. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

Restaurant News

Bistro 33 Midtown closes to become Spin Burger Bar - Bistro 33 Midtown, the 16th St. restaurant with the urban lounge feel, closed Monday to make way for a new concept. Look for the opening of Spin Burger Bar come mid-November, with a cycling theme and more recession-friendly prices. Most orders will likely cost under $15, said Fred Haines of SRO Inc., the local restaurant group which also oversees Bistro 33 locations in Davis and El Dorado Hills and midtown's Suzie Burger. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Your Guide: What's Sactown's signature dish? - In San Francisco, it's crab and sourdough bread. In Philadelphia, it's the cheesesteak. In Chicago, it's ribs. And in New Orleans, it's beignets or gumbo or étoufée or a po' boy with shrimp or oysters or almost anything. New Orleans is special. In Sacramento? Not sure. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

New dance club coming to 20th and K - A new dance club and bar is scheduled to come to K street by spring. The 2,500-square-foot night spot will be built atop the Hot Rod’s hamburger restaurant, 2007 K St., and will be the first bar and dance club on the corner to feature food, according to owner T.J. Bruce, who also owns nearby night spots The Depot and Badlands. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.

Piatti closes Roseville location - Piatti Ristorante in Roseville closed over the weekend. The 5,000-square-foot location at 3003 Douglas Blvd. opened in 1998. Mark Anderson in the Sac Biz Journal.

Paragary's restaurant empire set to take off to Sacramento airport - Sacramento restaurateur Randy Paragary's empire looks to be taking off again – this time to the new Sacramento International Airport terminal. Tony Bizjak in the Sac Bee.

Mulvaney's To Operate Cafe at New Crocker - The Crocker Art Museum announced today that Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney, owners of Mulvaney’s Building & Loan, will operate the cafe at the newly expanded museum when it opens to the public next month. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag.

Good news on the pizza front: Masullo is now serving lunch - There are a lot of good pizzerias in the Sacramento area, including Masullo at the edge of Land Park. There, for the past two years, Robert Masullo and his crew have prepared a dinner menu starring Neapolitan-style pizza. Now the restaurant is offering a lunch menu from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring six kinds of pizza (cooked in an almond wood-burning oven), three sandwiches, and appetizers and salads. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

We search for the perfect hamburger bun and find some good ones - Gary Cawood of Fair Oaks loves a good hamburger, but too often he's bummed out by the buns. Why must it be that a hamburger bun too often tastes bland or barely covers the patty or gets reduced to a soggy mess from the burger's juices? Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on September 30, 2010 at 08:49 AM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (1)

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

September 23, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Dining review: Placerville's Cafe Luna has personality and flair - If I could make a restaurant my second home and drop in on a regular basis, I would want it to be a place like Café Luna in Placerville. It's a special restaurant run by special people – and it's worth a special trip from Sacramento to check it out. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Plates Café and Catering - Eat at Plates. Portions are prodigious enough to be dessert prophylactics. The service is bubbly and efficient. Its salads, lettuce and pasta are spot-on. More importantly, at Plates, a meal—or 50—is good for the soul. And it’s good for St. John’s Shelter and the formerly homeless women with children it serves. Like the menu says, Plates serves inspiration. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Night Life: Simon's is a cozy time capsule - Simon's Restaurant provides more than good, quick eats for politicians, lobbyists and others in the Capitol crowd. This midtown eatery also has a fun, easygoing nighttime atmosphere that people from all walks of life find inviting. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

Dining Out: Sapporo Grill - When Joy and I headed out a year ago on the Big Nosh, a tour of 25 downtown/Midtown restaurants, we made it to 23 of them. And tops on our list of places we wanted to go back to was a new sushi bar and Japanese steak house called the Sapporo Grill. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly.

Restaurant News

Quest to find good food deals for $10 or less - We set out on a quest to see how much food we could buy for $10 or less, zigzagging from warehouses to grocers to factories in search of great deals. Niesha Lofing in the Sac Bee.

Your Guide: Construction issues for Biba, Enotria - We have lots of ground to cover today in the eating and drinking world, starting with that always-appetizing concept: construction. Actually, I've gotten a bunch of questions recently about construction work at and around a pair of Sacramento's best restaurants, Biba in midtown and Enotria Cafe & Wine Bar in North Sacramento. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Mati's Indian Express to move to Midtown - A popular Natomas restaurant will soon be calling Midtown home as the owners look to expand their business. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.

Piatti closes Roseville location - Piatti Ristorante in Roseville closed over the weekend. The 5,000-square-foot location at 3003 Douglas Blvd. opened in 1998. Mark Anderson in the Sac Biz Journal.

Lemon Grass owner bringing Asian street-style food to Sac - Promising authentic and affordable Asian street food, Star Ginger will be coming to Sacramento in November. The restaurant is owned by Mai Phan, who also owns Lemon Grass restaurant and noodle bars in Sacramento and several other Star Ginger locations in university campuses including Stanford and Berkeley. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on September 23, 2010 at 08:55 AM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

September 16, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Dining review: St. Helena's Meadowood pushes envelope of greatness - The only Michelin three-star restaurant in the north state is Yountville's venerable French Laundry. But Meadowood, with a completely different style of food and a highly competitive chef pushing the limits, is making a case for consideration as one of the nation's premier restaurants. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Hokkaido Noodle House: Hot in Japan - Ramen, on its own, isn’t terrifically flavorful. It’s the broth and the fixins that enliven it. Hokkaido could add some flair and flash to its fare. The chef’s self-made hot sauce is a promising creative step in that direction. Zutto tsuzukete kudasaimasu. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Night Life: Old Spaghetti Factory cranks up happy hour production - Most wouldn't expect to pop into a chain restaurant for happy hour drinks and snacks, but this Old Spaghetti Factory is not typical of chain restaurants. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

The Press: In with the new - The menu matches the space: ethereal and pleasant with its stylish but homey dishes. Potato croquettes and fried meatballs (which I would kill to get the recipe for) are a delightful reminder that new things can be good, possibly better, than what you might be missing when it comes to the restaurant world. Garrett McCord in the Sac News & Review.

Restaurant News

Club Pheasant celebrates 75 years - Club Pheasant in West Sacramento celebrates its 75th anniversary with live music and meal and drink specials Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mark Anderson in Sac Biz Journal.

Vic's Ice Cream co-founder Rutledge dies - Ashley Wayne Rutledge, co-founder of Sacramento landmark Vic’s Ice Cream, died Sunday. He was 90. Mark Anderson in Sac Biz Journal.

Trails still going at 70 - Take one step inside Trails Restaurant and you enter another era — an era when record-breaking swimmer Esther Williams was a movie star and meat dominated the dinner table. Suzanne Hurt in Sac Press.

Your Guide: Ahh, shucks! Guinness and oysters at de Vere's - Irish stouts and oysters is a mix almost as perfect as Champagne and oysters, but it works in a very different way. The smoky richness of the beer, and the creaminess of stouts like Guinness (the cream comes from the nitrogen, but now we're way off the main road) match and blend with the briny salt of oysters. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Sac Connect: Cakegrrl and Cowtown Eats - Cowtown Eats finds football and sushi make an unconventional and economical pairing at Mikuni. In the Sac Bee.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on September 16, 2010 at 02:26 PM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

September 09, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Seoul Restaurant: Old Boy - Sacramento’s Seoul Restaurant has it in spades. Its matriarch, dynamic and kindly, says that at 38 years just off the intersection of La Riviera Drive and Folsom Boulevard—unfortunately obscured by a Shell station—her place is the oldest Korean eatery in town. As far as the food goes, there are no signs of infirmity. It’s more of a testament to the claim that age improves everything. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Nightlife: It's all about the beer -- and coffee -- at Pangaea in Curtis Park - Most people expect just snacks and drinks when they belly up to a bar. Pangaea Two Brews Café is trying to change those expectations. Owner Rob Archie is passionate about beer, and he is quietly spreading his knowledge and enthusiasm to his customers, one glass at a time. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

Dining Out: End of Summer Midtown Gelato Tour - Luckily, there are three places in Midtown that serve gelato—as we were reminded one recent evening while walking down the street with our frogurt, only to pass Hot Italian (627 16th Street), which was doing lots of business out of their gelato window. We vowed that our next hot weather trip would be there. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly.

Restaurant News

Couple's Sofia to be shuttered - A downtown restaurant, Sofia on 11th, is expected to close [last] Saturday — another victim of the recession and Furlough Fridays, as well as a somewhat obscure location. Suzanne Hurt in Sac Press.

Nishiki Sushi removes live prawns following PETA pressure - Nishiki Sushi has decided to spare its prawns. After being contacted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the midtown sushi restaurant has removed live prawns from its menu. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Second to naan - Coming soon to midtown Sacramento: a fast-food Indian eatery that's relocating from Natomas. The owners of Mati's Indian Express on Tuesday signed a lease to go into the former Togo's/Baskin-Robbins site on 16th Street between O and P. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

Who Put the Whiskey in My Milkshake? - As anyone who has survived a frozen mudslide could tell you, the spiked shake is anything but a new idea. But it seems to be experiencing a sudden uptick in ubiquity, respectability and, here and there, craftsmanship. Steven Stern in the New York Times.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on September 09, 2010 at 09:14 AM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

September 02, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Dine: Three new Sacramento eateries expand on the bistro theme - Up first are three new Sacramento restaurants that call themselves bistros. A bistro is supposed to be a small, casual, European-style eatery with a more compact menu than a full-fledged restaurant's. In America, it's probably best not to take the label too literally. The Sacramento area already has a strong bistro category, with places like Tuli, Ravenous, Formoli's and Boulevard Bistro winning raves from loyal patrons. Where will these new places fit in? One seems like a sure hit. Another looks like a good bet. The third is still getting off the ground. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Abu’s Cafe & Grill: Lebanese wonder - There’s one delightful surprise after another at Abu’s Cafe & Grill. Not the least of them is Sarah, the sunny and solicitous owner of a winning smile, who also happens to be the daughter of one of the owners. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Nightlife: Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge - Natomas is not known for being an entertainment destination. Pockets of salons, big-box stores and chain restaurants fill in the spaces between dozens of housing developments, decisively creating the type of suburban atmosphere that seems so indifferent to fun, unique nightclubs and bars. This scarcity of nighttime entertainment has driven many younger people toward downtown Sacramento to mingle, drink and dance. Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge has capitalized on the suburban nightlife market (or lack thereof), steadily growing in popularity among the 20- and 30-somethings looking for a good cocktail closer to home. From happy hour specials to after-dinner events many weekday and weekend nights, this bar and restaurant is Natomas' late-night place to be. Casey Mar in the Sac Bee.

Restaurant News

Your Sacramento Guide: New food spots fit their neighborhoods - This is no news flash. It's almost a cliché just to bring it up. But when a food spot – restaurant, deli, market, you name it – opens, it needs to fit its neighborhood. Good food, good service, nice ambiance: all hugely important. But maybe most of all, the place needs to fit in, and central Sacramento just got two new places that fit their neighborhoods like a pair of old jeans. If neighborhoods wore jeans. You get the point. Rick Kushman in the Sac Bee.

Another One Bites the Dust: Le Petit Paris To Close - The hottest new food trend literally rolls through the country, using Twitter and other social media to alert hungry customers... But that food truck wouldn't be able to stop for long in Sacramento. The City Council adopted ordinances in 2008 that make it nearly impossible to create a regional version of Kogi BBQ, a mobile food truck featured in Time magazine and Bon Appetit that tweets its latest location to 70,000 followers. Marybeth Bizjak in Sac Mag.

Dining Out: Our Lady of Guadalupe - The Hispanic-based parish pitches tents in front of a beautiful, stone church where friendly people take their time ladling pools of bright red tamale sauce over fresh, steaming pork tamales, topping them with a liberal spread of fresh crème for a total of $2.00. Other tents have tacos, burritos, and, of course, bacon-wrapped hot dogs. What fun would Sunday be without a heart attack? Jennifer Chaussee in Capitol Weekly.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on September 02, 2010 at 08:15 AM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekly Sacramento Restaurant Reviews & News Recap

August 26, 2010

Restaurant Reviews

Dining review: Once-dependable Indian restaurant slips from favor - I asked our server if my order was correct, and he responded sharply: "Yes." At a real restaurant, where employees actually care, a server would have noticed that something was amiss, asked if everything was OK and, preferably, if I'd actually like some meat with my meat special. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Wayside Noodles: Late night pho king - Depending on the waitress, the food may come swiftly, but not always the check. And for a place with myriad entrees, it’s odd the drink options are fairly limited. There’s the inevitable avocado shake but no lemonade with soda, fresh-squeezed or otherwise, a Vietnamese stalwart. Probably just part of the fast-food thing. Greg Lucas in the Sac News & Review.

Restaurant News

Surprising bargains lurking at farmers markets - Whatever the motivation for hitting the farmers market, underlying it all is one act: shopping. And these days, shopping is all about deals. Yet many farmers markets have evolved into hot spots for the urban upper crust. (Those monogrammed jute bags are the giveaway.) So The Bee's Food & Wine staff wondered: Can the average shopper find bargains at a farmers market? Niesha Lofing in the Sac Bee.

Sacramento says no to hot new food trend - The hottest new food trend literally rolls through the country, using Twitter and other social media to alert hungry customers... But that food truck wouldn't be able to stop for long in Sacramento. The City Council adopted ordinances in 2008 that make it nearly impossible to create a regional version of Kogi BBQ, a mobile food truck featured in Time magazine and Bon Appetit that tweets its latest location to 70,000 followers. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Local food stars compete for slots at new airport terminal - Some of Sacramento's top food stars lined up Thursday to compete for restaurant concession spots at Sacramento International Airport's new $1 billion terminal. Tony Bizjak in the Sac Bee.

Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's - But Trader Joe's is no ordinary grocery chain. It's an offbeat, fun discovery zone that elevates food shopping from a chore to a cultural experience. It stocks its shelves with a winning combination of low-cost, yuppie-friendly staples (cage-free eggs and organic blue agave sweetener) and exotic, affordable luxuries -- Belgian butter waffle cookies or Thai lime-and-chili cashews -- that you simply can't find anyplace else. Beth Kowitt in Fortune Magazine.

Tuli Two? - Speaking of restaurants, the owners of Tuli Bistro have just signed on to run the food-service operations at downtown Sacramento's venerable Sterling Hotel & Ballroom. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

Ready for takeoff - At long last, the Good Eats gourmet grocery and restaurant is set to open. CEO Julie Rollofson says the Folsom Boulevard restaurant, takeout emporium and wine bar will have a "very soft" opening Monday, starting at 6 a.m. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

Looking for more restaurant news and reviews? Find previous roundups at http://www.cowtowneats.com/happy_hour/weekly-news-roundup/

Posted on August 26, 2010 at 11:30 AM in Weekly News Roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)