After a six month journey, Public House Theater soft re-opened over the weekend after resolving a permitting issue with city authorities.

When we last heard about Public House Theater, the owners closed the theater portion of their business in March 2015, but their pub remained open.

At the time, Sac News & Review's Janelle Bitker wrote that the theater shutdown was related to not having the proper licenses to show films (though in a subsequent Facebook reply, Public House Theater says it had "NOTHING to do with the mpaa").

On April 6, they announced that the pub was also forced to close, without explanation.

A Go Fund Me plea posted at the end of April seems to shed some light on the issue.

So we started this journey a year ago. We hired a design group to do the plans and get our permits. They lead us to believe that we had our permits and to continue building and open. We have since found out that what they had told us was far from the truth. We did not have any permits and should not have opened. We have been working on getting our drawings done by a great customer (friend). The community has been so good to us and has been behind us all the way. They had a party for us and raised almost $3000 for us. We are almost there but we have a little bit more to go. We need money to pay rent and taxes while we are closed. Thank you for your support and time.

This story is corroborated by city permitting records, which list details for a May 15, 2015 request for a Commercial Housing Department permit:

REMODEL WOP 15-005476 QUAD FEES Public House Theater Parking Lot with interior remodel of space becoming the theater. Use is allowed but the parking provided is currently under review as an Administrative Parking Review IR15-015 and the parking lot improvements are under Site Plan Review DR14-310. Signed Concurrent Review is attached.

When Pubic House Theater first hit our radar screens in Sept. 2014, it looked like it would be one of the first places locally to allow drinking at a movie theater and there was much enthusiasm for the project. Since then, the concept has become less unique with the openings of Studio Movie Grill in January 2015 and the addition of alcohol to Esquire IMAX's menu in April.

With that said, many locals seem to love the theater and rallied around it on Facebook when it looked like it was closed.

Public House Theater can be found at 5440 14th Ave., and can be found online at http://www.publichousetheater.net/.

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‘Snails’ on menu for Slow Food’s Harvest Dinner - Who earns the next “Snail of Approval”? Learn at Slow Food Sacramento’s annual Harvest Dinner on Nov. 8 at Mulvaney’s B&L. Tickets ($75; $65 Slow Food members) are on sale now for this popular fund-raiser that supports Slow Food Sacramento’s local programs such as school gardens and promotion of urban agriculture. Past Harvest Dinners sold out quickly. Debbie Arrington in the Sac Bee.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Bogle Winery - In September, Bogle Vineyards (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) invited Girls on the Grid for some vino and good times at their tasting room in Clarksburg. Here’s some fun stuff that we learned about this wonderful winery...On Girls on the Grid.

Aloha, ohana - In the five years since, he’s returned to Hawaii 12 times, launched a mobile Hawaiian barbecue business called Ben’s Huli Huli Chicken and, last month, opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Ben’s Hawaiian Cafe (6610 Folsom-Auburn Road, Suite 7, in Folsom). Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Comfort food rules: Chili verde with roasted potatoes, Mother - Mother's menu is seasonal but the chili verde with roasted potatoes ($12) seems to have earned a permanent spot. And rightfully so: This comfort food staple is deliciously filling with piquant verde sauce, hearty pinto beans, chewy hominy and gooey chunks of mozzarella cheese. Rachel Leibrock in Sac News & Review.

Dan Barber visits Sacramento - Barber talked about the importance that chefs can play in educating and changing the way we eat. He also explained how, when he made his changes to serving dishes with rotational crops and lesser known ingredients, he switched to a prix fixe menu. Prix fixe menus mean that you eat what the chef decides instead of choosing off a menu. So, in his case, you were eating offal and rotation risotto (risotto made with other grains such as barley and millet) whether you wanted to or not. Catherine Enfield on Munchie Musings.

Goldfield Trading Post was closed for three days due to a rodent infestation, reports Marin Austin on FOX 40.

Last Friday, officials with the county Environmental Management Department shut down the saloon-style restaurant after reportedly finding a dead rodent on the floor next to the ATM machine, seven rodent droppings on top of boxes of sugar and salt, 10 droppings beneath beer taps and two dead cockroaches beneath beer taps...

Goldfield's owner Bret Bair says Goldfield was only closed for three days.

"Rodents entered our [venue] after our landlord opened up the walls to do work on the second floor of the building. [We have since] fixed the problem by patching the walls so there are more no entry points for rodents," Bair said.

Watch the entire video below, or read the entire story on FOX 40.

According to the Sacramento County's Food Facility Inspection Web site, Goldfield was closed after it failed an inspection on Friday, Oct. 2. Among the findings were:

• Observed dead rodent on floor of room located next to ATM machine
• 7 rodent droppings on top of boxes of sugar and salt of dry storage shelf in back walk-in refrigerator area
• 1 dropping on top of container of dry food container in middle prep room
• 1 dropping on clean inverted hotel tray on shelf in middle prep room
• 2 droppings on shelf with clean hotel trays in middle prep room
• 15 droppings on floor of middle prep room, 2 droppings on top of kitchen dishwash machine
• 2 droppings on top of chemical containers near kitchen dishwash machine
• 20 droppings on floor of kitchen dishwash machine
• 4 dropping on floor next to small
• ice machine
• 4 droppings on floor beneath uniform storage area
• 4 droppings in breaker closet
• 10 droppings on floor of near soda syrup rack area
• 10 droppings in cabinet beneath beer dispensers.

The restaurant was reinspected the following day and failed again, per county reports.

• More than 20 rodent droppings in and on condiment rack (salt and pepper shakers, sugar and sweetener containers) under metro shelves in back room.
• More than 50 droppings on floor below rack 
• Partially consumed (gnawed open) sugar packet in condiment tray.
• More than 20 droppings on floor below dish machine drain board - back corner.
• 1 live adult cockroach found in dry storage room after moving condiment rack out from under metro shelf.

The restaurant was again inspected on Monday, Oct. 5 and passed. "No evidence of an active vermin infestation was found," said the report.

Honestly, it's not unusual to have restaurants closed due to vermin infestation. Obviously, you'd prefer that they not happen, but it happens to both good restaurants more often than you think. I've eaten at Goldfield, and despite their temporary closure, I'll eat and drink there again.

Goldfield is located at 1630 J Street, and can be found online at http://goldfieldtradingpost.com/.

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Chef Scott Ostrander leaves Paragary’s - Scott Ostrander, who helped reopen Sacramento’s Paragary’s restaurant in after its $1 million makeover, has left the restaurant. Ostrander has taken a new job as executive chef for reservation-only dining events at the Inn at Park Winters, a resort in rural Yolo County. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

What to expect from Sacramento's coffee week - Here's an excuse to ramp up your standard caffeine jolt this afternoon. Sacramento's Specialty Coffee Week kicks off today and will run through Oct. 18. Some locally owned businesses will offer special items all week. You can also expect a variety of unique events held daily. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Five buzzworthy events to check out during Specialty Coffee Week - From tutorials on how to brew the best cup at home to a three-course meal paired with coffee, and a java-centric barista competition, here are five ways to celebrate Sacramento’s caffeine craze during the second annual Specialty Coffee Week. Gregory Allen and Jessica Rine in Sac Biz Journal.

Specialty Coffee Week 2015 Guide - As America’s farm-to-fork capital, Sacramento’s affection for quality coffee comes as no surprise. Specialty coffee attempts to celebrate farmers across the world and their tireless efforts to grow delicious and sustainable coffee. For the second year, Sacramento has set aside a week to celebrate coffee’s journey from farm to cup with a myriad of educational opportunities. We’ve collected a slice of the happenings so that you can celebrate Specialty Coffee Week and stay caffeinated all week long. A.C. Scott on City Scout Mag.

VIDEO: Specialty Coffee Week - Specialty coffee week is underway with a number of fun and educational events, at Temple Coffee Roasters. Tina Macuha on Good Day Sac Part 1 | Part 2.

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.

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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. ($$)

Sloughhouse Inn, which served "sub-par food" per a Feb. 2014 review in the Sac Bee, has turned a corner and has new ownership.

Betsy Hite, a chef who owns Elegant and Easy Gourmet Catering, announced her purchase of the business from George and Leah Lee in early April, with Tuesday, April 28 as its opening date. Before opening the catering business, Betsy worked as the Director of Public Affairs for the California Association of Health Facilities, per her Linked In profile.

In other Facebook posts, Betsy says the restaurant will serve "fresh food, locally sourced" with great service.

Recently, Betsy was in the news after being stiffed $18,000 by West Sac's TBD Fest.

If you want to get a flavor for her cooking, she was on KCRA in December to make Smoke Alarm Prime Rib.

Sloughhouse Inn is located at 12700 Meiss Rd in Sloughhouse.

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Steak eating champion offers rare interview to The Bee - Schuyler says her main motivation for entering competitive eating contests is to support her family, which includes four kids. While some media outlets have reported that Schuyler works at Applebee’s, she says she hasn’t worked there in many years. The contest winnings help her put food on the table while being able to spend a little more time at home. “It’s about not having to work another minimum wage job again,” said Schuyler, who won $6,000 in the competition. “I can do the competitions when I want to, and not when I don’t want to, and I’m just gone on the weekends usually.” Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Mango Madness - Walking into Sweets and Sugars can be a dizzying experience. This neveria, or ice cream parlor, across the street from C.K. McClatchy High School in Land Park, is nearly always swarming with a line of customers, and the lengthy menu of ice creams, raspados (Mexican shaved ice), aguas frescas, cakes and other desserts can be a tad overwhelming. Catherine Warmerdam in Sac Mag.

The Trade Coffee and Coworking – Caffeinated Innovation - Keeping the community vibe going, the coffee bar at The Trade also serves pastries fresh from Freeport Bakery and plans to soon begin using chocolate from local chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth in their mochas. With an eventual outdoor expansion planned for the second floor and a parklette out front, Matt and Amanda are working to keep patrons as close to the canopy, and their neighborhood, as possible. As coffee lovers, we’re excited for all of this. As writers looking for creative places to work and collaborate, we’re even more excited to have yet another seat from which to choose. As Sacramentans, we’re delighted to see our city house such a unique and shared experience and are looking forward to participating in its growth. Michelle Sweezy on Girls on the Grid.

In a larger story about the Warehouse Artists Lofts on R Street, the Sac Bee's Mary Lynne Vellinga gives an update on the new restaurant venture by Golden Bear and Hook and Ladder owner Kimio Bazett:

A public market on the ground floor will have a sushi shop, juice bar, vintage clothing stand, vinyl record store and shoemaker. Bottle & Barlow, a combination bar and barbershop, plans to open in May. The complex is filled with work from local artists.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

While we're on the topic of Bottle & Barlow, Details Magazine named the bar and Paragary's Midtown as two of the most anticipated bar openings of 2015.

When it opens, Bottle & Barlow will be found at 1120 R Street, and can be found online at http://bottleandbarlow.com/.

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GOTG Review: Vampire Penguin, Shaved Snow and Desserts - As first time visitors, we decided to try the most popular selection, according to the Vampire Penguin crew – the Strawberry Cheesecake. They said you really can’t go wrong with this one and they were right! We also tried the Smoreos, Mexican Candy and the waffles! Tip – toss a bit of your shaved snow on top for some added flavor, but beware of major brain freeze! Anyway, everything we tried was amazing! Both of us are hardcore chocolate lovers, so we were surprised that we kept going back to the strawberry cheesecake! It was light, refreshing and really delicious! Keep in mind that one large order was plenty to split between both of us. Kelli Gould and Yessina Anderson on Girls on the Grid.

The Nosh Pit: Musicians, got a gig in Sactown? Here’s where you should eat -  Hello, Sacramento is the farm-to-fork capital of the universe, with its impeccably fresh ingredients and gifted chefs with culinary styles for miles. Brooks likes to strike the everyman pose, but supporting a fast-food chain instead of the mom-and-pop shops was a missed opportunity to mingle with the locals and enjoy some grub. Had Brooks opted to poke around Sacramento’s restaurants, we would’ve recommended starting at South, the Southside Park eatery with tasty fried chicken and homespun foods, and a husband-wife ownership team. Shoot, their saga in dealing with city red tape to get open could’ve inspired a song. Or, Brooks could’ve started his local culinary tour at Chando’s, because, hey, who doesn’t love tacos? Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Six Invites to Pebble Beach Food & Wine show rise in Sacramento’s food scene - The Sacramento chefs invited to Pebble Beach are Oliver Ridgeway, executive chef of Grange; Billy Ngo, owner/chef of Kru; Ramon Perez, owner/chef of Puur Chocolat; Kelly McCown, former executive chef of Ella Dining Room & Bar and soon to be chef of the upcoming OBO Italian; and Michael Thiemann, owner/chef of Mother Restaurant, along with Matt Masera, the executive chef. Among the invited sommeliers is Joseph Vaccaro, formerly the general manager of Ella and now chief operating officer and wine director for Selland Family Restaurants. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Oak Park Brewing Co.: Wanted: A beer education - There are some great dishes already on the menu, most notably the Broadway Beetdown salad. This is no rabbit food. Mounds of baby arugula mingle with roasted golden beets, crumbled goat cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds. A brie vinaigrette is an unexpected but perfect complement to the greens...One of the weak links here seems to be server education. Except for one waitress, who we recognized from lots of Midtown restaurants, the servers seem a little untrained and vague on ingredients. When we ordered the Sausage Board, the waitress couldn’t tell us what the sausages were, and then returned with the news that they were “Italian and brat.” Any details on meat or spices were unavailable. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

Fair Oaks Brew Pub soft opened this week, it announced on its Facebook Page.

This week, they'll only serve beer and wine, but the menu on their Web site promises to offer "Neopolitan pizzas, artisan salads, dried, cured meats and cheeses."

In the video above, owners Rich and Jayne Schmitt describe the renovations needed to turn the old Wells Fargo building into a brew pub, including restoring the building's facade to it's original surface by removing the siding and exposing the original stone surface.

For now, it's only open from 3 to 10 p.m. during its soft opening.

Fair Oaks Brew Pub can be found at 7988 California Ave. in Fair Oaks or online at http://fairoaksbrewpub.com/.

Thanks to Cowtown Eats reader @MullingHagel for the tip.

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California Craft Beer Summit tickets on sale this Wednesday - Tickets for Sacramento’s inaugural California Craft Beer Summit, which include one of the largest beer festivals in the country, go on sale this Wednesday, March 18...Passes to taste some of the 150 breweries at the showcase ($60). Nick Miller in Sac News & Review.

Luck o' the Irish - Where to get a green beer on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)? You can’t go wrong at an Irish pub. Among the best: Boxing Donkey Irish Pub and de Vere's Irish Pub. Bob Shallit in Sac Mag.

AUDIO: Friday Food Featuring Mulvaney's B&L - Located at 1215 19th Street, Mulveney's B&L offers hand-crafted, American cuisine with a whimsical style and a smile. But with St. Patrick's Day coming up, they brought us some Irish fare. Joining me now in studio is Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvany's B&L and local chef Adam Pechal. Kitty O'Neal on KFBK.

VIDEO: Hash Tacos - If you're down for the traditional Irish food such as corn beef and cabbage, then you'll love a new twist with tacos at Florez Bar & Grill. Cambi Brown on Good Day Sac.

VIDEO: Irish Tacos - Today Chef Jonah Messenger of 36 Handles joins us in studio to make Irish tacos! Lori Wallace on Good Day Sac.

Food truck Wicked 'Wich's initial claim to fame was it's Pittsburgh/Primanti Brothers-style sandwiches, which is basically a regular sandwich served with fries and cole slaw.

Unfortunately, when it opened its brick and mortar location at the West Sac Community Center last week, its trademark sandwiches were nowhere to be found, which led to a little grousing by fans, like these comments on Reddit.

Co-owner Matt Chong explained the change, via e-mail. "We don’t have the ability to install a deep fryer, so that’s what prompted the menu shift," wrote Chong. "Unfortunately, we won’t be selling the old-school Primanti-style sandwiches - but there are some seriously delicious options in their place."

Mystery solved. It's just a limitation of the space they were given. Chong did fill in come other details about the new cafe, again via e-mail:

• Open Mon-Fri, 7a-5p.
• We’re serving coffee/espresso, breakfast items (house steel cut oats, breakfast panini, pastries), sandwiches (panini style, regular. Some have Latin American influences), salads, snacks and natural sugar bottled sodas.
• We hope to be a catalyst for people to come out and not only eat with us, but check out the great facilities that are nearby:
• West Sac Library
• Black Box Theater- a very cool 300 person theater inside the Comm Center
• Event Space / Dance Rehearsal room (perfect for gatherings, meetings, dance practices)
• The experience has been great so far. There has been a HUGE amount of West Sac folks stopping by to support us, including so many who work for the city. The people inside the building are amazing to work with as well.

If you're in West Sac and you're looking for a meal, I'd encourage you to give the new Wicked 'Wich cafe, located at 1075 West Capitol Avenue, a try.

More News:

At table with Sacramento news anchor Edie Lambert - Restaurant-wise, two of her local go-to’s are Mulvaney’s B&L (916-441-6022, www.mulvaneysbl.com ) and, for more casual dining, Formoli’s Bistro (916-448-5699, www.formolisbistro.com). Then there’s Edie’s comfort-food favorite, the bread pudding at Les Baux Bakery (916-739-1348, www.lesbauxbakery.com). “If everything is going wrong in my world, that bread pudding will dig me out,” she said. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Sacramento tech team creates ‘Requested’ app for restaurant discounts - An ambitious smartphone app released this week promises to bring dynamic pricing to the dining industry, allowing restaurants to fill seats on slow days while giving customers the chance to negotiate discounted meals. Called Requested, the free app for Android and iPhone is the creation of a team that includes Sonny Mayugba, co-owner of The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar, who spent 12 weeks living and working in San Francisco as part of a startup incubator project. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

M. Shahrzad Serves Up Terrific Persian Cuisine - I had a knockout dinner this past weekend at M. Shahrzad Fine Persian Cuisine in Rancho Cordova. The restaurant was packed with families and large groups when we arrived, tucking happily into the restaurant’s toothsome skewered meats, robust Persian stews and colorful appetizers. Kira O'Donnell in Sac Mag.

Mother’s Beer Week Event Spectacular - “Mother’s Beer Week Event Spactacular” – That’s a big title to live up to – but if there’s one thing that Mother excels at, it’s living up to the hype. The small, veggie-centric restaurant on K St has certainly become a mainstay for the downtown lunch crowd, but you haven’t truly experienced Mother until you’ve attended one of their special events. I was lucky enough to snag tickets to their beer week event, and it did not disappoint. Brianna Nathan on Girls on the Grid.

Can ‘fast-casual’ burger chains overcome the merely fast? - As one of the region’s growing “better burger” chains, Krush Burger is on a roll. Part of a national trend, it’s biting into the traditional burger market long dominated by big chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King. In the last few years, America’s relish for the basic burger has shifted from the fast, low-priced products touted by the golden arches to higher-quality meals produced quickly, the so-called fast-casual better burger. Ellen Garrison in the Sac Bee.