Just weeks after closing its midtown location to fine tune its concept, Wrap N' Roll Sushi Burrito was forced to close its Elk Grove location after a black Mercedes-Benz with a surprisingly courteous driver crashed through its doors on Thursday afternoon. The Sac Bee has more:

Police said they received a report of shots fired in the area, and the vehicle’s occupants fled the area following the crash.

The vehicle ended up inside the Wrap ’N Roll Sushi Burrito restaurant, but no one was injured. The only customer in the restaurant was at the counter, not in the dining area affected by the crash.

After crashing into the restaurant, three passengers exited the vehicle. The driver apologized to the cashier and all three of them quickly departed before police arrived. Police also say they found one bullet hole in the vehicle.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee and watch a great video of a tow truck pulling the car out of the building.

Wrap N' Roll Sushi Burrito released this update on their Facebook page on Thursday evening:

After an unfortunate incident took place this afternoon, wrap n roll Elk Grove will be closed until further notice. We're just grateful that everyone made it out okay.

In the meanwhile, for those seeking sushi burrito fixes please visit any of our other two locations Make Fish Poke & Sushi Burrito -9015 bruceville road #100 or our midtown location- 1801 L street #70 to be reopened this Saturday post renovations. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience!

I'm glad nobody was hurt and hope the business recovers quickly.

Photo via the Wrap N' Roll Sushi Burrito Facebook Page.

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Bacon & Butter's first supper - The theme for Bacon & Butter’s first-ever dinner service was, naturally, bacon and butter...Executive chef and owner Billy Zoellin headed his usual Bacon & Butter team as well as chef Robb “Rossi” Venditti, the caterer who used to lead Pangaea Bier Cafe, and chef Marty Hutton, who recently left Kupros for the food truck life. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

VIDEO: Baconfest Bites & Brew - Bacon Fest's first-ever bacon cocktail contest is tonight at Bottle & Barlow and Julissa is getting a preview! Julissa Ortiz on Good Day Sac.
http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/3352446-baconfest-bites-brew/

Beer Run: Burned out on beer fests? Take it up a notch with Art of Beer - If you’re one of those craft beer fans who’s burned out on beer festivals in the Sacramento area – too many tiny plastic souvenir cups, too many long lines for beers you’ve already seen all over town – maybe what you really need is something a bit more focused. That’s where the Art of Beer Invitational on Friday, Jan. 29, fills a void. It targets the aficionado. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Fifth Annual Art of Beer Invitational - Of all the Sacramento-area craft beer events (and there are a lot!), The Art of Beer Invitational is easily one of our favorites. Going down on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016 at The McClellan Conference Center in North Highlands, The Art of Beer brings together dozens of craft breweries with talented artists and tasty eats, all conveniently located under one huge-ass roof. Jonathan Carabba in Submerge Mag.

VIDEO: Out-Of-The-Box Brunch - Nha checks out Fleur de Lis, a new fine dining bar and restaurant in Folsom! On Good Day Sac.

Cask & Barrel seems to have done the impossible - be a successful restaurant in a space where so many others have failed. Rick Kushman tells us how, in Comstocks Mag.

Cask & Barrel has 40 seats, and has been averaging about 75 people a night. The duo says there is a list of advantages that come with a smaller size, starting with the obvious: A slow night causes less financial damage.

First, it means fewer people on the floor and in the kitchen. When they opened in February, Cask & Barrel ran with two people cooking. Now they’re up to three. All are experienced chefs who’ve worked with Glasier before...

Second, the smaller size addresses a huge factor in any restaurant’s success — managing food costs. Cask & Barrel projects within a tighter range, and that slow night doesn’t leave crates of food spoiling in the walk-in cooler.

The menu is either small bites or shared dishes — no traditional entrees — which Flores says makes their costs more predictable, gives prices the air of affordability while actually driving the average check up, and keeps customers satisfied with the variety those dollars provided.

Read the entire story in Comstocks Mag.

Disclosure: Cask & Barrel advertises on Cowtown Eats. I also find the owners Gabriel Glasier and Kristel Flores a delightful couple and chose their event space to host a baby shower. If you haven't given their restaurant a try, you NEED to go. At a minimum, check out their happy hour.

Cask & Barrel is located at 1431 Del Paso Blvd. and can be found online at http://caskandbarrel916.com/.

For those who (like me) find Rick Kushman insightful, he also hosts a successful podcast Bottle Talk with co-host Paul Wagner. This is how they describe their show:

Wine does not have to be a mystery. It doesn’t need to make you feel you’re being tested to join some secret Skull & Bones Society. The stuff is, after all, wine. All you really need to know is how to get it open and which end of the glass to drink from. (We’re pretty sure it’s the open part.) Most of us drink it because it’s fun.

Learn more at RickandPalWine.com.

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Boiling Avenue - Arden-Arcade’s newest neighbor might just be the hottest thing on the block—literally. Open since September, Boiling Avenue specializes in personal Taiwanese hot pots. Antoinette Ranit in Sac Mag.

Device’s collaboration beer a reflection of Sacramento’s reputation - When Device owner/brewmaster Ken Anthony was at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver in September, he met San Diego-based Alpine Beer Co. co-founder Pat McIlhenney. Anthony earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in structural engineering at the University of California, San Diego, and has been a big fan of Alpine’s beer. “Alpine was one of the breweries I really looked up to and I went there quite frequently,” Anthony said. “When I met Pat at GABF, we struck up a conversation and he said, ‘We should do a collaboration.’ I told him, ‘Don’t tease me like that,’ but he said he was serious.” Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Counter Culture: Tiny T.M. Noodle is big on choice and quality - Such a customer-friendly price-to-portion ratio is rare in our travels ($5 to $11, with one seafood-based dish at $17). Factor in the quality of the ingredients, and you’ve got a bargain. Catch it while you can. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Sacramento's Chipotle-ization of slices and pies continues - I hate on Pieology as much as the next person. But that doesn’t mean I think a Chipotle of pizza business model can’t work, just that Pieology is lame. Enter Sacramento Pizza Co. (2700 East Bidwell Street, Suite 500, in Folsom), a local business capitalizing on what has become a very popular concept nationwide: customizable, made-to-order personal pizzas. Choose crust, sauce, cheese, toppings, then wait a few minutes and eat. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Forget the PSL: Ginger Mocha, Yellowbill Cafe and Bakery - I'm a ginger junkie, but I never thought coffee and ginger could be a thing. A quick Google search reveals that I'm uneducated, though, because that's definitely a thing, and it's done real well at Yellowbill Cafe and Bakery with its Ginger Mocha ($4.25 for 12 ounces, $4.75 for 16). Anthony Siino in Sac News & Review.

There seems to be a critical consensus - there's something special going on with the food at Localis. This time, the Sac Bee's Carla Meyer gives her thoughts:

I’ve tried so much game at Localis during its four months in business that I expected my skin to erupt into camouflage. And although all of it was good, none stands out as much as the deceptively simple “farm plate” crudité dinner starter.

Ingredients vary, but on our visits, the farm plate contained turnip, radish, apple, pomegranate seeds and a few types of carrot and beet. Variations in texture and crunch levels, and pickling elements (including a rice vinegar-forward mix and one with red-wine vinegar and peppercorn) individuate the vegetables and fruits to such a degree that each bite differs from the next.

With this dish and others, Barnum carefully balances sweetness, salt, brightness and acidity for ultimate palate pleasure. The only element missing, out of many Barnum creations we tried, was heat. But heat is easy. The balances Barnum achieves are hard. And his flavors work altogether or in pairs.

Meyer did find fault in some of the non-food items at the restaurant, including their choice of music and their uncomfortable, at times, dining area.

Read the entire review in the Sac Bee.

Previously, the Sac News & Review's Ann Martin Rolke said their "food is worth seeking out."

Localis can be found at 2031 S St. and online at http://www.localissacramento.com/.

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Craft Beer Summit to return for a second year in Sacramento - The California Craft Beer Summit will return for a second year in Sacramento, building on the success of the inaugural event in September that attracted the top brewing talent in the state along with scores of beer enthusiasts looking to taste and learn in a lively setting. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Lou’s Sushi: Religion in a rainbow roll - If there are two things that separate Lou’s from the drudging sameness of most other sushi joints, it’s the clarity of flavor and ingenuity applied to each dish...Lou’s constantly surprised me. When most sushi joints seem to deliver the same ol’, same ol’, I found new flavors and ideas here, and look forward to visiting again. Garrett McCord in Sac News & Review.

How to summon your car from valet parking as you finish dessert - A new online service could make valet parking even easier, allowing drivers to summon their cars by text message before they even step outside. Sacramento-based USA Valet Parking has the exclusive use of the system in Sacramento, which uses technology from a Dallas-based software company. It's already in use at the restaurant Ten22 in Old Sacramento. Mark Anderson in Sac Biz Journal.

A new pizza option in Elk Grove - The build-it-yourself pizza craze has officially entered Elk Grove. Blast 825 Pizza opened Tuesday at 7701 Laguna Blvd., according to an announcement on the company's Facebook page. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Three new breweries coming to Placer County - Moonraker Brewing Co., Dueling Dogs Brewing Co. and Crooked Lane Brewing Co. will join the ranks of taprooms such as Goathouse Brewing Co., Knee Deep Brewing Co. and Loomis Basin Brewing Co. on the burgeoning ale trail in Placer County in 2016. Jessica Rine in Sactown Magazine.

Hawks Provisions and Public House, the East Sac outpost for the critically-acclaimed Granite Bay restaurant Hawks, is expected to open in November in time for the holiday rush, reports the Sac Bee's Blair Anthony Robertson.

The restaurant was first announced in Feb. 2013, and the restaurant will finally open 30 months later. They had previously planned to open in Aug. 2014, March 2015 and now finally Nov. 2015.

In an interview with Hawks co-owner Michael Fagnoni, Robertson also reports that:

• They decided to open a second restaurant, in part, to create new opportunities for the staff.
• The restaurant will be a gastropub-style establishment with six beers on tap.
• They've already received reservations for holiday parties in 2016.

Read the entire Q and A  in the Sac Bee.

When it opens, Hawks Provisions and Public House will be located at 1525 Alhambra Blvd. and can be found online at http://hawksprovisionsandpublichouse.com/.

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Beer Run: Now in Year 3, here’s how Bike Dog overachieved - The questions no one really seemed to be asking a couple of years ago, as the boom hit full stride, were, “Which of the newcomers would exceed expectations?” and “Which humble, little brewery would dial up good beer and dial in all the little things that add up to a pleasing beer-drinking experience?” The answer is Bike Dog Brewing. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Florida company wants a piece of Sacramento's craft beer scene - The Brass Tap, billed as an upscale craft beer and wine bar with food, recently entered California with a location in Vacaville. Peter Petrosian, the company's chief development officer, said he's eyeing Sacramento as The Brass Tap continues to expand throughout the state...Plans are still in the early stages. Petrosian is looking for local franchisees and hasn't finalized location details or a time frame for opening. But he thinks the region "can support multiple locations." Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

The winner of the second annual Sacramento National Nachos Day Crawl - It actually started in the afternoon, 3 p.m., on Broadway at Maya's. A server delivered thoughtfully plated nachos—sour-cream zigzags, zesty grilled peppers, plus the requisite cheese and chips, beans, guacamole and such, for 9 bucks. This first offering had the crew philosophizing as to what makes a nacho. But that exploration was fleeting, and perhaps Adam's insight was sufficient: “When the cheese hits the chip...” Maya's wins the NND Crawl for the second straight year. Nick Miller in Sac News & Review.

Localis - On Oct. 20, this popular midtown destination for the farm-to-fork loving dinner crowd expanded its menu and hours to begin serving lunch...The menu, masterminded by executive chef Christopher Barnum, who wanted to put his own creative twist on beloved lunch classics, includes a pastrami sandwich with thin cut slices of house-seasoned smoked beef, cabbage and grainy mustard aioli piled high onto Localis’ house-made rye bread. Heather Kemp and Johanna Pugh in Sactown Magazine.

FoodJets is the latest entrant into the Sacramento food delivery market.

What sets FoodJets apart is their desire to be the fastest to get food to you, though with a much smaller selection and delivery to the curb as opposed to the door like other services.

Their founder and CEO Darren McAdams and I have been e-mailing over the last month, and he agreed to a quick Q and A so Cowtown Eats readers can learn more about the new business.

1. What is FoodJets?

FoodJets is the fastest and easiest way to eat. Our goal is to be curbside with your hot or cold restaurant meals in 10 minutes. We also offer free delivery and do not allow tipping so it’s just the meal price and sales tax.

2. Where do you get the food from? Do you cook it yourself, or do you partner with a restaurant?

From local restaurants.

3. Where did you get the idea from?

Long story short, I started Food To You in 1993/94 and now we are servicing 13 markets in 6 states delivery 1,500+ restaurants. It is a very complex system on our end and expensive and very slow on the customers end. A few years back I wanted to change that and FoodJets was born. We offer 10 minute delivery of restaurant meals without any delivery fees or tips…simple.

4. Can you tell me about the founders?

I dropped out of college and started FTY in a garage with a buddy. I bought him out 2 months later for $500 and now Food To You is one of the larger restaurants delivery services in the nation.

5. There are others in the restaurant delivery space. How is FoodJets different?

FoodJets is built for speed, great food and value. All other restaurant delivery or pizza delivery businesses are slow and expensive. So, if you are rich and patient use other delivery services if you want great food fast at a great price then FoodJets is for you. Our menus completely change from lunch to dinner and day to day and once we cover all the metro area we will have 8 – 10 food choices per day ranging from Sandwiches, burritos, pizza, tacos, Chinese, Thai, American, Mexican, etc for our customers.

6. It seems that Postmates is supposed to bring it to your door whereas FoodJets promises curbside service. Why did you make the decision?

Strictly for faster delivery times and so we can keep free delivery for customers.

7. Like Uber but unlike Postmates, FoodJets includes the tip in the price. Can you talk about why you made that choice?

Most services nickel and dime customers with a delivery fee, tips, surcharges, etc. I wanted to eliminate everything but the cost of the food and tax. We have a very simple process and system anyone can use. With our quality, variety and price point there is no reason why someone should start their car, park and wait in line anymore for food.

From what I can tell, their business model is to buy food in bulk from their restaurant partners, resell it to customers for delivery via the app or Web site. On Monday, the menu consisted of:

• $9 Chef Salad from Clubhouse Grill
• $10 Park Street Tacos Entree from Felipe's Mexican Restaurant
• $10 Veggie Lasagna Entree from Anthony's Italian
• $10 Chicken Manchurian Entree from Ruchi Indian

While Monday's menu didn't feature some of the more well known restaurants in the area, I've seen the well regarded T&R Taste of Texas BBQ in Oak Park on the app.

At the end of the lunch and dinner shift, FoodJets features a Happy Half Hour from 1:30 to 2 p.m. and 8:30 to 9 p.m. where all their entrees are half off.

On Monday evening, I took advantage of their happy hour to order the pork tacos for $5. I ordered at 8:36 p.m., and true to their claim, they had it delivered by 8:46 p.m. to the curb in front of my Land Park home. The pleasant driver pulled up, rolled down her window, handed me the food and was on her way. It was quick and easy.

If I had to do it over again, I probably would have ordered the lasagna entree instead for its ability to be delicious even if it's not fresh from the kitchen. But for the price and speed, I have no complaints.

While the food delivery space is crowded, each of the three serve a distinct niche.

• If you want the widest selection with waits up to an hour, choose Postmates.
• If you want a curated selection where the service has partnered with restaurants to provide the best possible experience with waits up to an hour, choose Caviar.
• If you're hungry now and are willing to have fewer food options, choose FoodJets.

Click here to download the FoodJets app. First time users can also save $5 by entering SAC5 during the checkout process.

If you haven't downloaded Postmates yet, download the app here. Use the promo code nx3n, you'll get a $10 delivery credit.

You can download the Caviar app at http://www.trycaviar.com/sacramento.

More News:

Move Over, Tanqueray - Darjeeling Gin, which is produced by boutique distillery California Distilled Spirits in Auburn, proved that it can hold its own against even the poshest liquor brands when it won best of show at the most recent World Spirits Competition. Catherine Warmerdam in Sac Mag.

New 'breastaurant' chain will fill Suede Blue space in Roseville - The restaurant filling Roseville's former Suede Blue space is a clear departure from its steak-and-seafood past. Instead of creme brulee and couscous, expect Hangover burgers and "Lumber Jill" servers in low-cut apparel. Twin Peaks, a national chain billed as the ultimate sports lounge, is coming to Roseville. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

The accent is French at CIA’s student-run lunch service - The service was concerned and professional, and the dishes were excellent, but … the rock fish in the otherwise flawless cioppino was way oversalted (oops!), and we thought the cucumber-avocado-red onion salad was a taste and textural mismatch. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Poly food: The only Polynesian restaurant in Sacramento closed its doors over the weekend—a move for the best...Owner Cynthia Ala is looking to open somewhere with more foot traffic—a strip mall would be a huge improvement—in South Sacramento, hopefully by December. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review. (Second item.)

Localis, the restaurant which replaced Tuli/Trick Pony at 21st & S in July, continues to get rave reviews from the critics. The latest is from Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

However, the food is worth seeking out. Barnum, most recently at Cibo 7 in Roseville, presents food with the eye of an artist. The menu changes daily, dependent on local and regional ingredients, as well as “curated” planters of herbs alongside the patio.

Recent standout dishes included the Farm Plate ($11), a board of the freshest produce arranged carefully. Yellow wax beans, lightly pickled baby beets, and chunks of carrot reveled in a light dressing of piquant lemon vinaigrette.

The bacon and eggs ($11) included a golden-fried square of fine-grained polenta in which a raw duck egg was nestled. The heat of the polenta barely cooked the egg, which combined with the pesto to make a creamy sauce. Crisp jamon serrano and pea shoots rounded out the dish.

Read the entire story in Sac News & Review.

Rolke did ding the restaurant for "cramped tables and lackluster patio" though. The one time I ate there, I sat at the bar/chef's table area, and I loved my experience. It could be one of the best seats in town.

Previously, the Sac Bee's Carla Meyer was effusive with her praise.

That carpaccio dish also held cherry tomatoes, dressed in a foie gras vinaigrette, that flirted with best-thing-I-ever-tasted status. More seafood and/or vegetables, and less game, would have been welcome in the tasting menu. But the meal tasted special and thought-out, and Barnum makes a good host/chef. Friendly but low-key, he mostly lets his food speak for him.

Since we're on the topic of Localis, the restaurant, led by Chef Chris Barnum, started serving lunch this week, with entrees in the $10 to $15 range. Here's a sample lunch menu.

Localis is located at 2031 S Street, and can be found online at http://www.localissacramento.com/.

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An inside look at one of the restaurants coming to DoCo - At Sauced, I was satisfied with the money I spent. Everything was cooked and presented well. Alcohol is a big component of the Sauced experience. There's a long beer list, in addition to craft cocktails. I opted for one that involved lemonade. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Popular local Mexican restaurant to open downtown location - Carolina's Mexican Food, a family-run business that's been in the region for more than 20 years, is opening a location downtown. A sign is displayed outside the restaurant at 906 J St., which is across from Cesar Chavez Plaza and already has its own Twitter account. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Work could begin soon on new Broadway home for The Kitchen - Planning entitlements in hand, developers of a Broadway building that will become a new home for The Kitchen are moving ahead on building permits. Scott Maxwell, one of the partners in the proposal, said depending on the city, construction could get underway by year’s end. Ben van der Meer in Sac Biz Journal.

Icing on the Cupcake - After closing its doors for part of 2014, the Rocklin-based dessert shop Icing on the Cupcake is now expanding, with plans to open two new locations by early 2016. The new spots – which will be located at 2379 Iron Point Road in Folsom and at 1730 J Street in midtown – were chosen based on customer feedback via social media, word of mouth and orders. In Sactown Mag. (Fourth Item.)

Jimmy John’s Now Open in Natomas - A new Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is now open in Natomas Town Center. As reported by THE NATOMAS BUZZ in May 2015, the new eatery is the first franchise for the sandwich chain in the greater Sacramento area. On Natomas Buzz.

 Localis, the latest in a string of restaurants at 21st & S, has been open almost two months, and its getting rave reviews.

The latest is from the Sac Bee's Carla Meyer:

That carpaccio dish also held cherry tomatoes, dressed in a foie gras vinaigrette, that flirted with best-thing-I-ever-tasted status. More seafood and/or vegetables, and less game, would have been welcome in the tasting menu. But the meal tasted special and thought-out, and Barnum makes a good host/chef. Friendly but low-key, he mostly lets his food speak for him.

Read the entire First Impressions column in the Sac Bee.

I've only had dessert there, and I found their strawberry dessert to be unique and impressive. I have it on the list of restaurants I want to head back to soon.

 

Strawberries and Cream for dessert at @eatatlocalis. ($9) Delicious. Bound for greatness.

A photo posted by Cowtown Eats (@cowtowneats) on Jul 10, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT

On a side note, I think Meyer is really hitting her stride as the Bee's restaurant reviewer. Her writing is more confident and I've noticted that her more recent reviews have been more assertive. (Please don't intrepret that as a backhanded compliment. It's not intended to be.) I look forward to reading as her restaurant critic voice gets even stronger.

Localis is located at 2031 S Street, and can be found online at http://www.localissacramento.com/.

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Downtown eatery resurfacing - Sacramento’s popular Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery is set to reopen in late September – about four months after closing because of water damage linked to a broken pipe. Owners initially expected to have the repairs done in four to six weeks, but it took much longer to reach an agreement with insurers over how much of the damage was due to the broken pipe and how much was pre-existing in the century-old building at 1015 Ninth St., said Anthony Priley, a partner in the venture. Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

East Sacramento butcher at forefront of latest trend: Meat from the entire animal - The owners of a new butcher shop in East Sacramento want you to think beyond the ribeye. V. Miller Meats is expected to open within the next eight weeks at 4801 Folsom Blvd. As a whole-animal butcher shop, it will offer meat from the "entire animal, from nose to tail," according to Eric Veldman Miller. He owns the approximately 1,465-square-foot store with fellow chef Matt Azevedo. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Bigger, brighter, cooler - Broderick Midtown officially opened last week and the menu is identical to the West Sacramento post. But the interior is an entirely different story. It’s Broderick the way Broderick is supposed to be—open and bright; rustic and casual; with a huge bar and, more importantly, a much bigger kitchen. The place just feels cool, in large part due to the striking number of vintage Edison-style lightbulbs strewn around. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Food trucks, craft beer and live music at Harvest for Hunger event - Nab a scoop of gelato or a glass of Track 7 IPA for a good cause at the 7th annual Harvest for Hunger event. Thurs., Sept. 10. The lively street festival benefits the River City Food Bank, Sacramento’s oldest continuously serving food bank, whose volunteers have provided assistance to children, seniors, the homeless and the working poor for nearly five decades. Gregory Allen in Sactown Mag.

Hot Italian preparing to heat up Davis pizza wars - Plans are coming together for Hot Italian in Davis Commons. I met with founder Andrea Lepore, who is “super-excited to be here.” Lepore hopes to have the pizza restaurant open by late fall. It takes over the space last occupied by The Melt, and will expand into the spot behind it, where Verizon Wireless is, and add more patio seating. Verizon will move to Pinkberry’s former space. The Davis Commons center is at 500 First St. Wendy Weitzel in the Davis Enterprise.