Blackbird Kitchen & Bar reopened on Thursday, co-owner Demetri Gregorakis announced on Facebook.

The restaurant has been closed since late May when the restaurant was damaged from water flowing from a broken pipe. Initially, the owners estimated that the restaurant would be closed four to six weeks, but insurance company and construction issues delayed the grand opening.

The owners took the time to update other parts of the restaurant too, per Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Here's where the 80-year-old redwood tree enters the scene. Local artist Ethan Noto helped connect Blackbird's owners with a giant fallen tree in Marysville. They've used wood from the tree to rebuild the bar. The remainder of the wood will be used for new community tables at Blackbird. In all, Blackbird is using about 7,200 pounds of wood from the tree...

Expect to see big changes in the bar area, which now includes one continuous bar space. The previous bar was split.

The restaurant has yet to announce the reopening on its own Web site or Facebook page.

Blackbird is located at 1015 9th St., and can be found online at http://www.blackbird-kitchen.com/.

More News:

Yakitori Yuchan: Legit izakaya - It’s easy to complain about the lack of a legit izakaya-style dining option in Sacramento. We crave the sort of casual but buzzing place that serves skewers of chicken hearts alongside delicate albacore topped with ponzu gel. We want to challenge our notions of Japanese cuisine, a vast catalog of flavors and textures far beyond saucy sushi rolls. The kicker: that very legit izakaya-style dining option has been open for one year in Davis. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Sneak peek at Bacon Fest Sacramento 2016 - That’s right, Bacon Fest Sacramento 2016 is set for Jan. 25-31, and we got our greasy paws on the preliminary event schedule. You can look forward to a bonanza of bacon specials at Sacramento eateries, along with the return of some favorite events and a few new ones as well. Here’s what’s scheduled so far. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee. 

Homemade Ginger Beer – GOTG with Pour House - Ahhh the Moscow Mule. It is one of the tastiest (and prettiest) cocktails to order. It’s also something of a specialty for the bartenders at Pour House, a bar located at 19th and Q in Midtown, Sacramento. What we didn’t know was that Pour House makes their own ginger beer in-house and from scratch. This key ingredient is what adds the zing and the zest to a properly made Moscow Mule. So when we were invited to go “behind the bar”and help create the locally famed Moscow Mule, we couldn’t resist. Chantel Elder & Leia Ostermann on Girls on the Grid.

Holiday Food Traditions from Darrel Corti - Darrell Corti, owner of beloved grocery store Corti Brothers, is world-renowned for his knowledge of wine and food. While his reputation places him on a very tall pedestal in the food world, he’s actually a true blue Sacramentan at heart, a practical guy, a home cook and purveyor of quality products that help everyday folks shine in their own kitchens. When it comes to tradition and to holidays, Corti’s approach blends his love of history with a realist’s simplicity. These are his tips. Amber Stott in Edible Sacramento.

Aimal Formoli courted his wife by — how else? — cooking for her - Aimal Formoli, chef and co-owner of his self-named restaurant in East Sacramento, has the serious, bespectacled look of a scholar (though it must be added, one who’s seriously into tattoos). Suzanne Ricci, his wife and business partner, has thick dark hair, a wide smile that could guide ships to safety and a raucous laugh. It would seem ripe for a classic business model of his handling “back-of-house” duties (meal design and prep) and of her running front-of-house tasks (greeting customers, often acting as a fill-in server). Ed Goldman in Sac Biz Journal.

The ownership of Pour House is in flux, reports Bob Shallit in the Sac Bee.

Principal owner Trevor Shults reports he has “an agreement for a possible sale” of the business to the operators of two downtown Sacramento lunch spots, Dad’s Sandwiches and Dad’s on J...

Shults, one of the city’s top bar and club owners, said the sale is likely to close in the next month or so and “free up enough time to focus on the new projects.”

That’s a reference to Seventh and K streets, where Shults and partner Bob Simpson are planning to open up three restaurants and bars, totaling about 12,000 square feet, to serve crowds drawn to the Golden 1 Center opening next year.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

The change in ownership was filed with the state's Alcohol and Beverage Control regulators on Aug. 31.

I contacted Pour House's PR team on Sept. 9 asking about an ownership change (thanks to the eagle eyes of a Cowtown Eats reader who sent in a tip), but he declined to provide substantive comment.

The one other tidbit of good news is that it's likely the vaping store will close in the back, per Shallit.

And just to prevent any confusion, Dad's Sandwiches used to own Dad's Kitchen, but Dad's Kitchen has since been sold to other owners.

Pour House is located at 1910 Q Street, and can be found online at http://pourhousesacramento.com/.

More News:

Sacramento's first ever pizza festival to take place in October - Sacramento, get ready to grab your piece of the pie during the city's first ever pizza festival. The concept for the celebration, which is called "Sliced" and will take place from Oct. 17-25, came from Federalist Public House & Beer Garden owner Marvin Maldonado and his wife Bridgette. “We were camping and just talking about all of the different and fabulous pizzas that our city’s offering up now,” Maldonado says. After partnering up with friend and fellow local restaurateur Andrea Lepore, co-founder of midtown pizzeria Hot Italian, they decided to host the event in October to coincide with National Pizza Month. Heather Kemp in Sactown Magazine.

Falafel by the ball - It's not the same as the East Coast franchise, but it's called Chickpeas (a subtle difference), and it's in Davis at 640 W. Covell Boulevard. It has the reasonably priced options a hungry vegan would expect from a Mediterranean-slash-Middle Eastern grub hub, like baba ghanoush and hummus. And, of course, falafel—sold by the ball (50 cents each!). Shoka in Sac News & Review.

Freshii adds healthy eating to Terminal A - Travelers to and from Sacramento International Airport have another, fresher dining option in Terminal A with the opening of Freshii, a fast-growing chain devoted to healthy on-the-go cuisine. Fitting in with Sacramento’s farm-to-fork mantra, the new restaurant is part of a $5 million food court upgrade in Terminal A that will include airport extensions of such Sacramento restaurants as Paesanos, Squeeze Inn and Iron Horse Tavern. Debbie Arrington in the Sac Bee.

Dutch Bros. Coffee adding another location - Another coffee company is expanding its reach in the Sacramento region. Dutch Bros. Coffee, which operates drive-through coffee shops, is adding a location in Roseville. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Here's when you can shop at Total Wine in Elk Grove - Shoppers in Elk Grove don't have to wait much longer to visit a new Total Wine & More store. The new location at 7707 Laguna Blvd. will open Oct. 8, according to the company. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Bubble Cha Cha Tea House Opens in Natomas - Bubble Cha Cha Tea House is located in the Natomas Village Center at 3880 Truxel Road, in Suite 700. It is the third bubble tea eatery in Natomas, including Tapioca Express on Arena Boulevard and Quickly on Del Paso Road. On Natomas Buzz.

Donut Fix? Schedule for #TravelingSweetDozen 9/3: 11th + I st: 7-10am, 9/4: @TheTradeCollab 7-10am, 9/4: Shriner's Hospital:11-1:30pm

— sweet dozen (@sweetdozen916) September 2, 2015

Since Doughbot closed, there hasn't been a buzzworthy gourmet donut shop on The Grid.

While that may benefit our waistlines, it definitely doesn't satiate my taste buds.

But now, a new indulge has arrived - the Sweet Dozen Donut Cart.

Sweet Dozen, a doughnut shop in Carmichael was the first local bakery to bring the cronut to Sacramento (though they call the Fraken-pastry a doissant for legal reasons) back in August 2013.

The 26 mile round trip was too much for me, and I never went back after my initial visit. Lucky for me, they've added a mobile donut cart, which has spent the last several Fridays parked in front of The Trade Coffee & Coworking space at 22nd & K, featuring Blue Bottle Coffee.

I (apparently along with the Sac News & Review's Janelle Bitker and the Sac Bee's Chris Macias, though we went separately) paid a visit during their inaugural stop at The Trade three Fridays ago. The donuts were fresh, the lines were short and it was a great way to treat myself on a Friday morning. It's exactly what I'd been missing since Doughbot closed.

Sweet Dozen will be at The Trade this Friday also (and word is, most Fridays).

You can follow Sweet Dozen on Facebook or Twitter to track them down in the future, or visit them online at http://www.sweetdozen.com/. 

More News:

Feast Q&A: Jimboy’s Tacos to open in India - Jimboy’s Tacos is about to get its passport stamped. The Folsom-based company is setting up shop in India, with its first restaurant opening in New Delhi this fall and more locations such as Mumbai planned for the future...Jimboy’s in India will feature menu items tailored for the country’s spice-centric cuisine, while offering many of their longtime specialties. Brenna Lyles in the Sac Bee.

A bountiful glass: Summer cocktails, Pour House- Is your pantry bursting with farm-to-table preserves? Take a tip from Pour House and swizzle them into a cocktail. The bar's new summer menu capitalizes on fresh produce with house-made jams, syrups and bitters. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

Here's the menu for this year's Tower Bridge farm-to-fork dinner - Didn't snag a ticket for the farm-to-fork gala dinner on the Tower Bridge? No worries. Vicariously experiencing it just got easier. On Monday, organizers released the menu for the dinner, which will be held Sept. 27. Tickets for the dinner sold out in a record 15 seconds in July. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Bawarchi Indian Cuisine - Specializing in southern Indian, northern Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisine, this new restaurant held a soft opening Aug. 21 in the El Dorado Hills Town Center. Owner Sunil Adusumilli runs Bawarchi with his friend Sreekanth Doddapaneni, who has three Bawarchi restaurants in the Bay Area, and says this new location will be the only Indian food establishment in El Dorado Hills. In Sactown Mag.

Sacramento Pizza Co. - This new airy, rustic restaurant is bringing fast-casual pizza to the Broadstone Shopping Center in Folsom. Similar to the popular DIY concept of chains like Pieology and Chipotle, Sacramento Pizza Co. will allow diners to customize their own pies down to the crust, sauce and a variety of toppings, some of which owner and founder Neil Patel says will include fresh, local ingredients that rotate seasonally. In Sactown Mag.

Empress Tavern, Sacramento's most heavily anticipated restaurant, will open at the end of the month, the Sac Bee's Chris Macias reports on Twitter.

#Sacramento restaurant news: Grand opening of @EmpressTavern expected Aug. 31, all remaining construction to be completed next week.

— Chris Macias (@chris_macias) August 4, 2015

Empress is latest effort by Chefs Michael Thiemann and Matt Masera, the team behind the always packed vegetarian restaurant Mother on K Street. The restaurant, located in the basement of the Crest Theater, is expected to focus on rottisserie meats such as smoked prime rib, turducken and porchetta. The bar will be focused on gin, with several local beers on tap and a charity tap, where proceeds go to a local charity. Click here to see a longer menu preview in the Sac Bee.

While prices have yet to be revealed, Thiemann also says that the price point will be below that of the nearby Ella.

The Empress management and staff has long been hired and trained. On a recent visit to Mother, the Empress bar manager was keeping busy by running the cash register, waiting for Empress to open.

The team behind Mother has other concepts in the pipeline, including Maiden, an ice cream parlor, and Queen's Market, a fish shop.

When Empress Tavern opens, it will be located at 1013 K Street, and can be found online at http://empresstavern.com/.

More News:

First Impressions: Fish Face and Metro Kitchen on the R Street Corridor - The fresh-tasting ahi and smoky-flavored (and cooked) octopus arrived in generous portions in plastic cups. From the point where one first digs in, to about midway into the cup, there’s just enough sauce on the fish to enhance its flavors. But at cup’s bottom, where the fish had been sitting in sauce, things grew overly salty. (Since we visited a few weeks ago, Fish Face has switched to metal bowls for eat-in orders.) Carla Meyer and Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Sacramento Burger Battle sells out quickly; event announces competitors - Six weeks before some of the area’s best chefs compete for bragging rights and burger supremacy at Cesar Chavez Park downtown, Sacramento Burger Battle has already sold out. In just its fourth year, the Burger Battle has gone from an unknown event organized by a self-proclaimed burger junkie to a must-attend gala for foodies. The 2015 rendition takes place Sept. 17, but just last week, the last of the 900 tickets were gobbled up. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Chef changes at Pangaea Bier Cafe - Chef Robb “Rossi” Venditti quietly left Pangaea Bier Cafe earlier this month to launch a new catering company with chef Aimal Formoli of Formoli’s Bistro, according to Pangaea’s new chef Brett Stockdale. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Morgan’s on Main - Jeff and Kellie Morgan, the husband-and-wife team behind the Woodland-based hospitality company Yolo Eats, will open this new restaurant in downtown Woodland in the fall. According to Yolo Eats general manager Brett Gardenhire, Morgan’s on Main (which takes over the space previously occupied by a steakhouse called Hoof and Fowl) will invoke an “old-world industrial feel [and] a modern wood approach” with wrought iron and saddle leather accents, wooden table tops and suspended beams in the dining room. In Sactown Magazine.

Pop-Up Dinner at Block Butcher Bar - Monday Supper is back at Block Butcher Bar on Monday, August 3. Monday Suppers offer a pop-up dinner experience at Block’s intimate hideaway where Chef Allyson Harvie presents a 4-course meal paired with spirit-forward cocktails by Bar Manager, Karina Martinez. We spent the last 5 days with Chef Allyson and Karina as they prepared for Monday Supper, from farmers market trips to hanging tomatoes and testing cocktails. Susan Yee in City Scout Magazine.

Thank you for visiting Cowtown Eats and for making 2014 the biggest year yet! Cowtown Eats had more than 828,000 page views and 244,850 unique users. Also, thanks to valued sponsors like Strings Urban Kitchen who make Cowtown Eats possible. Please continue to tell your friends about the site.

These rankings are based on which happy hours Cowtown Eats readers are clicking on.

15. The Cheesecake Factory

Sure it's a chain restaurant, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a following and a good happy hour. The Cheesecake Factory is a new addition to the top 15 list in 2014. 1771 Arden Way, Sacramento.

Click here for The Cheesecake Factory's happy hour info.

14. Fat's Asia Bistro (Roseville & Folsom)

Last year, the Fat Family's Frank Fats restaurant was named an America's Classic by the James Beard Foundation for its timeless appeal. Now, the family's Fat's Asia Bistr has won an award that's likely a close second to winning a James Beard Award - 14th most popular happy hour on Cowtown Eats in 2014. 2585 Iron Point Rd in Folsom and 1500 Eureka Road in Roseville.

Click here for Fat's Asia Bistro happy hour info.

13. Blackbird Kitchen + Beer Gallery

Like a phoenix, Blackbird rose from its ashes and reopened with a tweaked concept in February 2014. While it got off to a rocky start, the reviews have generally gotten better over the months.  If you haven't checked them out recently, at least give their happy hour a try. 1009 9th St., Sacramento.

Click here for Blackbird's happy hour info.

The 15 most popular Sacramento happy hours of August 2014 on CowtownEats.com were:

1. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (Last month's rank: 1)
2. Bento Box (Last month's rank: 2)
3. Chevy's Fresh Mex - On the River (Last month's rank: 2)
4. Buffalo Wild Wings (Last month's rank: 7)
5. Zocalo (Last month's rank: 10)
6. Firestone Public House (Last month's rank: 5)
7. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (Last month's rank: 6)
8. Lucca Restaurant (Last month's rank: 4)
9. Chicago Fire (Last month's rank: 8)
10. Cheesecake Factory (Last month: Unranked)
11. Burgers & Brew (Last month: Unranked)
12. Blackbird Kitchen & Beer Gallery (Last month's rank: 12)
13. Hook & Ladder (Last month's rank: 11)
14. Pour House (Last month's rank: 9)
15. Fat's Asia Bistro (Last month's rank: 13)

Thanks for visiting Cowtown Eats! We had more than 75,350 page views (up 14 percent compared to last year) and more than 25,600 unique visitors (plus 26 percent over last year).

The 15 most popular Sacramento happy hours of July 2014 on CowtownEats.com were:

1. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (Last month's rank: 1)
2. Chevy's Fresh Mex - On the River (Last month's rank: 6)
3. Bento Box (Last month's rank: 2)
4. Lucca Restaurant (Last month's rank: 3)
5. Firestone Public House (Last month's rank: 4)
6. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (Last month's rank: 5)
7. Buffalo Wild Wings (Last month's rank: 8)
8. Chicago Fire (Last month's rank: 10)
9. Pour House (Last month's rank: 12)
10. Zocalo (Last month's rank: 14)
11. Hook & Ladder (Last month's rank: 7)
12. Blackbird Kitchen & Beer Gallery (Last month's rank: 9)
13. Fat's Asia Bistro (Last month: Unranked)
14. Shady Lady Saloon (Last month's rank: 11)
15. Chili's Bar & Grill (Last month's rank: 13)

Thanks for visiting Cowtown Eats! We had nearly 78,750 page views (up 26 percent compared to last year) and more than 27,250 unique visitors (plus 46 percent over last year).