Working around the clock to celebrate our Grand Opening on February 20, 2016 with you!! pic.twitter.com/Wg0IlXREm4

— Vampire Penguin (@VP_Natomas) January 29, 2016

Vampire Penguin, the fast growing shaved snow and desserts eatery, is scheduled to open its new Natomas location on Feb. 20.

The Natomas location will be the seventh outpost, with locations serving South Sacramento, Downtown Sac, Elk Grove, Berkeley, San Mateo and Reno.

Vampire Penguin also briefly had a store in Davis, but it closed after less than a year.

The restaurant's main attraction its unbelieveably light shaved snow. Much like a Cold Stone, diners can chose their own flavor combinations or choose from specials curated by the staff.

Previously, they had tweeted that they planned to soft open on Feb. 13, but that tweet has been deleted. However, if you're in the area, you might want to check in and see if they're ready a couple days before their official opening.

When it opens, Vampire Penguin Natomas will be located at 3620 North Freeway Blvd (near the Buffalo Wild Wings and Buch Hut Deli) and can be found online at http://www.vampirepenguin.com/.

More News:

The Parlor Ice Cream Puffs - This desserterie with locations in Fair Oaks and Roseville, best known for its melt-in-your-mouth ice cream “puffs,” began serving milkshakes on Friday, Jan. 15. Tori Masucci Cummins and Anna Petkovich in Sactown Mag. (Fourth Item.)

Quick Bites in the Capital Region: 5 hotspots for fast-casual dining - Sacramento is teeming with local restaurants and semi-local chains that aim for value and efficiency. Here are some of our favorites, featuring Thai Canteen,  Buckhorn Grill, Krush Burger, Tako Korean BBQ and Duc Huong Sandwiches. Tyler Forvé in Comstocks Mag.

Meet the folks behind V. Miller Meats - Shank, shoulder, sirloin, riblets and legs. Sausages, porterhouse, spare ribs, tenderloin, chuck, patties and skirt steak. What do these have in common? They describe the by-products of whole animal butchery. Eric Miller and Matt Azevedo of V. Miller Meats recently opened their specialty whole animal butcher shop in East Sacramento. One of only about thirty across the United States, the pair believe that Sacramento is an excellent location because of the rapidly expanding specialty eateries, farmers markets, local farms and culinary shops in the Sacramento area. Corky Oakes in Valley Community News.

Icing on the Cupcake opens in Midtown, long live cupcakes! - Wait, aren’t cupcakes dead? Apparently not quite yet. Icing on the Cupcake opened a new Midtown outpost at (1730 J Street), taking over a chunk from the former Gifted Gardener space. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

Counter Culture: Exotic flavors, uncompromising heat at Indo Cafe in Old Sacramento - Jim is from south Texas and works the front of the house. Tessa is the cook who grew up in Tegal, a city in the Central Java Province of Indonesia, and came up in the family restaurant, learning Indonesian and Chinese cooking from her mother. The from-scratch dishes have a distinct homemade feel and are from family recipes. Jim and Tessa source many of their imported seasonings from local Asian and Mexican supermarkets, and many vegetarian dishes populate the menu. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Whired Wine whose name is a combination of both WHIte and RED wines, is scheduled to open on Feb. 8, it announced on Facebook late last week.
Sactown Magazine's Tori Masucci Cummins fills in some of the details:

San Francisco restaurateur John Marco and his wife Vicky transformed the intimate space, a former jewelry store, into a wine bar with a modern, industrial vibe and chic details like a central chandelier and colorful paintings by local artists such as Rafael Delgado, and a moniker that combines “white” and “red...”

To that end, Whired Wine will be serving up local craft beers, selections of sake and a small plates menu that includes a panini with brie, pear and prosciutto, or a cheese and charcuterie board with choices like Tartufo salami and Point Reyes Farmstead cheese. Chef Cecil Rhodes, who runs Cecil's Taste Food Truck and formerly served as head chef at Bella Bru in Carmichael, will helm the kitchen.

Read the entire story in Sactown Mag.

2016 will be a very busy year for the blocks adjacent to the arena. I expect many, many other restaurants to open by the time the Kings play their first game at the Golden One Center this Fall.

Whired Wine is located at 410 L Street, and can be found online at http://www.whiredwine.com/.

* Photo via their Facebook page.

More News:

Confidential: Secret menu, Mother - “You should order our kimchi fries.” This is what chef Matt Masera at Mother tells me. Sure. But they’re not on the menu. “They’re on the secret menu.” Nick Miller in Sac News & Review.

Capitol Garage - The popular downtown restaurant debuted a new menu Jan. 18 replete with vegetarian and vegan options. Head chef Raphael Kendall (whose own vegan diet inspired the menu) is dishing out new meatless options like zucchini noodles with roasted carrots, red pepper, and chimichurri, or the carrot hash, topped with sautéed broccoli, rainbow chard and fried eggs. Tori Masucci Cummins and Anna Petkovich in Sactown Mag.

Flatland Brewing Company - This new brewery is set to open Jan. 22 in Elk Grove, replacing Handcraft Brewing Company. With six rotating taps, Flatland’s brews will include a double IPA, an imperial stout, the malty Bavarian Copper, the spicy Czech hop-based saison coined Uprising, and the rich, fruit-flavored Royal Quail with caramel and chocolate. Tori Masucci Cummins and Anna Petkovich in Sactown Mag. (Second Item.)

Police: Man Denied Sandwich at Subway Returns to Assault Employees, Smash Window - Sacramento Police say a man who was denied service at a Subway restaurant returned moments later with some friends to smash a window and attack its employees. According to officers, the man was denied service when trying to buy a sandwich at the Del Paso Boulevard and El Camino Avenue store Sunday evening. He returned a short time later with several other people. Ian McDonald on FOX 40.

Happy Hour Hound: Duke's Plates and Pints - Located on La Sierra Drive, near Watt Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard, Duke’s Plates and Pints is ready to cater to any football fan, hungry patron or happy hour hound. Duke’s is a casual bar that is small enough for you to grab a quick bite by yourself but big enough to meet with your crew on game day. Amy Serna in Submerge Mag.

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

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

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

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

Q: How did Beers in Sac start?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks to Scott and Ted for indulging my curiosity.

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

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

* Photo via their Facebook page.

More News:

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

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

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

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

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

 

It's official! Stop in for a hot liège style yeasted waffle made to order 7am-12pm everyday! House made is always best. Photo by: @ryanpdonahue #themillsacramento #innajam #visitsacramento #sacramento365 #cityscoutsac #sacfarm2fork #ediblesacramento #ediblesf

A photo posted by The Mill (@themillsacramento) on Jan 14, 2016 at 9:27am PST

Liege waffles are addictive.

This type of waffle is "is a richer, denser, sweeter, and chewier waffle...They're an adaptation of brioche bread dough, featuring chunks of pearl sugar which caramelize on the outside of the waffle when baked. It is the most common type of waffle available in Belgium and prepared in plain, vanilla and cinnamon varieties by street vendors across the nation," per Wikipedia.

Liege waffles were rare until food truck Volkswaffle served them as they occasionally showed up at events. They've become slightly easier to get, and are available regularly in Natomas (Waffle Experience), Carmichael (Volkswaffle brick & mortar) and some Saturdays at the Midtown Farmer's Market (Volkswaffle truck). But now, you can find them regularly at The Mill.

Here's what some local chefs are saying about it:

• "If you haven't been by to try the new waffles yet......run!" - Chef Michael Touhy
• "If nick and ilah [owners of The Mill] were restaurateurs they would have my bet for the first Michelin star in Sacramento. Their patience with their product development and standards of execution is rare to find anywhere. Plus they got soul. They inspire me." Chef Michael Thiemann of Mother and Empress Tavern.

Right now, you have three choices:

• $4.25 Waffle in Hand - Liege style yeasted waffle dusted with powdered sugar. Served-to-go.
• $6.50 Maple Waffle - Pure maple syrup and whipped butter atop Liege style yeasted waffle.
• $7.25 Jam Waffle - Dapple Dandy Pluot Jam or Pink Lady apple Butter, Whipped butter atop Liege style yeasted waffle.

I can't wait to pay them a visit.

The Mill is located at 1827 I Street and can be found online at http://www.themillsacramento.com/.

More News:

Local Roots Food Tours expands its lineup of regional culinary escapades - Local Roots Food Tours, which showcases the region’s bounty through guided culinary bus excursions, farm visits and walking tours in the Sacramento region, is expanding its tour offerings...On the cards for February is a brand new walking tour through the R Street Corridor that touches on the history of the historic railroad and commerce district and will make stops at popular restaurants in the neighborhood, including potentially Cafe Bernardo, R15, Iron Horse Tavern and Shady Lady Saloon. This spring, Local Roots will also begin a guided East Sacramento tour, likely hitting spots like One Speed Pizza, Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters, Cielito Lindo and Formoli’s Bistro, while walking through the Fabulous 40s neighborhood to learn about historic homes like the 1945 Tudor on 45th Street where Ronald Reagan lived during his term as California’s governor. Tori Masucci Cummins in Sactown Mag.

A Day at V. Miller Meats - I recently had the pleasure of stopping by V. Miller Meats in East Sac for a quick chat with company co-owner, Matt Azevedo. As I was waiting to ask him about the amazing assortment of meats they had in their cases, I got to watch him and his staff do some expert butchery and slice up some seriously large pieces of various animals. It. Was. Awesome. Shaun Slaughter in City Scouts Mag.

New pizza here - Hot Italian is open at 500 First St., in Davis Commons, in the corner spot last occupied by The Melt. It opened that portion on Jan. 5, which includes the kitchen, ordering station, and a few tables inside and out. The second section, which adds more indoor seating, was scheduled to open by this weekend. That space was formerly home to Verizon Wireless. (Verizon moved to Pinkberry’s former space). An expanded patio, with more outdoor seating, will come this spring. Wendy Weitzel in the Davis Enterprise.

Noodle movement - Mongolian barbecue is weird. The name alone makes little sense. It’s not Mongolian, it’s Taiwanese. And it’s not barbecue, it’s stir-fry via a giant, circular griddle...One local spot managed to last for 35 whopping years: Mongolian Bar-B-Q by Great Wall (1537 Howe Avenue). It lost its lease and closed last week, though its owners intend to reopen somewhere else soon. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review. (Second item.)

Big news for coffee drinkers in Elk Grove - Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis is selling his two Grace Coffee Roasters locations in the city to separate buyers who will run them under new names. Between serving as mayor and family demands, "owning these two coffee shops puts just a bit too much on my plate," Davis said on his Facebook page. One of the locations is a drive-thru and the other a traditional cafe. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

After more than two years in business, Mighty Tavern in Fair Oaks is closing after dinner service on Saturday, Dec. 19, owners Joan Reid Lapuyade and Dennis Lapuyade announced on Friday morning via e-mail.

Here's their message in its entirety.

With sadness and gratitude, we will close the Mighty Tavern doors after dinner service on Saturday, December 19, and bid a fond farewell to the friends who’ve supported our venture for the past 2+ years. Mighty Tavern was born from the belief that our Fair Oaks neighbors needed a cozy spot to gather over good, seasonal food and craft drinks. We still believe this. But it’s time for Joan to focus her energy on other dreams in the Bay Area, and Dennis to enjoy a new life in Switzerland. Joan is selling/leasing the Mighty Tavern business. We are grateful for our talented staff, our local purveyors, and of course the loyal customers who helped make us successful. We’re proud of the accolades that Mighty Tavern received from the media and our fans. Please come enjoy an evening at Mighty Tavern, and say hello when you’re here.

The restaurant's closure comes just weeks after the Sacramento Bee's Carla Meyer gave the restaurant a mild review. While she loved the burger and sitting at the bar, she called the rest of the rest of the entree list "unimaginative" and the formal dining room reminiscent of restaurants from the 1970s and '80s. Read the entire review in the Sacramento Bee.

The restaurant has been in flux lately. Talented chef Jason Azevedo left Mighty Tavern earlier this year for Paragary Restaurant Group's Esquire Grill, and was recently promoted to chef de cuisine at Hock Farm, another Paragary property. Azevedo was replaced by Christian Flood, who also recently left to run the kitchen at the new Hawks Public House.

Dennis Lapuyade, who co-owns the restaurant with his ex wife Joan Reid Rapuyade, also moved to Switzerland in August.

Prior to Mighty Tavern, the space previously housed the restaurant La Boheme for two decades.

I've only eaten there once, when Chef Azevedo worked there and found the cuisine delightful. However, it's a hike from Downtown, and we never made it back. I wish the employees of the restaurant good luck.

Mighty Tavern is located at 9634 Fair Oaks Blvd in Fair Oaks, and can be found online at http://www.mightytavern.com/.

More News:

New Hawks restaurant opens in Sacramento - We tried Hawks Public House’s liverwurst small plate, which held a generous portion of mildly tangy liverwurst, plus frisee and apple slices, and cost just $6. The pub’s menu focuses on small bites but includes three entree pastas, a burger and braised pork shank. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

Your Local Butcher is Not Named Sam – V. Miller Meats Craft Butchery - at a new craft butchery shop in East Sacramento, they literally are bringing home the bacon. Meet 24 year old Cindy Garcia. A graduate of UC Davis, Cindy had a dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon for our beloved furry friends. Cristina Guccione on Girls on the Grid.

Eat with the animals - Combine holiday cheer, zoo fun and food truck mayhem on one night only: Wednesday, December 16. This month, the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary is decked out in thousands of lights. Janelle Bitker in Sac News & Review.

New Sacramento nightspot offers music that's old-fashioned in a good way - B-Side opened at 7 p.m. Friday night. The venue at 1430 S St., which emphasizes vinyl records, fills a space previously occupied by the Monte Carlo Club. B-Side is owned by Garrett Van Vleck, Jason Boggs, Alex Origoni and Bret Bair. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

T4 to Open in Natomas Before Year’s End - Work is near completion on the new T4 location in Natomas expected to open before year’s end. The restaurant is located at 4660 Natomas Boulevard, in Suite 120, a 1,050 square-foot space previously occupied by Postnet from January 2002 to September 2014. On Natomas Buzz.

V. Miller Meats, owned by Eric Veldman Miller, who had been Chef de cuisine at Mulvaney's and Matt Azevedo, who had been Chef de cuisine at Restaurant Thir13en and Tuli, opened in East Sac on Tuesday.

The butcher shop will focus on whole animal butchery and all of their poultry will be sourced from local farms. They'll also feature fresh and cured sausages, charcuterie, cold cuts, stocks and other creative cuts. 

I stopped by today on my way home from work and found a store with a steady flow of traffic. Since they've said they will have less popular cuts of meat, I went specifically to try to buy materials to make roasted bone marrow at home for dinner. A Bon Appetite article I found said I should find beef femur bones since they're the straight and have a large amount of marrow. (I had previously visited Taylor's, but the items were out of stock.)

I was helped by Eric himself and he quickly produced a femur, sliced it in half lengthwise via his band saw and sold me .73 pounds at $4.99 a pound. Eric said that they were actually selling many unusual cuts of meat, but hadn't sold many pork chops yet on their opening day.

Work was still being done on the butcher shop, and shelves in which they could make charcuterie had not yet been installed. It was evident, though, that the modestly-sized shop was clean, paid attention to detail and will become part of the East Sacramento community.

V. Miller Meats is located at 4801 Folsom Blvd. and can be found onine at http://vmillermeats.com/.

More News:

Better than Hostess: Hand pies, Nido by Magpie - If you grew up with Hostess fruit pies and fried McDonald's pastries, you might hanker for a healthier version now. Hightail it to Nido by Magpie on R Street. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.

This company thinks Sacramento diners need a new breakfast option - There's been talk of a cupcake bubble. A sushi bubble. Even a brewery bubble. But at least in Sacramento, a breakfast bubble has yet to arrive. That's according to Robert Maynard, CEO of Famous Toastery, a North Carolina-based eatery. Maynard wants to eventually have 10 Famous Toastery locations across Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties. Sonya Sorich in Sac Biz Journal.

Orchid Thai - The midtown outpost of the original Lincoln location began serving a one-of-a-kind brunch menu on Oct. 10. Stop by on a Saturday or Sunday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to try one of their eight Thai-influenced American brunch favorites like chicken and waffles with seasoned panko-crusted chicken on a fluffy waffle topped with palm syrup and mangos, or the two eggs cooked in an omelet-like fashion wrapped around fried rice. Heather Kemp and Johanna Pugh in Sactown Magazine. (Second Item.)

Counter Culture: Q’bolé in Historic Folsom - The trio of chicken street tacos was a delish snack, the moist and tender pieces of fowl topped with cilantro and onion, squeezes of lime and spills of salsa. A simpler but equally satisfying dish was by special request – a plate of cilantro rice and black beans. Lime and salsa added more yum. Allen Pierleoni in the Sac Bee.

Railbridge Cellars & Co., the latest venture by the family who owns RailBridge Cellars at 400 N. 16th Street, Strings Urban Kitchen at 7th & Q streets and the Railbridge tasting room at the penthouse of the Elks Tower, is scheduled to open in late November or early December, reports the Sac Bee's Bob Shallit.

The goal is to create a 1920s-era vibe, with vintage fixtures, exposed brick and antique marble.

“You’re going to walk in and think you took a step back in time,” said Michael Gelber, president of Alexis Ventures..

Perhaps the most arresting feature will be windows allowing diners to gaze down into what was once the Elks’ basement swimming “tank.” Over the past year, Gelber has converted that area into a lounge where groups gather for meals while seated in the former pool. “VIP” seating is available in two hot tubs that were added to the room in the 1960s...

Initial plans call for Monday-to-Friday hours, with a menu influenced by the Top of the Town restaurant that drew crowds to the Elks’ penthouse in the 1950s and 1960s.

Coffee and baked goods will be available in the morning, salads and sandwiches at lunch and small plates served until about 7 p.m. along with about 50 wines, many of them vintage varieties that harken back to an earlier time.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

According to Sactown Magazine in July, the space was originally scheduled to open in early October.

When it opens Railbridge Cellars & Co. will be located at 11th & J streets, and can be found online at http://www.railbridgecellarsandcompany.com/.

More News:

Gina’s Filipino Kape - Last week, Gina’s Filipino Kape quietly opened on 12th Street in the space formerly inhabited by 1011 12th Espresso Bar. In Sactown Mag. (Fifth Item.)

Rethinking tipping, wages in Sacramento’s booming restaurant scene - There is plenty at stake as the Sacramento City Council prepares to vote Oct. 27 on a gradual minimum wage increase to $12.50 an hour over the next five years, well above the state-mandated $9 hourly wage. That worries many restaurant owners, and they’re supporting a controversial “carve-out” clause that exempts businesses from the wage hike if they can prove their workers take home at least $15 an hour with tips. The awkward and sometimes confounding issues of tipping, wages and restaurant profit margins have found their way into the spotlight, but depending on which side of the debate is talking, the city’s decision either could lead to minor tweaks for tipping or to a revamping of tipping as we know it. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Not Enough Cooks in the Restaurant Kitchen - In the last year, though, the sound has become deafening. At conferences, over beers and on social media, chefs and restaurateurs are openly worrying (not to say complaining) about a crisis-level shortage of cooks. In scores of interviews via phone and email, chefs and restaurateurs confirmed that the shortage has affected their hiring. Julia Moskin in the New York Times.

Feast Q&A: Blackbird 3.0 throws pre-reopening party - Hammering out details with the insurance company delayed repairs, Lampkin said. But Blackbird will reopen, with a new bar and concrete floor, Dec. 1. But it’s cold in December. So on Friday, Oct. 23, when the weather likely still can accommodate it, Lampkin is throwing a second alley party, to reintroduce the restaurant. The event will carry a theme appropriate to a business that has been down a few rabbit holes. Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

Basically a milkshake: Harvey Milk Punch, The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar - Popular since the 17th century, they usually comprise a mix of bourbon or brandy, milk and nutmeg. The Red Rabbit has a version called Harvey Milk Punch ($9) that includes Galliano liqueur as a nod to that '70s tipple, the Harvey Wallbanger. Ann Martin Rolke in Sac News & Review.