Sac Foodies

This Saturday, Slow Food Placer, Sacramento, Solano and Yolo Convivia will be hosting a special dinner on the Delta with guest speaker Anya Fernald, CEO of Slow Food Nation and longtime program director for California Alliance of Family Farms. Her husband, Renato Sardo, head of Slow Food International, will also be attending.

The evening will begin at 5:00 p.m. at Vino Farms, 51375 S. Netherlands Road, Clarksburg, CA 95612.

Talented chefs from each region will prepare a four-course meal from each county’s seasonal agricultural products – Patrick Mulvaney (Sacramento), Molly Hawks and Michael Fagnoni (Placer), Daniel Bell (Solano) and Pru Mendez (Davis). The chefs are sourcing locally grown food, such as spring lamb, endive extravaganza, local cheeses and nuts, and appetizers and desserts using fruits and vegetables sourced from the four counties. Wines from each county will also be served

Tickets: $85 General Public; $75 Slow Food members available at Brown Paper Tickets

For more information, visit http://slowfoodsacramento.com.

You may remember us blogging about BiteClub- the new social networking site for foodies - a few weeks ago. You may even remember that BiteClub CEO, Sunny Mayugba, is a Sacramento native. But did you know that BiteClub is hosting a networking event on Monday, June 9th to encourage members of the restaurant and bar community to come together? The event will be held at Empire on 15th & R Streets starting at 8 pm. And the best part? All proceeds go to benefit “Suzanne,” a local bartender who is undergoing leg rehabilitation after a fall that left her unable to walk. The event is guest list only, but you can be added to the list by joining BiteClub and connecting with the event’s profile.

If you attend, be sure to check back in and let us SacFoodies know how it was by leaving a comment below.

Posted by Brittany Mohr

It was quite the debate. Do we feel like Mediterranean? Let’s go to Kokkari. Wait, what about French? There’s always Plouf at Belden Place. How ritzy are we feeling? Ritzy enough to “lunch” at Tadich Grill?

And then finally we came to a unanimous decision – Yank Sing. Ideal for a business lunch because there’s something for everyone and the service is unbeatably quick, Yank Sing is a “traditional & contemporary dim sum” that won’t let you down.

“Deem Sum” literally means “to touch the heart,” but perhaps the translation should be changed to something more like “to please the tummy,” because that’s exactly what it did. We sampled nearly everything that came by our table. Among our favorites were the Potstickers, Shanghai Dumplings, Pork Sui Mye, Stuffed Mushrooms and Sea Bass.

And if my recommendation alone isn’t enough, here’s one last push to inspire you to visit and see for yourself:

Yank Sing was not only voted into the 2008 “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” by the San Francisco Chronicle, the restaurant also reserved a spot on the Zagat 2008 “Bay Area’s Most Popular” restaurants.

Posted by Brittany Mohr

Breaking news! Ella Dining Room and Bar has announced the “Ella Cocktail Hour” Monday through Friday from 4 – 6 p.m.. Starting TODAY, specialty cocktails made by hand with fresh ingredients will be served with complimentary small bites (yum!). What a great way to start the Memorial Day Weekend!

Click here for more information.

Our friends at the California Rice Commission will again bring the SushiMasters Finals to Sacramento. The June 10 event should prove to be an appetizing treat for both the eyes and taste buds. Representing the Sacramento area in the sushi-making show down will be none other than Billy Ngo of Kru restaurant, a Sacfoodies sushi favorite.

The 2008 SushiMasters Finals are open to the public and will also feature sushi and sake tasting (yum!), so don’t miss out!

Who: Come one, come all!
What: 2008 SushiMasters Finals
When: Tuesday, June 10, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Where: Sacramento Convention Center
Why: Where else in Sacramento can you see a good ol’ sushi show down?
Cost: $65, visit http://www.sushimasters.com for ticket information

Posted by Jenna Kirkwood

And, now let us turn our attention once again to the topic of hamburgers.

This weekend we were at our favorite diner in the area, the Putah Creek Café in Winters. It had been a while since we visited, but when we showed up it was just like walking around in old shoes – comfortable, relaxing and oh-so-welcoming. There was a grizzled old cowboy at the coffee bar enjoying a mug of suds, Davis cyclists on their way through to Berryessa, and a whole other host of after-church sinners and saints.

We took our place at a perfect booth in front of a sunny window, and I instantly decided on the Portobello mushroom burger with goat cheese and herbs. He - and you know who I mean - ordered the burger. When our orders came, he was shocked that my Portobello burger was just that. “No meat?” he inquired with the wistfulness of someone who had been betrayed by one they only thought they knew. My response: “No farm boy. No meat. Just mushroom.”

A taste test ensued. It quickly became clear that it was the farm girl – and not the farm boy - who had ordered wrong that day. Again.

By Shelly Kessen

The sunny Lodi winegrowing region is known for its production of Old Vine Zinfandel – a jammy wine that pairs well with spicy, grilled summer meats and vegetables.  This year’s annual ZinFest Wine Festival featured 50 Lodi wineries, 100 degree temperatures and a relaxed atmosphere.

Two of our favorites wineries were most certainly pouring – D’Art and Macchia.  Dave and Helen Dart make one of our favorite Lodi wines – an award-winning rich and full-flavored Tempranillo, and Macchia’s Zins never let us down.

Wine lovers had the opportunity to sample many Lodi wines, enjoy live music and even attend a wine and cooking school.

The heat didn’t keep the crowds away, but it sure was nice to kick back and enjoy a ride around the lake back to the parking lot.

If you’ve never been, mark your calendars for next year’s Lodi ZinFest and just maybe it won’t be quite as hot.

By Alison Liebich

There are a few local events happening this weekend.  Please see below for beer, wine, food and fun!

Lodi Zin Fest 
Come back next week for an event review post from our very own Ali Liebich!
May 16-18 (main event is on Saturday, May 17 from noon to 7pm)
Local restaurants providing food
Wine and cooking courses
Local entertainment
Tickets:  $35 in advance, $45 at the door

9th Annual West Coast Brew Fest
Saturday, May 17
Miller Field Sacramento
Unlimited Microbrew Tasting from 1:00 to 5:00pm
Local food booths
Bands providing entertainment
Tickets: $30 (sells out every year)

I’ve been hearing all about G. V. Hurley’s ever since their grand opening at the end of March, but hadn’t yet been to experience it first hand until a few good friends and a highly-anticipated San Jose Sharks game drew me in. TwinSoup called the new midtown restaurant “a masculine bar & restaurant that feels warm and inviting,” so I knew I was in for a treat before even setting foot inside.

Let’s just say I could have devoured the entire bread plate alone, ordered nothing at all, and still raved about the place on SacFoodies the next day. From the first bite, I was sold. The bread plate included heavenly rolls and a modern variation on corn bread that was to die for.

For our main course, I chose the Grilled Hamburger Steak with smoked Gouda, chipotle, caramelized onions and house salad. Are you hungry yet? The dish arrived, with meat cooked medium-rare just as I’d requested, and it did not disappoint. Each bite of steak melted in my mouth and the salad was fresh and light – a perfect accompaniment. Others at my table were equally pleased with their selections – we sampled everything from the Wild Salmon & Beet Salad to the GVH Slider Trio.

Unfortunately, I was too full for dessert, but next time I’ll have to try the Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding. I have a feeling it might be decadent.

For a complete listing of the G. V. Hurley’s sample menu items, click here. Or better yet, visit them yourself! G.V. Hurley’s is located at 2718 J Street here in Sacramento.

By Brittany Mohr

With everything that’s going on today surrounding the race for the White House, fellow SacFoodie Julie Ficker and I were thrilled to learn about a new campaign in town – the Champagne Campaign!

Thanks to BiteClub.com, we heard that R15 hosts the Champagne Campaign every Tuesday night starting at 9:00 PM at which time bottles of champagne are only $5 with a group of three or more.

The evening turned out to be a success – with delicious and affordable champagne, great company and a competitive game of pool to boot.

The Champagne Campaign definitely gets my vote!

Posted by Brittany Mohr