Archive for March, 2009
Tightwad Tuesday: Old Spaghetti Factory turns the Big 4-0!
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Old Spaghetti Factory is offering special rollback prices. Every Tuesday from March 31 – May 26, lunch and dinner guests will receive 40 percent off pasta classics and select kids’ meals. For those of you who haven’t already visited the OSF, classic pasta meals come with fresh baked bread (with yummy garlic butter!), your choice of minestrone soup or a crisp green salad AND a hot coffee, hot or iced tea or milk, and of course its infamous spumoni or vanilla ice cream!
If you have a hard time choosing, may I recommend my staple OSF meal? Spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese, green salad with creamy pesto dressing and scoop of spumoni, a steal at only $5.99 with the Tuesday rollback special!
For the full anniversary menu click HERE
Find the location nearest you click HERE
By Julie Ficker 
Add comment March 31, 2009
Light Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those dishes that appeals to just about everyone. I mean, how can you not like layers of pasta, cheese and hearty tomato sauce? I found this recipe for a “healthier” version in one of my cookbooks and had to try it. Not only was it delicious, it made enough food that I ate it for lunch for almost a week! I shared it with a few friends and more than one person commented that it didn’t taste low-fat! If you’re looking for a recipe to get you through this windy week, I recommend you give this one a whirl:
Light Lasagna
Adapted from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, 2007 edition.
Sauce Ingredients:
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey (I used Jennie-O)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup fresh basil, minced
Pepper
Filling Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) container fat-free ricotta cheese
12 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh basil, minced
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (about one package)
Directions:
Process 1 can of tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until smooth, about 5 seconds. Combine the onion, oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a large nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in half of the ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces until the meat loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 4 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, remaining can of diced tomatoes with their juice and the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes. Stir the remaining turkey into the sauce and continue to simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the filling, mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, parmesan, basil, egg, salt and pepper together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9 inch baking dish and spread 1/2 cup of the sauce evenly over the bottom. Lay 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Place 1/3 cup of the filling on top of each noodle and spread evenly. Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly over the filling. Repeat this layering process twice more. Lay the remaining 3 noodles over the top. Spread the remaining 1 ½ cups sauce evenly over the noodles. Spray a piece of foil with vegetable oil spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Bake on a center rack for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown, about 10 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
By Liz Conant 
Add comment March 30, 2009
Burger Week Giveaway Winner
Last week, we asked for you to submit your favorite Sacramento-area burger restaurant to kick off Best Burger Week 2009, and many of you answered our call. The lucky commenter who will be receiving a Sacramento Zagat Guide is Cynthia from Sacramento! The Sac Foodies would like to give a big thank to everyone who participated in our impromptu burger poll – we definitely know where we’re going to eat this weekend! If you didn’t see your favorite this week, watch out for it in the future here on Sac Foodies. Thanks for reading!
Add comment March 27, 2009
Good Burgers Come to Those Who Wait
Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you that I love a good burger and fries just about as much as I love a good “hole in the wall” restaurant. Over the past year or so I’ve repeatedly heard good things about Squeeze Inn, so when Burger Week finally arrived I called “dibs” right away. When it comes to eating out, there is nothing better than good company. So with my family in tow, I headed to Squeeze Inn last Saturday afternoon. The experience went a little something like this:
12:15 p.m.: Arrive at Squeeze Inn on Fruitridge Avenue
On our short drive out to Squeeze Inn, I really didn’t know what to expect. Would it live up to the high expectations that had been set by word of mouth? What exactly would the legendary “cheese skirt” look like? Now I’ve been known to exaggerate a time or two, but when I tell you that the line when we arrived was at least forty people long, I mean it. We made friends and laughed off the long line as part of the experience, despite warnings from Squeeze Inn veterans who said it wasn’t uncommon for it to take an hour just to reach the order-placing stage of the game.
1:15 p.m.: Finally reach the front of the line; place order
Turns out, those veterans were right. One hour after arriving, we truly did squeeze our way in to the tiny inside portion of the restaurant, which is made up of three waitresses and one chef behind a long skinny bar. Our order was simple: four Squeeze with Cheese burgers and two orders of fries, to share.
1:18 p.m.: Learn that the wait for our food would be approximately one hour
“It’ll be about an hour before your food is ready,” we were told. Partially because we were in state of hunger and probably weren’t thinking properly at this point, we agreed and waited outside. In retrospect, I think we stayed because the burgers looked and smelled so good but also because we’d already invested an hour of our time and we were all too proud to walk away with nothing to show for it.
2:15 p.m.: Receive food; proceed to stuff ourselves full in approximately five minutes flat
This is the part of the story where I tell you it was all worth it. And it was! I probably won’t be visiting Squeeze Inn on a regular basis in my future (at least not on a weekend during the lunch time rush), but the Squeeze with Cheese was unbelievable. 1/3 pound of beef, encased almost entirely in cheese (some of which was deliciously fried due to not-so-accidental collision with the grill) and a thick bun – what more could you ask for? The fries were flawlessly salted and the thick cut that I always love; so tasty that they didn’t even need ketchup.
What happened next? The food coma, of course.
South Sacramento
7916 Fruitridge Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95820
(916) 386-8599
Galt
545 Industrial Dr.
Galt, CA 95632
(209) 745-4313
By Brittany Mohr 
2 comments March 27, 2009
Best Burger Week: Nationwide Meats
Midtown’s Nationwide Meats began as a butcher shop and is now one of the places in town (if not Northern California) to get a top-notch burger. I’ve tried a lot of burgers in Sacramento, but none stack up to Nationwide Meats French Ground Steak Burger Cheese. In fact, I may go as far to say this is the best burger I’ve ever had.
To measure a truly great burger, you must judge all its parts – the bun, meat and condiments.
- The Bun – The bun is often a throw away item on a burger, but at Nationwide they’ve made the bun a star. In fact, this isn’t a meager bun, but rather a fresh, French roll that perfectly complements the mouth-watering goodness it helps contain. Plus, the bun is still delicious up until the last bite, something you don’t always find.
- The Meat – Did you see that this is a ground steak burger? With each flavorful bite, you can taste that is one high-quality burger. Since the burgers are made-to-order, you can select the doneness of the burger, although I often forget and get it well done, and it’s still pretty tasty. I might go for medium rare next time.
- Condiments – Crispy lettuce, crunchy pickles, fresh tomatoes and thick-cut onion slices are great and all, but the one element that brings all these pieces together is the secret sauce. I’m not sure what’s in this creamy goodness, but I’d take a guess that it’s a bit a mayo, a squirt of ketchup and a splash of pickle juice. If you want extra ketchup, mustard or Tapatio, there are squeeze bottles readily available.
- Cheese – For me, this is a must-have item and it’s a critical element to this burger and add to “gooey” factor, which is very important.
If you really want to have the full Nationwide Meats experience, pair up your steak burger with thick-cut fries and a milkshake (my pick: Strawberry).
Nationwide Freezer Meats
1930 H St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 444-3286
By Kim Bedwell 
Add comment March 25, 2009
Tightwad Tuesday: Happy Hour, Happy Wallet
It’s all over the news: people are eating out less and becoming more conscious of their food budgets. Love a good hamburger but don’t want to break the bank? We have good news that is guaranteed to fit the bill. One of our favorite happy hours (and an FH client, in the interest of full disclosure) is the one held by McCormick & Schmick’s – at which you will find a half-pound cheeseburger for just $1.95!
And that’s not all. If a burger isn’t what you’re drooling over, their happy hour menu includes a wide range of options. From pan-fried mozzarella to spicy chicken quesadilla – there’s something for everyone. My favorite part is that many locations have two happy hours every day; one in the evening right after work, and another from 9:30 to close. It’s probably best to call your local McCormick & Schmick’s for timing and menu details.
If you’re located in our neck of the woods, you have two options nearby:
Roseville
1194 Roseville Parkway
Roseville, CA 95678
Downtown Sacramento
1111 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Business Traveler’s Tip: McCormick & Schmick’s has 94 restaurants throughout North America, so no matter which city you land in, odds are there’s a $1.95 burger with your name on it nearby.
Bon Appétit!
1 comment March 24, 2009
Best Burger Week: The Counter
The things that I missed the most when I relocated to Sacramento from San Jose at the beginning of the year were a few of my favorite South Bay haunts. My neighborhood Chinese restaurant, pizza place and coffee house all held a special place in my heart. The Counter was also one of my preferred burger places in San Jose, and you won’t believe how happy I was when I discovered the Sacramento area’s very own Counter location while exploring the area around Galleria at Roseville a few weekends ago.
Located in the new Fountains shopping center, the Roseville location reflects The Counter’s Santa Monica roots with skateboards adorning the walls and a soothing light blue and gray color scheme. As you walk in, each diner is handed a clipboard-based menu where you check off exactly what you want on your “custom-built burger.” You choose: beef, turkey, veggie or grilled chicken, and then you select from three different sizes, ranging up to a full pound for those really hungry in your party!
You could call me a plain Jane when it comes to my burger (just Tillamook cheddar for me), but my dining companion ordered most of the toppings on his 2/3-pound beef burger. Both were excellent, in keeping with The Counter tradition.
For the more adventurous burger connoisseur, The Counter always features a different “Burger of the Month,” which for March is the Ahi Korean BBQ burger – ahi tuna topped with California kimchee and fried pineapple. Don’t forget to save room for one of their delicious shakes as well. If you have yet to make it out to The Counter, definitely give it a try!
The Counter
1005 Galleria Blvd., Suite 150
Roseville, CA 95678
(916) 773-2333
By Rich Uyttebroek 
2 comments March 24, 2009
Burger Week Giveaway!
With St. Patrick’s Day and its Irish-themed celebrations behind us, let’s now shift our focus to perhaps the most American of all American foods: the burger. The burger’s exact origins may be up for debate, but the one thing we know for sure is that a burger is simply an awesome food. All next week, the Sac Foodies will be sharing our favorite places to grab a burger around the Sacramento area.
To get Burger Week started, leave a comment below with the name of your favorite burger place. We will be awarding a free copy of Sacramento’s very own Zagat Restaurant Guide (which lists the Esquire Bar and Grill among the best burger places) to a lucky commenter on Friday, March 27, so be sure to post your pick by midnight Thursday. Who knows – you just might see your favorite burger place in a future review right here on Sac Foodies. Good luck!
15 comments March 19, 2009
Everyone’s Irish on March 17!
For whatever reason – the color green, quality Irish beer, an excuse to celebrate – St. Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was younger, my mom used to make green pancakes every St. Patrick’s Day to start it off on the right foot. So last night I had a festive thought – what better way to spread a little green cheer than by carrying on the tradition and bringing my own green pancakes to the office?! Here’s a virtual green pancake from the Sac Foodies to you:
4 comments March 17, 2009
Tightwad Tuesday: St. Patrick’s Day Edition
First off, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We hope you remembered to wear something green today – if you didn’t, here’s a “virtual pinch” from the Sac Foodies.
On Friday, we posted a list of some of the events and activities going on around the Sacramento area in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, and there are many more that didn’t make the list. But let’s face it: a night out on the town isn’t cheap, especially on a holiday. So for this week’s Tightwad Tuesday, let’s take a look at how you can celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at home without breaking the bank.
Corned beef and cabbage is a staple of Irish celebrations around this time of year. Raley’s has corned beef brisket flats on sale for just $2.47 per pound, through today. Check out the weekly ad for a coupon for free cabbage with the purchase of beef. (Thanks to the Sacramento Bee’s bargain queen Pam Dinsmore for this tip.) Pam also features some easy recipes to make your St. Patrick’s Day special and (most importantly) simple, including one from SeasonalRecipes.com for Corned Beef and Cabbage in Guinness Stout. It doesn’t get much more Irish than that!
Believe it or not, you don’t have to travel to your local Irish pub to enjoy a green beer tonight. It’s easy to create your own at home using green food coloring from the grocery store. Head over to the DIY Life website for the step-by-step process. According to the green beer experts, you can use either blue or green food coloring, but we like the deep green color that can only be achieved when you use green. Just make sure you use enough drops of coloring. Make a statement! No one likes a slight green tinge to their beer.
The Sac Foodies wish you the best of luck in bringing home a slice of Dublin this St. Patrick’s Day!
By Rich Uyttebroek 
1 comment March 17, 2009
Everything posted on this blog is stated as personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the views of Fleishman-Hillard or its clients.
