Are you staying in the Sacramento area this weekend, and looking for a way to keep your foodie side busy? The Sac Foodies are here to help! Here are just a few events to check out this weekend:
Zinfest in Lodi: The annual ZinFest festival showcases more than 50 Lodi wineries across three days of various events in and around Lodi. The main festival happens Saturday at Lodi Lake, where you can taste 250 wines from more than 50 Lodi wineries while sampling food from area restaurants, listening to live music and shopping for wine-themed arts and crafts. Don’t forget to visit the ZinFest Wine School and come away with enough wine and cooking knowledge to dazzle your friends. Check out our recap of last year’s ZinFest and be warned – the forecast is calling for temperatures to flirt with the century mark again this year, so be prepared!
Cheese Loves Beer – Mastering the Marriage: UC Davis’ Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science is hosting this unique workshop on Saturday from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m., where you’ll learn all about pairing cheese with beer. Discover how beer can pair with your favorite cheese, hear about different varieties of cheeses and sample beer and cheese pairings. Admission is $75 at the door. For more information, visit the Mondavi Institute Web site and contact Kim Bannister to RSVP. Don’t forget to tell them you heard about it here on Sac Foodies!
Cajun Crawfish Broil: It’s no secret that a few Sac Foodies are fans of Cajun food, so when this event came across our desk, we took notice! Slow Food Sacramento is hosting a special Crawfish Broil on Sunday, May 17 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at The Supper Club, 1616 Del Paso Blvd. in Sacramento. Chef Matt Woolston’s menu includes authentic Southern foods such as Southern fried chicken, pork spareribs, succotash, and of course, crawfish boil with corn, potatoes and special Cajun spices. Tickets are $40 for Slow Food members and $45 for non-members and may be purchased on the Slow Food Sacramento Web site or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006.
Staying around the house this weekend? With the soaring temperatures, the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove preparing dinner. May is National Barbecue Month after all (full disclosure: National Barbecue Month is promoted by our client, the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association), so what better way to celebrate than moving the kitchen outside and getting in some grilling practice ahead of the big Memorial Day weekend?
Happy eating!
Tightwad Tuesday: 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins
The Delta Breeze may have blown away last week’s record-breaking high temperatures, but that doesn’t mean a return to more spring-like weather will be a reason for the Sac Foodies to miss out on the chance to have some Baskin-Robbins ice cream at a fraction of the regular price. Stop by any Baskin-Robbins store on Wednesday, April 29 from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. and enjoy a 2.5-ounce scoop of ice cream or 3-ounce Soft Serve for just 31 cents. As part of the promotion, Baskin-Robbins will donate $100,000 to the National Volunteer Fire Council’s National Junior Firefighter Program, which engages youth and encourages them to become members of the emergency services. Be sure to arrive early, as we’ve been told the line for 31-cent ice cream tends to get long.
If one scoop isn’t enough for you, not to worry – Baskin-Robbins says you can get up to three at a time, and yes, you can get back in line for seconds. For more information on the 31 Cent Scoop Night, go to the Baskin-Robbins website or stay up to date with the latest breaking ice cream news by following them on Twitter.
If you can’t make Wednesday’s 31 Cent Scoop Night but are still on the hunt for some budget-minded ice cream, some Baskin-Robbins stores also offer scoops of ice cream for $1 on Tuesday nights from 6:00 p.m. to close. You might find one of us taking advantage of this deal at the downtown Davis or East Sacramento locations, but not all stores participate in this offer so it’s best to find your local store and call before venturing out.
Photo from user iirraa on Flickr
Picnic Day at UC Davis
This Saturday, UC Davis holds its annual campus-wide open house, fondly known as Picnic Day. But don’t let the name deceive you – Picnic Day is about much more than just staking out the best on-campus picnic spot. Practically every UCD department will be hosting an exhibit showcasing their research, current projects, and much more. This year Picnic Day is part of UC Davis’ ongoing centennial celebration, so it promises to be bigger than ever. We couldn’t have asked for better weather this weekend, so if you haven’t had the chance to experience a Picnic Day firsthand, make the quick trip over to Davis and check it out!
Since UCD’s large food science department practically gives it the honorary title of “Foodie U,” here’s an overview of some of the activities geared toward the food enthusiast at Picnic Day:
The recently-completed home of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science will play host to the Food Science and Technology Exhibit, where you can see demonstrations from UC Davis researchers. Plus, don’t miss the free ice cream! The exhibit is open from 10:00am – 3:00pm at the Mondavi Institute, located across from the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on the south end of the UCD campus.
While you’re at the Mondavi Institute, stop by the Good Life Garden anytime between 8:00am – 3:00pm to learn more about organically grown and locally sourced foods. See if your taste buds can tell the difference!
Even if you didn’t pack a picnic, you won’t have to worry about going hungry. More than a dozen food vendors will be set up as part of the Student Organization Faire in the East Quad, selling a variety of ethnic foods, with all the proceeds going to the sponsoring organization. Or, venture off campus and dine at one of downtown Davis’ many eateries. Here’s a list of a few we’ve featured in the past on Sac Foodies:
- Burgers & Brew – 403 3rd St. (at C Street)
- Dos Coyotes Border Café – North Davis (The Marketplace) and South Davis (Oakshade Center)
- Taqueria Davis – 505 L St. (at 5th Street)
- Tuco’s Wine Market and Café – 130 G St. (at 2nd Street)
Whatever you decide to do, happy Picnic Day from the Sac Foodies!
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
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!