I’d have to say the most robust farmers market I ever visited was a Saturday afternoon market in New York’s Greenwich Village. Luckily for us in the Sacramento region, there is no need to travel far and wide to find a fun farmers market. In fact, the immensely popular market held year-round in Davis was named one of the top 10 in the nation by USA Today. The highly anticipated “Picnic in the Park” begins annually at the end of March and runs through October. This weekly Wednesday evening event was hailed for its social and family friendly aspect, as well its abundance of fresh goods.

Congratulations to our neighbor on this awesome shout out! In addition to the market in Davis, the Sacramento region hosts a dozen fabulous farmers markets throughout the week. Chances are there is one close to you! Click here for a list of local certified farmers markets. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of The Davis Farmers Market

Located in a small strip-mall-style warehouse space in a Curtis Park neighborhood off of Sutterville Road, Track 7 embodies everything meant by the word “handcrafted.” Upon walking through the rolled-up garage door entrance to the tap room, visitors not only see all of the brewing action, but feel as if they’ve become part of a family.
From family-style picnic table seating to cups of Goldfish crackers or pretzels for snacking, patrons are made to feel at home (plus, the tap room is both child- and dog-friendly and both are usually found on any given visit). The tap room is an open extension of the brewery and one of Track 7’s two brewers can often be seen hard at work.  
According to their website, the name Track 7 Brewing Company was selected in part due to the brewery’s proximity to the old Western Pacific railroad tracks, and as a nod to the railroad’s rich history in Sacramento. With five brews on tap representing a number of beer styles, most beer aficionados will find something to please their palate.
Track 7 Brewing Company
3747 W. Pacific Ave., Suite F
Sacramento, CA 95820
916-520-HOPS

Tap Room Hours
Mon – Wed: Closed
Thu – Fri: 5pm – 9pm
Sat: 2pm – 9pm
Sun: 2pm – 6pm

Make it a weekend affair and drive down to the Old Sugar Mill on Saturday or Sunday. Presented by Carvalho Winery, the events include chocolate sampling from Capitol Confections, massages from Keola Bodyworks and live music from the Camellia Symphony Quartet. On Sunday, treat mom to brunch for $44.95 per person. Call 916-744-1625 for reservations.

For an upscale brunch, visit The Firehouse from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Served in buffet style, choose from an array of starters including artisan cheeses, oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail and seasonal fruit, followed by your choice from five delicious entrees and two decadent desserts. Cost is $47.95 per person. Call 916-442-4772 for reservations.

Does mom enjoy the ballpark? Get out the peanuts and crackerjacks and come enjoy the Macy’s Mother’s Day Brunch at Raley Field! The pre-game brunch goes from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30a.m. and includes a $10 Macy’s gift card and seats for the River Cats vs. Cubs game. Visit the website for reservations.

Temperatures will continue in the 90s on Sunday, providing the ideal opportunity to treat mom to a Hornblower Mother’s Day Dinner Cruise. Departing from the Old Sacramento L Street Dock, the 3-hour cruise is $60 per person and includes a gourmet dinner and live entertainment. Visit the website to make reservations.

Or, end the day with a classy evening at Ella Dining Room & Bar. Paired with impeccable service and pleasant ambiance, the 3 course Mother’s Day menu will be served from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Cost is $65 per person. Reserve online or call 916-443-3772.

We’ve captured but a few options! Visit Open Table or Yelp Sacramento for more Mother’s Day dining options in the Sacramento area.

Photo number 1 can be described in four words: Snickers Peanut Butter Cake. Need I say more?

Photo number 2 may seem mundane, but I consider myself a bit of a bagel connoisseur and The Great American Bagel Bakery in the St. Louis airport was seriously top notch. I ordered it loaded with veggies – a perfect pre-flight meal and so worth the walk through two terminals to get there.

See you next time, STL!

My friend prepped me for the trip by explaining that addendum is known for its finger-lickin’ fried chicken, and I was immediately sold. With a limited menu and equally limited hours (they serve boxed lunches exclusively, Thursdays through Saturdays), our choice was easy: “We’ll take one of everything.”

For a seemingly steep $16.50, we had the choice of buttermilk fried chicken or barbeque (we got one of each), both served with drool-worthy, seasonal sides. We had potato salad and kale with pancetta, and house-made raspberry sorbet for dessert. Worth every penny.

You practically had to roll us off the picnic benches, but we managed to enjoy almost every last bite (and truth be told – even stopped by Bouchon Bakery for a macaron before heading out of town). If you’re in the neighborhood, addendum is absolutely worth a visit!

addendum
6476 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
707.944.1565
Facebook: adhocrestaurant
Twitter: @addendumatadhoc

Zucchini Casserole
1 tablespoon butter
7 zucchinis, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
Salt and pepper
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup Swiss or Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
Seasoned croutons

1.    Coat large casserole dish with butter.
2.    Steam zucchini for about 5 minutes until soft.
3.    Alternate in layers- zucchini, tomatoes, salt and pepper, cheese and croutons
4.    Bake uncovered for 30 min at 350° degrees.

Serves: 6

When it comes to my cooking ability, I prefer any recipe that is quick and easy. I decided to pair my veggie dish with a totally simple and delicious bruschetta cheese Panini (hello cheesy goodness.)

Bruschetta Cheese Panini
4 slices pancetta
2 Ciabatta rolls, split or 1 loaf of Ciabatta bread, cut into 2 pieces and split
4 oz Smoked Mozzarella, thinly sliced
¼ cup bruschetta topping (store-bought)
4 large fresh basil leaves
Olive oil cooking spray

1.    Place pancetta between double layers of paper towels on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes, or until crispy.
2.    Place equal amounts of cheese on roll bottoms and top with bruschetta, basil and pancetta.
3.    Coat with olive oil cooking spray and cook in a hot Panini grill for 5 minutes, or in a hot skillet for 5 minutes on each side, pressing sandwich down firmly with a large plate.

Recipe may be doubled.

*I chose sun-dried tomato bruschetta, as opposed to regular and added sliced avocado for a creamy texture.

Recipe adapted from Raley’s Something Extra Magazine 

I prefer a twist on the original, adding in two well-deserved syllables every time I venture out to my favorite Thai restaurant in Sacramento.

Because it’s true. One night at Bangkok Garden will make a hard man crumble—at this Buddha-dotted altar of exceptionally good food.

Camoflaged between a Starbucks and a Jim Boys Tacos in a Natomas strip mall (stay with me), this place is like a secret club. Those who know of it are ardent fanatics, eagerly trying to convert the uninitated with tales of plate-licking curries, drunken noodles and plum-sauce-drenched goong hare.

Those who haven’t heard of Bangkok Garden (and I wouldn’t blame you—this culinary oasis doesn’t even have a working website) are in for a treat.

I’ve been going for a couple years now. Regularly. In addition to the food, I look forward to the ridiculously friendly service from every single member of the staff and the eye-catching wall temples with their ornately dressed figurines. And be sure to listen up or you’ll miss the soft-rock soundtrack featuring traditional Thai instruments that play the likes of Celine Dion, Simon & Garfunkel, and Credence Clearwater Revival. I’m obsessed.

I’ve got my usual fare from which I rarely deviate. But for you, I ordered up a few different entrees to share. So consider this your invite to join one of Sacramento’s most exclusive clubs. Just don’t tell anyone else.

Appetizer: Goong Hare

A harmony of textures, this elegant app consists of marinated shrimp wrapped in egg noodles, deep fried, and served with a savory-sweet plum sauce. They’re fun, filling, if not a little difficult to eat. Consider it a great ice breaker for a first date or a shameless, mouth-shoveling good time with your one true love.

Entrée: Eggplant and beef sauteed with onion, bell pepper and basil in coconut milk and chili paste 

Meet the dish that haunts my dreams. I’m not kidding when I say that I literally think about this several times per week. The sauce alone—so coconutty and savory!—deserves its own mention. But when paired with the soft, ample slices of eggplant and tender strips of beef (I always order extra), this will easily convert any non-believer into full-fledged Bangkok Garden fanaticism. Be sure to order sticky rice so you can mop up every last bit of sauce, too. Because your only other option is to lick the plate. And even then, I wouldn’t judge.

Entrée: Basil chicken with chili paste, sweet basil and bell pepper

 Another fan favorite, I like to order this one with a little extra spice and serve it over a snow-white bed of steamed rice. The sodium profile is pretty high, but I love that sort of thing. Especially when I always get hints of a welcomed bit of tanginess at the end. That’s my palate’s reaction to sweet basil, and this dish has plenty of it.

Entrée: Sauteed green bean chicken with onion, bamboo shoots, bell pepper and chili paste

There’s that chili paste again! I love the way they sneak this into my favorite dishes without overpowering the taste profile of the other ingredients. This is another hearty plate, though the green beans and bamboo shoots help break up the intensity with some welcomed fibrousness. This also holds up well in your refrigerator for lunch the next day.

Entrée: Drunken noodles with chicken, sweet basil, chili paste, onion, bell pepper and tomato 

Another fan favorite, these pan-fried flat rice noodles carry a nice lightness to them that mixes well with this entrée’s perfect heat level. One of my favorite things about Thai cuisine is the unusual and often-striking flavor combinations, too. The addition of tomato adds a welcomed burst of character that almost makes you think of salad (no doubt bolstered by the bed of lettuce on which the dish sits).

Dessert: Ube ice cream

Did I have room for dessert? You tell me:

Baskin Robbins may have 31 flavors, but it doesn’t have this: Ube. Ube, also known as the purple yam, is a vegetable root indigenous to the Asian tropics. Bright lavender in color, it’s used in a variety of desserts, including this game-changing ice cream you have to save room for. I’m not kidding. If you like coconut (and even if you don’t!), this delicious reprieve cleanses your Thai-spiced tongue and serves as the perfect way to cap-off your one night in Bangkok Garden.

Though undoubtedly, you’ll be back for more.

Bangkok Garden
3230 Arena Blvd.
Ste. 215
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 285-0608

The Asparagus Festival is rated one of the best food festivals in the west and is a crowd-pleaser for all ages. Adult tickets are $12, seniors (60+) and teens (13-17) are $7, and children under 12 are free. Food and drink tickets vary, so click here for more information on pricing and to purchase tickets online. The great thing is 100% of the festival proceeds go to local charities – eat local, give local.

Fun fact: Much of the asparagus is cut fresh daily and served right up from the delta to you. For more information on California Grown (client), take a peek at California Grown’s new video series featuring farmer profiles, recipes and more.  

Stockton Asparagus Festival
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 27-29
Downtown Stockton
221 N Center St.
Stockton, CA 95202

 

We will be selecting two winners who will receive $35 worth of coupons to purchase all of the deliciously dreamy Wonka™ creations.

Good luck!