What’s it take to join us here at FH?  Here’s our insider’s list of qualifications:

1. Must love food and know how to market it – from writing to pitching to styling photo shoots.
2. Passion for travel. We’ve criss-crossed the globe traveling everywhere from Italy to Miami to NYC to in 2011.
3. Not only do you read blogs, (and look forward to contributing to SacFoodies), but you can rattle off names of top wine and food blogs from memory and know just how you’d pitch them.
4. Nutrition know-how is a plus.  We discuss Dietary Guidelines and menu labeling laws at our water cooler.
5. Our water cooler is actually a wine cooler.  We have multiple wine brands in our client portfolio so wine experience is good too.
6. Desire to live in Sacramento for a long, long time (turnover is a breakfast term around here, not a reference to employee retention).
7. Celebrity chefs and new cookbooks make you swoon but you keep your cool like any good PR pro.
8. Digital and social media strategy is second nature to you, as is Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
9. You’re intrigued by and experienced with fast-paced agency life.

Click here to read the official job description. Apply today if you’re qualified and interested in an exciting career in social media and food/ wine PR!

Tuscan Bean Soup with Rustic Croutons and Shaved Parmesan

Her description is a perfect one as Silva’s is housed in a building that is more than 100 years old, and according to the website it was once a general store and busy town center back in the day.  Once inside, this large farm house transformed into a cozy, warm environment with white-clothed tables on one side and a large bar area for more casual dining on the other.

Since we had a large party, we ordered in advance from a mouthwatering set of options – among them, petite filet mignon with jumbo prawns, almond crusted chicken breast, Niman Ranch pork chop and butternut squash pasta.  I couldn’t resist the chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried apricots and cherries served with port wine cream sauce.It was immediately apparent that each dish was prepared with the freshest of ingredients, which I later learned includes some harvested directly from the Silva’s own garden.

This gem of a place was established in 1988 by Doug and Barbara Silva and features cuisine with French, Italian, Portuguese, Asian and American influence to surprise and delight almost any palate. In fact, the website boasts that it has been voted “Best Restaurant in Elk Grove” by Sacramento Magazine numerous times, and rightfully so.

I have to admit that I don’t get to Elk Grove much, so if you’re like me, you may need some extra nudging in the right direction down 99. I promise this dining experience is certainly worth the trip.

Silva’s Sheldon Inn
9000 Grant Line Rd.
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 686-8330
Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner

That’s why I’m a huge fan of RealSimple.com’s Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins, particularly because they’re easy to prepare, not too sweet and they make your house smell wonderful.

Hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven muffins and cold, wintery days are a match made in baked goods heaven.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 15-ounce can solid pumpkin
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. If not using silicone pans, lightly coat two 6-cup muffin tins with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Reduce speed to slow, add the remaining ingredients, and beat for 3 minutes or until smooth.
Pour batter into the muffin pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Yields 24 muffins.

Recipe courtesy of RealSimple.com

The atmosphere of every restaurant is so influenced by the people in the kitchen, behind the bar and running between the tables. Grange has come into its own with a level of easy comfort and intense dedication to quality that is reflective of the staff in the kitchen but also feels more like this town. It’s so…Sacramento.

Part of the change can certainly be attributed to the humble yet intense personality of the executive chef. As Chef Oliver sat with us, we were struck right away by his quiet charm, intensity for detail, and his extensive experience. His background is a travel/food lover’s dream – Australia, New Orleans and the Caribbean are just a few of the places he has spent time in kitchens, learning the craft. His last gig was as the head chef at the Anasazi Restauran in Santa Fe, New Mexico – a personal favorite of mine.

Despite Chef Oliver’s impressive global background, he remains dedicated to offering cuisine that highlights the sense of place and is definitively “Sacramentan.” The passion, the demand for the freshest and most local ingredients, and the obsession over detail was evident in every dish the kitchen put in front of us.

Chef Oliver’s approach to regional food is by no means unheard of, but we are excited that Sacramento has another outstanding chef who is passionately dedicated to knowing the growers behind the food, insisting on local and seasonal menus, and is persistent in defining what it means to be Sacramento cuisine. We look forward to seeing what more Grange has in store!

Grange Restaurant & Bar
926 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-4450

But that’s OK.

Because while the eatery sits perched caddy-corner to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op at the tastefully gentrified intersection of Alhambra Boulevard and S Street, its no-frills, laid-back attitude still embodies some of the essentials of Midtown living. And that’s just how I like it.

Opened in June 2011 by owner Butch Plank, the space sits at the foot of the new Alexan Midtown property. In fact, inspiration to open Midtown Deli struck when Butch—a contractor by day—was installing some finishing touches on the chic, semi-urban apartment complex last year. With new storefront space ready for lease, he jumped at the chance to offer area residents and nine-to-fivers access to quick and easy deli fare with a decidedly local flair.

Inside, you’re met with tall ceilings, grass green and stainless-steel accents, plus a super friendly staff. Sacramentans will surely crack a smile with menu items that pay homage to local landmarks, neighborhoods and happenings.

Case in point: The American River Wrap (turkey, hummus, olives, tomatoes), The Light Rail Sandwich (chicken breast, mozzarella, bacon, ranch) and even The 2^nd Saturday Panini (spinach, feta, tomatoes and olives).

But on this chilly, mid-week and mid-winter afternoon, I decided The River Cat is where it’s at. The gist: a wheat panini, featuring chicken breast, gooey pepper Jack cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, Tabasco and peppers. Truth be told, it was just the kick I needed.

Midtown Deli also offers a generous daily Happy Hour running 4 p.m. till close. Come springtime, I could definitely see myself enjoying the sunny weather on the enclosed patio with a cold pint of Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada or Lagunitas IPA, plus a great view of the comings and goings along the Alhambra Corridor (Al-Co? The AC?).

Free Wi-Fi and a pair of 55-inch flat screens round out the amenities and make this a great spot to catch up on emails or the latest game (go Niners!). Digital denizens would also be well advised to keep up with Midtown Deli’s Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare channels for free sandwiches, soft drinks and T-shirts, too.

All in all, a fun, casual lunch spot bursting with local pride and insouciant charm. Also: Party trays!

Midtown Deli
1899 Alhambra Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 737-5776

I recently discovered this recipe for Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups on Pinterest and couldn’t help but make them for a brunch party. Needless to say, they’re a real crowd-pleaser!

For our second SacFoodies Dine Downtown Restaurant Week review, we were invited to deVere’s Irish Pub in Midtown to check out its special menu for this week, which is $30 per person for three courses. Little did we know we were dining at the pub on its weekly Trivia Night, and it was packed with serious pub quiz players! After enjoying our first course outside due to the crowds, we managed to snag a table inside to finish the meal and check out the quiz.

The meal began with a light and crisp Endive Salad with bleu cheese, toasted walnuts and Granny Smith apples, and a cup of the chef’s soup of the day, which was a creamy broccoli bisque that was not hard to finish!

Next up were the entrées: a roasted half chicken served with mashed potatoes, broccolini and carrots, and a braised pork shoulder served with brown buttered potatoes. The chicken was juicy, both potato dishes were delicious (we had no trouble eating every bite of the taters!) and the veggies were the perfect healthy complement to the meal.

If we weren’t stuffed enough by this point, dessert came next, and it did not disappoint. Luckily, we didn’t have to choose between the Flourless Chocolate Cake and Crispy Bread Pudding. The chocolate cake was served with candied walnuts and was deliciously rich and decadent, while the bread pudding was Irish to the core, served with vanilla ice cream and Jameson caramel.

Fun Fact about deVere’s: all of the furniture and decorations in the pub came straight from Ireland – how’s that for authentic? They’ve also recently opened a location in Davis.

For a list of all participating restaurants for Dine Downtown, click here.

deVere’s Irish Pub

1521 L Street

Sacramento, CA  95814

One of the participating restaurants is Old Sac’s Ten22, and a guest and I were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of its Dine Downtown menu this past weekend. I love that Ten22 has roomy booths and tables with plenty of space between them, so you don’t feel like you’re in on the conversation at the next table over. Its atmosphere feels upscale and classy, yet comfortable at the same time – we sat at a stylish booth near the bar, which had the football game on and an array of beers on tap.

For drinks, I opted for a glass of Fumé Blanc, while my guest sipped on a smoked porter from Stone Brewing Co. I’m usually a red wine gal, but this glass was crisp and mild, the perfect companion for everything on the menu. The beer was smoky and smooth – yum!

For our first course, we tried both options, the Sliced Ahi Sashimi and Roasted Pecan-Smoked Bacon “Chop.” The chop was my favorite – it was like two high-quality, crispy pieces of bacon that coupled well with the smoked porter beer.

Next up was the main course. We tried the Pan-Roasted Salmon and Petit New York Strip Steak Diane. Both were fabulous and flavorful! The salmon was crunchy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside – this was hands-down my favorite item of the night. Both dishes came with roasted potatoes, which had a pleasant, simple flavor that didn’t take away from the main courses.

Of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without dessert! Ten22 has a new pastry chef, so all of its desserts are baked in house. We tried both the Citrus-Scented Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Mousse Cake, and both were a sweet finish to a perfect dinner. The caramelized sugar atop the crème brûlée was delicious and not too rich – just the way I like it. And the chocolate crust on the mousse cake was nothing short of mouth-watering.

I highly recommend you check out Ten22 for its quality food and enjoyable atmosphere. You can view its Dine Downtown menu here, and for a list of all participating restaurants for Dine Downtown, click here.

Ten22

1022 Second Street

Old Sacramento

(916) 441-2211

It’s what we did over the Christmas break one evening with my sister and brother-in-law. The tavern is tucked away, and when you walk in, don’t be intimidated by the fact that every table and booth is filled (this is always a good sign!). Head to the back where the bar is located, place your drink order, and enjoy the conversation while you wait for a table to open up – or buy a group a round of beers in exchange for their table, which is what we did!

The menu is carefully edited, which is another good sign, focusing on a wide selection of beers, burgers, sausages and salads. We started with the bleu cheese bacon fries and beer – for me, it was Red Nectar and for my dinner companions, it was Allagash White (for a list of the latest beers on tap, which changes frequently, check their website). We studied the menu and decided on the Blue Plate Special (Hawaiian burger), the Johnny Cash Burger (a house bestseller), the Sausage Sampler Plate and the Spinach Salad. Everything was fresh and delicious, and we inhaled our dinners, a sure indication of how good the food was.

The tavern itself is beautiful, as are most of the buildings in Historic Folsom. The dark wood and embossed tin ceiling transport you to a different place and time. The tavern atmosphere is casual; in fact, you place your dinner order at the bar, receive a number and then your food is brought to you.

If you’re looking for a great selection of craft beers and good food in a warm atmosphere, head to Sam Horne’s. Cheers!

Samuel Horne’s Tavern
719 Sutter Street
Folsom, CA  95630
(916) 293-8207