Looking for a way to turn a night of fun into a night of fun for a good cause? Well, you’re in luck because coming up on April 20, the Crest Theatre in Downtown Sacramento will be hosting “Bubbles & Bling,” an event to benefit the California Youth Crisis Line.

The Crest will feature a showing of the classic film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The movie will be accompanied by champagne, wine, appetizers and desserts. There will also be a silent auction and music by local band The Honey Trees.

This is sure to be a fun and entertaining event that is also going to help an important cause. All ages are welcome, but the bar is reserved for the 21 and up. Tickets are a breeze to purchase and can be done entirely online by clicking here.

Luckily for our readers, we will be giving away a pair of tickets to this spectacular benefit! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18, telling us the title of your favorite classic movie and we will select a winner!

Brunch. It’s one of my favorite ways to spend a leisurely Sunday. Davis has a handful of notable options, from Café Bernardo to Caffé Italia, but last Sunday I wanted something a little different than the typical Benedict. We were wandering aimlessly around the downtown area for inspiration and found some on Second Street. Tres Hermanas serves breakfast food?  Yes, mi amigo, they sure do!

I had the sausage and eggs plate, which came with beans, potatoes, salsa and warm tortillas.

I’m not sure the rest of the town realizes that Tres Hermanas is a breakfast option since the typically bustling restaurant was fairly quiet. And this Sunday that was A-OK by me; it meant that I didn’t feel bad savoring my cup of coffee just a little longer as we watched the world go by, or at least the usual mix of students and families in downtown Davis.

Tres Hermanas
805 2nd St
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 756-8737

Once upon a time, people really did have to shoot their food before dinner. Killing a wild animal was the only way they were going to get anything on the table.

But today people “shoot” their food to share it. It’s that almost innate need at the table when a divine piece of culinary beauty is before you and you must capture it. Even though not everyone thinks a camera belongs next to the salad fork, we say it deserves its own table setting.

If, like us, you don’t mind the click of a shutter before you reach for the butter, you might as well make it official. According to CNET, 47% of millennials (those born after 1982) and 32% of all people are tweeting their fabulous food photos. That’s why we’re starting to use the hashtag  #twEATing and calling all foodies to celebrate with a photo and a few short  words about what’s good, what’s sweet, what’s new, what’s hot, what’s salty, what’s leftover, and  what’s cooking in general.

Start #twEATing and sharing your awesome food photos. The hashtag #twEATing will now be showing up on our Twitter feed on SacFoodies.com, so keep a look out for yours (by the way, is it any coincidence it’s called a “feed”?). No reason why you can’t use it on Facebook, Flickr and Pinterest as well. For the ultra app-savvy foodie, whip out your smart phone and use it on Instagram and Evernote!

So, pass the word and pass the peas. Let’s get #twEATing!

Ever curious about the art of food photography, I jumped on the opportunity to chat with Keith Seaman, a veteran photographer of 35 years and a long-standing friend of Fleishman-Hillard’s Sacramento office. Keith’s studio is located in Fresno, California, and over the years he has produced a fabulous food and wine portfolio for some of our clients.

How did you get interested in food photography?
My friend sold me his 35mm camera. Soon after I started at the Art Center College of Design and then apprenticed with some photographers in Los Angeles.  I’ve always been a generalist, but my interest in food came later when I moved to the San Joaquin Valley.

Who comprises your photography team on the set?
The food stylist and myself.  Also a creative director who ensures that the needs of the client are satisfied.

What is the job of a food stylist?
A food stylist is someone who understands the food and prepares it for the camera. The food must look good and must faithfully represent the recipe. Food stylists and photographers work as a team—without a great food stylist I wouldn’t be shooting food!

Let’s talk tools of the trade.  Which camera and lenses do you use for shooting food?
My favorite food camera combo is my Sinar F view camera paired with my Phase One digital back and a 150mm f2.8 lens. The view camera gives me the opportunity to change the focus angle with any lens. This is useful because I can keep both the food and the wine labels in focus.

You have your own studio and you also travel?
Correct.  I occasionally shoot in my home, but I also have a 4,000 square-foot studio in downtown Fresno. My studio has a full kitchen and I also built a “Cyclorama” space, which is a seamless room with no corners, for shooting reflective objects. It’s like being inside of a white egg.

What is your most memorable food-related photoshoot?
About one year ago I had the opportunity to do a portrait of Chef Charles Phan at his Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco. It was incredibly fun! I put together a team of five people and we spent 1.5 hours taking two photos. They turned out great. Afterwards Chef Phan used my photo when he was inducted into the Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America at the James Beard Foundations Awards.

Chef Charles Phan from Slanted Door

What is the most difficult aspect of food photography?
Well, some food needs to be shot immediately. Like soufflé. You take it out of the oven and it immediately starts to deflate. Another example is real ice cream. There’s no time once it is on the set.

What are your top 3 tips for taking vivid food photos?

1. Be aware of the angle. Find the angle where the best parts of the food are facing the camera.
2. Use color saturation appropriately. Increasing color saturation can brighten a photo but it may misrepresent the food. When altering color, make sure it still looks real and appetizing.
3. Lighting is critical. You can’t shoot good food with bad lighting.  Window light is always nice. If indoors, make sure there aren’t too many different light sources, since each source has a different color.

So what happens with the food after you finish?
We try to save as much as possible. Usually we split the food and everyone takes home a bag.  When there is a ton of food left, I arrange to have it delivered to a charitable organization.  My home studio is adjacent to a Salvation Army Retirement Home.

For more about Keith, visit Keith Seaman Photography.

This interview was condensed and edited.

What usually comes to mind when you think of airport dining? If you’re like me, then the words “pre-packaged” or “generic” would be in there somewhere.

However, those usual airport dining connotations are nowhere to be found in the Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B, which features local restaurants (and SacFoodies favorites), such as Burgers & Brew, Cafeteria 15L and Jack’s Urban Eats.

Before boarding a flight, I recently stopped at Jack’s for a quick made-to-order salad and a side of heavenly Urban Fries: crispy French fries topped with a generous amount of melty bleu cheese and sprinkled with red pepper flakes, chili oil and parsley.

These fries are the perfect reward for making it through the security line.

Jack’s Urban Eats
Terminal B
Sacramento International Airport
6900 Airport Blvd.
Sacramento, CA  95837

Baseball season is officially in full swing, which means T-ball games on Friday nights for the Hurley household and many other East Sac families. After our first game last week, we took our little sluggers to Hot City Pizza for some amazing pizza featuring their signature wheat crust and pies with names like The Angry Pig and Triple Garlic Happiness.  The beer selection (for the parents of course!) is equally as impressive.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Hopocalypse on tap. Hot City Pizza is another East Sac gem not to be missed (but you may want to avoid Friday nights unless you want to hang with a bunch of East Sac T-ball Giants!).

Hot City Pizza
5642 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
916-731-8888

Looking for something fun to do this Friday night? You may recall our excitement around last year’s Spring Break event, and this year is no different! This Friday, March 30, local charity Serotonin Surge will host its 8th annual food, wine, and fashion show fundraiser at the Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa from 6:30 – 9:30p.m.

The event is expected to raise more than $350,000 for a network of over 20 safety net medical clinics that together provide 145,000 patient care visits per year to members of the Sacramento area community who are uninsured or underinsured. That’s reason enough to attend and donate, but if you’re like us, you’ll also be wowed by the impressive list of food and beverage sponsors that will be sampling on-site. Take a look at the below lists to get your charitable taste buds dancing:

Restaurants
Chocolate Fountains Delite
Courtyard Marriott – Cal Expo
Ella
Icing on the Cupcake
Lemon Grass
Magpie Caterers Market & Cafe
Matteo’s
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood
Mikuni
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Scott’s Seafood
Selland’s Market
Star Ginger
Supper Club
Sweet Cakes
The Kitchen
YoloBerry Yoghurt

Wineries & Brewery
Astoria Wine Group
Bourassa Vineyards
Cooper Vineyards
Fiddlehead Cellars
Heringer Estates
Mevany
Michael-David Winery
Pedroncelli
Seavey Vineyard
Senders Wines
Silver Oak Cellars
Spoto Winery
St. Supery
Whitehall Lane
Yorba Wines

It’s your lucky day: the generous Serotonin Surge team has offered to provide two tickets to one SacFoodies reader! To enter, leave a comment below saying which restaurant or beverage sponsor you’re most excited about from the lists above! To be eligible, please leave a comment by 6:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday, March 28.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.serotoninsurge.org/home.php

Looking for a fun and exciting foodie experience that goes beyond just great dining? Then take a little outing to San Francisco and check out Studio Gourmet SF. You may recall us telling you about this unique opportunity back in November, but here is another chance to participate!

Studio Gourmet SF is an exclusive and entertaining dining treat. The premise is to “watch, listen, enjoy”—making it a hands-on dining experience. The featured chef is Arnold Wong of E&O Trading Company, which has been touted as some of the city’s best Asian fare.

The event will feature a live demonstration and tasting of Chef Wong’s well-known Shitake Mushroom Dumplings. In addition, cocktails and passed hors d’ouevers will be provided by Circolo, all for just $50 a ticket (or pick up two for the discounted price of $85!). Tickets can easily be purchased online.

What makes this special event even more enjoyable? Studio Gourmet will be shooting a television pilot during the evening. So in addition to enjoying wonderful food up close and personal with one of the city’s best chefs, you might just find yourself on the TV screen!

What: Studio Gourmet SF with Arnold Wong
Where: Circolo, 500 Florida Street, San Francisco
Date: Tuesday, March 27
When: 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $50-$85

I love a good party, especially when it’s my son’s birthday party. Weeks (OK, months) in advance, I’m cooking up themes, menus, games, decorations…but one piece of party puzzle I leave to the experts…the cake! Yes, I realized long ago that I can bake up a tasty cake, but my decorating skills are definitely lacking. Last year I met Tessa of The Frosted Cake Shop, and she is an official member of the Birthday Party team.Tessa’s cakes have become an anticipated focal point of my son’s parties beginning with the Special Agent Oso masterpiece she created last year. Since a Thanksgiving trip to Disneyland last year, my son has been obsessed with Mickey Mouse, so I once again turned to The Frosted Cake Shop to create a culinary work of art, and hot diggity dog, did Tessa deliver! Not only is this just the cutest cake, but it tasted delicious as well with moist chocolate cake and buttery vanilla filling.

The Frosted Cake Shop
1820 29th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
916-453-1981

Photo courtesy of The Frosted Cake Shop

Sunday brunch at Taylor’s Kitchen is warm, nuanced and punctuated with charm. Not unlike the ever-changing basket of homemade pastries from Pastry Chef Jodie Chavious! Think: Guinness black bottom cupcakes, apple and sour cream muffins with streusel, and the life-changing Hummingbird Bunt Cake (plucked from a Depression-era Southern recipe book).