In the foodie world, free food is always breaking news and this limited-time offer is no exception. Starting today at noon (until it runs out), East Bay Restaurant Supply is giving away free samples of JR’s Bar-B-Que. Get there quickly before it runs out!
East Bay Restaurant Supply, Inc.
522 North 12th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.440.0623
Upcoming Foodie Events
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!
The Shack, Sacramento
It was a night that couldn’t have been more perfect at The Shack on Thursday, August 9, yet it was still “the pits!” Actually, just one pit, a hand-built-for-the-occasion roasting pit, that yielded the succulent spread for “Food From a Hole Night.” At about 7:30 PM, Chef Gary and his buddy “Kiwi Bob,” with shovels in hand began unearthing the delicacies that awaited the captivated crowd. The food had been roasting for several hours and after the dirt and the coverings were removed, a troop of helpers began carting away seemingly endless mounds of steaming whole chickens, roast pork, potatoes and cabbages.
The bounty was served with an amazing shrimp and citrus salad, and delicious mini-meat pies that were also a huge hit. The music of Section R added to the ambience of a most beautiful night (this is Sacramento in August, right?), and the evening was capped off with a delightful fruit pavlova, made with kiwi, strawberries and fresh whipped cream, all layered between homemade meringues. It was one of those desserts that made you think, “I’ll just have a little of this,” and before you knew it, you were wishing that society allowed you to lick the plate. Another in a seemingly never-ending string of great Thursday nights at The Shack!
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Tomorrow is Second Saturday — Julie Ficker will report on activities at her favorite midtown spots including Java City, L Wine Lounge, Phoenix Gallery, and more!
Midweek Morsels
By Melinda McRae
Check out Kira O’Donnell and the Real Pie Company in today’s Sacramento Bee food page:http://www.sacbee.com/107/story/313154.html
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Today on “Good Day Sacramento” Chef David Katz and David Mirassou shared wine and food pairing tips with Julissa Ortiz. Chef Katz demonstrated his Cabernet Marinated Flank Steak with Italian Salsa Verde along with Marinated Shrimp and Citrus Salad while David discussed cooking with wine.
David Mirassou and Chef Katz prep for Good Day segment with Julissa Ortiz
David Mirassou with Good Day Spanish translator Flavio Soria
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We saw Shack owner and chef Gary Seppy last night at a “National Night Out” block party in East Sac and he shared that he’s going to build a pit, bury the food and slow cook it. Here’s the menu for this Thursday’s theme ~
It’s ‘Kiwi’ Night at The Shack – New Zealand Pit BBQ (yes, Gary is building a pit!)
“Buried” Chicken, Pork, Red Potato, Cabbage Meat Pies
Shrimp & Mango Salad
Mixed Fruit Pavlova
Section R will be playing on the patio.
The Shack – 5201 Folsom Blvd
Open at 6:00, dinner at 7:00
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
When I moved to Sacramento more than four years ago, one of the things I most looked forward to was warm summer evenings at the Rivercats’ games. As a die-hard A’s fan, it’s great to catch an exciting game and watch a few prospects or major leaguers on a rehab assignment, and still be within 15 minutes of home. But, what I also love is ballpark food.
The other night I had the pleasure of watching my friend throw out the first pitch and then before the first out was recorded, I was roaming the concourse of Raley Field figuring out what amazing delicacies I would try on this particular outing. With my eager dining partner (my husband Matt) and heavy wallet in hand (a trip the ballpark is never cheap), we headed out to the left field concessions where I came upon the Baked Potato with Pulled Pork.
For $5.75, I got a perfectly cooked baked potato topped with a generous amount of sweet and slightly spicy pulled pork. However, here’s my left field concession tip: ask for barbecue sauce early and often. The last few bites were quite dry and could have used barbecue sauce both before and after the pulled pork was added to the potato. Did I mention it was also Tecate Tuesday? Definitely the perfect complement to this first inning treat.
By the fourth inning, Matt and I worked our way around to the other side of the stadium. We first checked out the Solon Club which offered made-to-order Spicy Linguini, but it was too hot outside and I couldn’t really get into pasta at a ballgame. However, what I could get into was the Sactown Cheese Steak for $7.50.
This was absolutely delicious (the photo does not do it justice). The thinly sliced, chopped steak cooked with grilled onions and peppers topped with glorious cheese sauce and extra chopped onions (from the hot dog stand) on a fresh French roll was hard to share. I wanted every bite to myself! I’ve never had traditional Philly Cheese Steak, but would happily enjoy a “Sactown” version any day.
By the way, the Rivercats lost the game, but I didn’t notice. I was still talking about what we’d have try next time we came to the ballpark.