By. Jessi Gunn
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, March 17th to be exact, and thankfully Sacramento has plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. Do you have a favorite annual event that didn’t make it onto the list? Leave us a note (and an invite) in the comments!
Cafeteria 15L
Local dining hotspot Cafeteria 15L is adding classic Irish dishes to their brunch menu on St. Paddy’s Day only! If you follow SacFoodies on Instagram you’ll know that we are quite partial to Sunday brunch at 15L, (Bacon Jam Bennie and bottomless mimosas, yes please!) but the corn beef hash special sounds so good I might be tempted to switch it up. Hey, this does only happen once a year!
Old Sacramento Parade
This annual parade unites hundreds of colorful marchers, highland dancers, bagpipers and drum bands, and re-enactors in traditional Irish and Celtic outfits for a day of entertainment you won’t want to miss. Events begin at 11:30 a.m. with the parade starting at 1:00 p.m. Arrive early to get a front row seat to the action.
de Vere’s Irish Pub
For Irish food you can find year-round, head to de Vere’s Irish Pub. They have traditional, yet elevated, dishes such as Bangers and Mash and Irish Stew. Before celebrating the holiday on Saturday, head to de Vere’s on Monday the 12th for their annual St. Baldrick’s Rock the Bald event to raise money for St Baldricks foundation.
Fox & Goose
Fox and Goose is bringing Irish music to town with performances from bagpipers, Irish folk singers, The Pikeys, and The Spicy McCormicks. Plus, Irish beer is on tap all night and delicious Irish bites are served until 10:00 p.m. All ages welcome until 10:00 p.m., and 21+ from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Malt and Mash
Downtown restaurant and bar Malt and Mash is hosting their second annual St. Pat’s Block Party. They will be featuring an outdoor beer garden, four bars and live music. Want a side of bagpipers with your Guinness? Malt and Mash will make that happen. Open from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m.
Streets Pub and Grub
Streets Pub and Grub will be hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day party featuring live entertainment, Irish beer, and peanut butter car bombs. Not to mention Irish Tacos (which I think I definitely need to try). Wear green and get ready to celebrate with the self-proclaimed “OG’s of St Paddy’s Day.”
Pizza Rock
Pizza Rock on K Street is serving their specialty Sausage and Stout pizza in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. With dough made with honey malted stout beer and toppings including beer sausage, carmelized onions, fontina cheese, scallions, beer salt and a sweet Guiness reduction, ths is the perfect dish to celebrate the holiday. Pizza Rock only make 23 of these pizzas a day, so get yours before it’s gone!
Wherever you go on St. Patrick’s Day remember to celebrate responsibly and treat-yo-self to some corn beef and cabbage, I know we will!
An Evening at Lou’s Sushi + a Giveaway!
You’ve probably known this about us for quite a while, but we love sushi. We always have. We always will. And in a town with SO MANY great options for sushi, everyone seems to have their favorite sushi spot.
Mine just so happens to be Lou’s Sushi on the corner of 23rd and P St. in Midtown. Their menu is full of creative rolls and fresh nigiri and sashimi offerings. Not to mention the array of seriously good specialty dishes (I’m talking about you, Secret Tofu). They also have a nice selection of sake and beer to sip on while you enjoy you’re the food crafted by Lou’s talented staff.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll love the fact Lou’s has an entire section of the menu dedicated to specialties, sushi and even nigiri to fit your dietary needs. Even if you eat meat, you shouldn’t overlook this section of the menu!
Here’s what we ordered during our trip to Lou’s!
Vegan Mushroom Tempura – remember when I told you to not overlook the vegan options? These Oyster mushrooms are coated in panko breadcrumbs, fried and then tossed in a house made sweet and sour sauce.
Stir Fried Green Beans – The name says it all. Green beans stir fried in a savory soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds. These were cooked to the perfect firmness!
Secret Tofu – The cat’s out of the bag on this one. Tofu is fried up crispy and smothered in a creamy garlic sauce. This tofu was one of the highlights of our meal. If you think you don’t like tofu, this will make you reconsider.
Veggie Tempura – Crisp and flavorful, fried to a light golden brown. Everything was cooked to perfection! Each veggie had a nice crunch without being underdone.
Chef’s Choice Nigiri – Nigiri is simple, flavorful and perfect for sharing. I never know what fish I want, so I always opt for chef’s choice.
The M-N-M – Tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, with unagi, avocado, masago & Lou’s amazing sweet-n-spicy sauce.
The Firecracker – The jalapenos on top should not be taken lightly! If you’re into spice, this is the roll for you.
And finally, dessert! We opted for tempura strawberries over vanilla ice-cream because how could we not?
The best part is, we’re giving away THREE 15% coupons to Lou’s on our Instagram this week! Go to @sacfoodies, find our Lou’s post and tag 2 foodie friends that you’d like to share an awesome meal with. The giveaway ends this Friday at 5:00pm PST!
No purchase necessary to win. Winner must be following @sacfoodies and will be randomly selected. A winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, 12/22.
Food and Fun in the Sun this Saturday
By Jessica Gunn
Summer is in full swing and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by having some fun in the sun and good food! Because is fun really fun without food? Check out these fun food events all happening this Saturday.
THIS is Midtown
This is not your average block party. Local artists like the LA Riots, Mike Diamond and My Cousin Vinny will be performing throughout the day rounded out by a beer garden and lots of vendors. The best part? This event is sponsored by Saint Archer Brewing Company, Pizzeria Urbano, LowBrau, and Azul Mexican food and Tequila Bar making it a FREE event! You can’t go wrong with THIS is Midtown.
July 8, 2017 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
20th St. between K and J streets Sacramento, CA
More information here.
The Midtown Bizarre July
Identity Coffee is hosting their monthly pop-up shop on Saturday July 8. Vendors and artisans from around the area will be there selling goods and answering questions regarding their crafts. Bring the whole family and enjoy a cup of amazing, fresh brewed coffee while you shop.
July 8, 2017
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
1430 28th Street Sacramento, CA 95816
More information here.
Punk Rock Pizza Party
If you love punk rock as much as you love pizza, this is the event for you. Bottle and Barlow is hosting their second annual foodie concert for the 21 and over crowd, featuring music from Setting Sons, and food from Pizza Supreme Being. Pizza and music? I’m there.
July 8, 2017
3:00 p.m.
Bottle and Barlow 1120 R Street Sacramento, CA 95811
More information here.
The Cocktail Academy
Have you ever wanted to learn how to bartend, but without the pressures of working in an actual bar? Here is your chance. Join Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Company this Saturday July 8 for a master class in all things bubbly. Learn how to make sangria, sherry, and champagne cocktails while enjoying snacks and cocktail tastings. The best part…this is the first in a series of seven masterclasses covering all your favorite liquors! Tickets are $55, but save some money by buying more than one class.
July 8, 2017
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Company
1630 S Street Sacramento, CA 95811
Buy tickets and see more information here.
Sacramento Cocktail Week 2016
by Brandon Smith
Bathrobe-clad bartenders, a hole-in-one, rum punch, Caribbean jerk chicken, a race against time and brandied cherries. What do all these things have in common? You probably experienced at least one of these things if you attended a Sacramento Cocktail Week event.
As we previously mentioned, Sacramento Cocktail Week is a week-long celebration uniting local bartenders, fine spirits, fresh products and artisan cocktails. Restaurants, bars, bartenders and patrons from around the greater Sacramento area came together to create, celebrate and of course, drink cocktails.
I jumped at the chance to be a part of the action. I had been looking for an excuse to get out and experience more of the incredible bar and craft cocktail scene in Sacramento and cocktail week seemed like the perfect opportunity. I made it a goal to attend at least five Sacramento Cocktail Week events to make the most out of the experience.
Day 1: The Dude Imbibes at Bottle & Barlow
Cocktail week kicked off on Sunday with its first featured event, The Dude Imbibes. The event featured a number of cocktails and food inspired by the Coen Brothers cult classic, The Big Lebowski. White Russians and Sioux City Sarsaparillas (yeah…that’s a good one) were being poured up by two bartenders dressed as The Dude and Walter Sobchak. The Wandering Chef was serving up bowling alley themed classics like bacon burgers, specialty hot dogs and nachos with scratch made cheddar beer sauce. Everything was well thought out and played off the Lebowski theme. If you’ve never seem the film, you’ll just have to take my word for it, man.
Check out the full beverage menu below!
Day 2: Tavern on the Green at Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co.
Hook & Ladder hosted the second featured event of the week, The Tavern on the Green. Fellow SacFoodie Harrison and I decided to check this one out after leaving the office Monday afternoon.
[Read more…]
Coconut’s Fish Café: A Taste of Maui in Midtown
Here at SacFoodies, one of our main goals is to keep you in the know about the latest and greatest things happening in the Sacramento food scene, and today I’m here to dish on Midtown’s newest restaurant, Coconut’s Fish Café.
Some of you Maui lovers may be thinking “Coconut’s Fish Café? That sounds familiar.” Yep, you’re right! Coconut’s was founded on the beautiful island of Maui by Sacramento native Mike Phillips, who wanted to bring an affordable, fresh option to the island. It has been his dream to open a Sacramento location, and now that dream is a delicious reality (much to our benefit).
Upon my recent visit to Coconut’s, I was greeted with the Aloha spirit and a cold and refreshing Ace Pineapple Cider (highly recommended). They also have a nice selection of Hawaiian brews on tap, perfect for a warm summer evening.
The menu is plentiful without being overwhelming, and is brimming with island favorites like their famous fish tacos (voted a “perfect taco” by Zagat), fresh salads, mahi mahi and ono dishes, and of course, Hawaiian poke.
I sampled many dishes on the menu, and I can honestly say that I’d recommend all of them. The coconut shrimp was super crispy and served with an addictive Thai pineapple chili sauce, and it’s no surprise that the fish tacos are award-winning! (Pro-tip: two diners can easily share the fish tacos, as they’re huge. They even come on two plates!)
Coconut’s cuts all their fish in house daily, and also makes all their own sauces, dressings and marinades from scratch each day. They pride themselves in super fresh and high-quality food at an affordable price. I personally think it fills a hole in our Sacramento dining scene and I strongly recommend you go soon to try it out for yourself.
Mahalo!
Coconut’s Fish Cafe
1420 16th St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-440-0449