SacFoodies

By: Brittney Nourian

Photo Credit: Identity Coffees

I don’t mean to knock on chain coffee shops or anything – I LOVE a good salted cold foam cold brew, but there is just something about a hometown coffee shop that draws me in.. In college, I was so loyal to my favorite coffee shop that I sat in my graduation ceremony holding a cup of their sugar-free spiced dirty chai with oat milk in one hand, my diploma in the other. There are so many things that make small, local coffee shops special. The people that are always coming and going, that are vastly different but somehow all so familiar. The pride of being loyal to a favorite drink that only that one coffee shop does right – you all have that specific drink in mind right now, I would bet on it. The surge of productivity that only a local coffee shop’s atmosphere can provide. And it’s also the joy you get from being able to support a local business. Hometown coffee shops just feel so personal and intimate. If you’ve been wanting to test out a few new coffee shops in your area but don’t know where to start, here’s a list of some local places in the Sacramento area and a few drink ideas to get you started! All of these shops are taking orders for curbside to-go. 

Pachamama Coffee (Midtown, East Sacramento, Davis)

Drink recommendations: Honey Bear Cold Brew; Matcha Latte; Rooibos Tea

Tiferet Coffee House (Downtown, East Sacramento)

Drink recommendations: Vanilla Lavender Latte; Caramel Macchiato; Chai

The Trade Collab (Midtown)

Drink recommendations: Shakerato; London Fog Latte; Nola

The Mill Sacramento (Midtown, East Sacramento)

Drink recommendations: Golden Milk; Gibraltar; Wildwood Flower Latte

Temple Coffee Roasters (Downtown, Midtown, Arden-Arcade, Davis, East Sacramento)

Drink recommendations: Mexican Mocha; Nitro Cascara Tea; Hazelnut Latte

Identity Coffees (Midtown, West Sacramento)

Drink recommendations: Hibiscus Berry Tea; Cortado; Cocoa Rouge Mocha

Milka Coffee (Mansion Flats)

Drink recommendations: Mint Matcha; Apple Hill Latte; Sparkling Milka

Goodside Coffee (Mansion Flats)

Drink recommendations: Nitro Cold Brew; Raspberry Vanilla Oat Milk Mocha; Dirty Chai

Old Soul (Downtown, Midtown, North Oak Park)

Drink recommendations: Vanilla Spiced Turmeric Latte; Matcha Hot Chocolate; Drip Coffee with Caramel

Philz Coffee (Midtown)

Drink recommendations: Mint Mojito; Ecstatic; New Manhattan

Naked Coffee (Midtown, Downtown)

Drink recommendations: Thai Coffee; Hammerhead; Keith Richards

Camellia Coffee Roasters (Downtown)

Drink recommendations: Horchata Cold Brew; Cortado; Sparkling Omija Berry Tea

Insight Coffee (Downtown)

Drink recommendations: Gibraltar; Spiced Mocha; Chai Latte

By: Brittney Nourian

Since I’ve been home a lot more than usual and not going out to my favorite restaurants and bakeries, I’ve been cooking and baking much more often. I’ve also been watching new YouTube videos to try and fine tune some of my culinary skills. This last weekend, I made the dreamiest, chewiest, chunkiest chocolate chip cookies. These aren’t your average chocolate chip cookies. Listen – these are BIG, soft, chunky, and oh so yummy. I followed the recipe from two of my new YouTube friends, Joshua Weissman and Babbish. They attempted to recreate the world-famous New York Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. I opted to remove the nuts from my recreation, but I included them in the ingredients for those who prefer nuts in their cookies. If you want to watch Josh Weissman’s video while you bake, it’s linked here. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1.5 cups cake flour 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 tsp kosher salt

2 teaspoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1.25 cups unsalted butter

1.25 cups light brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

2 cups walnuts (optional)

2 4oz chocolate baking bars, semi-sweet

2 4oz chocolate baking bars, 60% cacao or darker 

Note: Some helpful kitchen tools include a stand mixer and a kitchen scale but are not needed.

Directions:

Melt your butter. You can do this over the stove top or in the microwave. If you’re using the microwave, melt the butter in 15-second increments to ensure it does not burn. When it is completely melted, set to the side and let cool.

While butter is cooling, roughly chop your cholate bars. You should have a variety of sizes, some big, some small. 

In a medium size bowl, combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, corn starch, and baking soda. Whisk together.

If you’re using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to whisk together your light brown sugar and white granulated sugar on medium speed. As that is mixing, slowly stream in your butter and whisk until it is all nice and creamy.

Once your butter and sugar mixture is smooth, one at a time add two eggs followed by three egg yolks.

Once the eggs have been completely mixed in, switch to the peddle attachment (if using a stand mixer, otherwise mix with a wooden spoon), begin to add in your flour mixture. I found it best to slowly add in the flour rather than adding it all at once.

After the dough is mixed and smooth, add in the chocolate and nuts (if desired) and mix.

Once all the ingredients have been mixed in, chill the dough in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

Now that your dough is chilly, you need to form tall, large balls of dough. Levain’s website says that their cookies are roughly 6-oz, so using a food scale, scoop our 6-oz balls of dough and form them into a tall ball. If they’re not tall, they’ll come out flat.

Next, line your baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange your balls of dough. Place no more than 6 balls on one sheet to prevent them from spreading out into each other. To get tall cookies, refrigerate your formed dough for another 25 minutes, however, you don’t NEED to do this step.

Once you’ve chilled your dough again (or not), place them in your oven set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside. (I personally like my cookies medium rare, so I take them out at 10 minutes and let them almost completely cool to solidify any gooey dough).

Carefully slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet and lay cookies on a cooling rack. You’re going to want to reline your baking sheet with parchment paper each time you put more cookies in the oven. If you’re re-using the same baking sheet for multiple batches of cookies, be sure the sheet is fully cooled before placing a new batch of dough.

Once your cookies have cooled, grab a cup of milk and enjoy! Be sure to check out Binging with Babbish and Joshua Weissman for more recipe inspiration!

By: Brittney Nourian 

Here at SacFoodies, we’re usually a sucker for some tasty bites at a local restaurant, and we know we’re not alone! Many people have a Friday night tradition or enjoy spending their weekend trying out new restaurants. However, due to federal regulations, that weekend tradition looks a little different these days. We’ve identified some local restaurants in Sacramento that are still open for pick up, delivery, or are on your favorite food delivery app. In addition to our list below, The Downtown Sacramento Partnership also created a running list of restaurants and businesses and their business operations at this time. Click here to view the list!

Credit: Photo by Orlova Maria on Unsplash

AMERICAN

Capital Hop Shop (Delivery)

Barwest (Delivery, Postmates, DoorDash)

Brannan Manor (Pick Up)

Empress Tavern (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash)

Grange Restaurant (Pick Up)

Hook & Ladder Manufacturing (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash)

Hoppy’s Railyard Kitchen & Hopgarden (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates)

House Kitchen & Bar (Pick Up, Delivery)

Iron Horse Tavern (Pick Up)

Paragary’s (Delivery, Postmates)

Rio City Café (Pick Up)

Sac City Brews (Pick Up)

The Golden Bear (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash)

The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar (Delivery, Grubhub)

Yard House (Pick Up, Delivery)

BBQ

Sauced BBQ & Spirits – Sacramento (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates, DoorDash)

Tank House BBQ and Bar (Pick Up)

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Capitol Garage (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates, DoorDash, Grubhub, UberEats)

Steamers (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates)

The Mimosa House (Pick Up, Delivery)

BRITISH

Camden Spit & Larder (Pick Up)

Fox & Goose (Pick Up)

BURGERS

Burger Patch (Delivery, Postamtes, DoorDash, Grubhub)

Burgers and Brew (Pick Up)

University of Beer – Sacramento (Pick Up, Delivery, Grubhub)

CHINESE

Frank Fat’s (Delivery, Postmates, DoorDash)

COFFEE/TEA

Camellia Coffee Roasters (Pick Up)

Oblivion Comics & Coffee (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates)

Roots Coffee (Pick Up, Delivery, Grubhub)

Tea Bar & Fusion Café (Delivery, DoorDash)

Temple Coffee Roasters (Pick Up)

DESSERTS/SWEETS

Andy’s Candy Apothecary (Pick Up, 9^th Street location only)

Café A Cote (Pick Up)

Creamy’s by Cayla Jordan (Pick Up)

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates, DoorDash, Grubhub)

Häagen-Dazs (Pick Up)

Insomnia Cookies (Pick Up, Delivery)

Sacramento Sweets Co (Pick Up)

INDIAN

Curry Up Now (Pick Up, Delivery)

ITALIAN

Allora (Pick Up)

One Speed (Pick-Up in neighboring parking lot)

JAPANESE

Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash)

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash)

JUICE BAR/SMOOTHIES

Nekter Juice Bar (Delivery, DoorDash, Grubhub)

Power Bowl (Pick Up, Delivery, Grubhub, Postmates, DoorDash)

Pressed Juicery (Pick Up, Delivery, Grubhub)

Vibe Health Bar (Pick Up)

MEDITERRANEAN

Crest Café (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates, Grubhub)

MEXICAN/SPANISH

Alaro Craft Brewery (Pick Up)

Azul Mexican Food and Tequila Bar (Delivery, UberEats, Grubhub, Postmates)

Centro Cocina Mexicana (Delivery, DoorDash, Grubhub)

Chita’s (Pick Up, Delivery)

Cilantro’s Mexican Restaurant (Pick Up)

Jimboy’s Tacos  (Pick Up)

La Cosecha (Pick Up, Delivery)

La Terraza Mexican Restaurant (Delivery, DoorDash)

Mas Taco Bar (Pick Up)

Midtown’s Cantina Alley (Delivery, Postmates)

Zocalo – Midtown (Delivery, DoorDash)

PIZZA

Federalist Public House and Beer Garden (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash, Grubhub)

MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza Company (Pick Up, Delivery)

Pizza Rock (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates, UberEats, DoorDash)

Pizzeria Urbano (Delivery, UberEats, Grubhub, Postmates)

Upper Crust Pizza (Pick Up, Delivery)

RAMEN

Kodaiko Ramen & Bar (Pick Up)

Shoki Ramen House (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash, Postmates, Grub Hub, UberEats)

SANDWICHES

Hawks Provisions (Pick Up, “Hawks at Home” family-style meals)

Mendocino Farms (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash, Postmates)

SOUTHERN

South (Pick Up)

SUSHI/POKE

Fish Face Poke Bar (Pick Up, Delivery, Postmates, Grubhub, Caviar)

Takumi Izakaya Bar (Pick Up, Delivery, UberEats, DoorDash)

THAI

Tasty Thai (Pick Up)

Thai Canteen (Delivery, DoorDash, Grubhub, UberEats)

THAI – The House of Authentic Ingredients (Pick Up, Delivery, DoorDash, UberEats)

The Coconut on T (Delivery)

VEGAN

Pure Soul Plant-Based Eats (Pick Up)

VIETNAMESE

Saigon Alley Kitchen + Bar (Pick Up)

WINE/BREWERIES/PUBS

Bailarín Cellars (Pick Up)

Fizz (Pick Up, Delivery, Grubhub)

Vega’s Underground (Pick Up)

Hey there, Fall Foodies!

It’s that time of year again – the days have turned colder, shorter, and pumpkin spicier.

As the crisp autumn air ushers in the glorious start to sweater season, it also finds us haunting the aisles of our local Raley’s (full disclosure: Raley’s is a client of ours) as we prep for the upcoming holidays. While we’re there, feverishly redesigning classic dishes to fit the dietary needs of our second cousins and thrice-removed aunts, we noticed something that we all can be thankful for this holiday season: Raley’s 33^rd Annual Food For Families Holiday Drive.

Running from November 1^st through December 31^st, Raley’s hopes to raise 4.2 million meals to help support local food banks throughout Northern California and Nevada. Through their network of 12 county-level food bank partners, this campaign will benefit over 1.4 million food insecure people within the Raley’s footprint.

The huge scope of this giving campaign isn’t the only part that’s impressive: since Raley’s covers all administrative costs for the non-profit, 100% of proceeds go directly to food bank partners and those in need. Plus, all donations stay local to aid the communities in which they were made. Whether you’re at Raley’s staking claim on the perfect turkey or gathering ingredients for Grandma’s famous stuffing, every dollar you donate at check-out helps nourish your neighbors in need.

What an easy, affordable way to share the holiday love this season, Foodies.

To find out more, visit https://www.raleys.com/news/raleys-launches-33rd-annual-food-for-families-holiday-drive/, or donate online: http://www.foodforfamilies.org/donate/.

Sacramento Hotels Farm-to-Fork Showcase: Challenge of the Chefs
October 30, 2019 (Wednesday)
5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. |Kimpton Sawyer Hotel

The 4th annual Sacramento Hotels Farm-to-Fork Showcase: Challenge of the Chefs is set for October 30, 2019, at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel—as part of Sacramento Hotel Association’s ongoing community service activities.

For 2019, the Farm-to-Fork Showcase will benefit Soil Born Farms, a non-profit 501(c)(3)organization. Soil Born Farms is about growing food, mentoring youth and future farmers, teaching people how to cook and garden, creating urban farms and preserving wild spaces, developing partnerships and improving access to fresh produce throughout our community, and at the core, it is about making a difference. It means transforming a shared vision of healthy food for all into a local reality.

The Sacramento Hotels Farm-to-Fork Showcase: Challenge of the Chefs is sponsored by the Sacramento Hotel Association (SHA).The event will feature:

• Festive Farm-to-Fork food stations from local hotels/restaurants
• Friendly competition among the hotel executive chefs—three different awards
• Craft beer tastings from local brewers
• Wine tastings from area vintners
• Silent auction of gift baskets and prize packages
• Musical entertainment

The Sacramento Hotel Association’s Sacramento Hotels Farm-to-Fork Showcase: Challenge of the Chefs open to the public. Advance tickets are $45 per person plus service fee; tickets are $55 per person at the door. You can pre-purchase your tickets at www.ChallengeoftheChefs.com

The FH Sacramento team was recognized for work on behalf of two clients – the California Prune Board and Albertsons Companies – at the Public Relations Society of America California Capital Chapter Annual Influence Awards, held in Sacramento on October 17^th.  The Awards included:

• An Influence Award for the California Prunes Re-Branding Campaign, a multi-year process of re-branding the commodity that had been marketed as “dried plums” for the past 15 years.  After deciding to “re-embrace its prune legacy,” the board enlisted FH to manage target audience research, concept development, brand identity and logo design, and tagline and message development. FH was also tasked with launching the new brand to the industry, trade and consumer media, influencers and partner agencies, as well as developing a full suite of creative materials under the new brand for ongoing use by the California Prune Board, the industry and their partners around the globe.

• An Influence Award for the California Prunes Experience at the Culinary Institute of America, which took bloggers and journalists hailing from the United States, Canada and Italy from the pantry to the prune orchard to learn all about California Prunes and ignite interest, visibility and conversation about the classic pantry staple. Along the way, participants engaged with California Prune growers, chefs, and a nutrition expert on the heritage, versatility, and nutritional benefits of California Prunes.

• A Merit Award for Albertsons Companies, Open Nature® Special Event, which brought food influencers from across the country together in Berkeley, Calif., to help Albertsons relaunch its Open Nature® private label brand by bringing core brand attributes to life via an interactive experience with nature as the backdrop.

By Georgia Fox

Hi there Foodies,

We’re back with an exciting new taste test video! 

We were lucky enough to try a variety of oils and vinegars, courtesy of our friends at il Fustino Oils & Vinegars. We were blown away by the complex flavors and amazing pairings that we got to try, and we cannot wait to hear your thoughts!

Foodies, we were shook to our very cores by how delicious these all are, and we don’t want you to miss a single tasty note about these products. Read on for a breakdown of our favorite California-grown and produced oils & vinegars in order of appearance:

Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Tasting notes: Fresh green apples, green tea, and a peppery finish. Add this to a fresh green salad or your next pesto sauce for a well-balanced flavor you know and love.

25 Star Aged Balsamic

Tasting notes: Heaven-sent. This rich, sweet, thick Balsamic pairs with salads, meats, vegetables, you name it, it’s amazing.

Lemon Olive Oil

Tasting notes: All the flavor of a freshly-squeezed lemon with mild olive flavor. This citrusy oil can add zesty excitement to any salad or dessert.

Jalapeño Olive Oil

Tasting notes: This hot – but not too hot – oil mixes the heat of a crushed jalapeño with the milder notes of California Mission olives. Add this to your corn bread recipe or mac n cheese for the extra kick your dish was missing.

Garlic Olive Oil

Tasting notes: Fresh, light, and full of garlic! This Italy-in-a-bottle olive oil will pair perfectly with any pasta dish or salad dressing.

Pomegranate Vinegar

Tasting notes: Sweet, tangy, and antioxidant rich. Use it as a glaze for a fish or chicken dish for an exciting pop of flavor.

Mimosa Vinegar

Tasting notes: Sparkling, bright, and fruity. With all the sparkling taste of champagne, this Mimosa Blood Orange Vinegar will lighten up any recipe.

The results are in: we can’t get enough of il Fustino Oils & Vinegars!

Want to try it for yourself? Visit their website, spend the day in their tasting rooms if you’re passing through Santa Barbara, or ship it off internationally!

Thanks again to il Fustino for providing us with these tasty products, and Foodies, let us know what we should try next!

Big news – Sacramento’s first ever wine week is kicking off on August 7th! River City Wine Week will celebrate all things Sacramento wine with events, seminars, dinner and other fun activities across the region. 

“What a wonderful opportunity to highlight wine with the bounty we have in Sacramento! For us, It’s a time to highlight our relationships with winemakers and distributors, and have fun with exciting wine flights and dinner and cheese pairings! We especially look forward to collaborating with a nonprofit, possibly Front Street Animal Shelter for an extra special event,” commented Sara Arbabian, proprietor of The Rind and La Crosta.

“As wine buyers, we taste hundreds of wines every month to bring guests the best quality, best value and most interesting stories.  We love an event focused around wine and food, where we can highlight and share some of our favorite finds in unique and creative ways,” states John Marco, owner of the downtown wine bar, Whired.

Kicking off the festivities, on August 7^th, will be the Pop & Pour Wine Tasting at the Clara Auditorium in Midtown Sacramento. This event will serve as a benefit for WellSpace Health, a system of community health centers that provide primary care, dental health, and behavorial health services in Sacramento, Placer and Amador Counties.  In addition, WellSpace Health also operates the region’s suicide prevention and crisis lines.

Pop & Pour is a walk-around tasting event that will feature over 35 wineries and give attendees an opportunity to sample a diverse selection of wines from boutique wineries like foothill newcomer, Casino Mine Ranch, and established and highly-regarded old vine Zinfandel producer, Gamba Vineyards & Winery. 

River City Wine Week is co-founded by Rachael Levine and Carrie Boyle, both with over 20 years of professional wine experience in the Sacramento area. The multi-day event raises awareness for Sacramento’s unique position in the heart of America’s wine country.  Residents and visitors to the Capital City have unparalleled access to the wineries of Amador County, El Dorado County, Placer County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Lodi, Calaveras County, Sacramento County, Yolo County, and the Northern Sierra.  There are more than 1,000 wineries located within a two-hour drive. 

“Sacramento knows and loves food and wine. River City Wine Week is a chance to celebrate this love affair and share that passion with the community,” said Levine.

“Sacramento is ground zero, geographically, for wine tourism in Northern California,” added Boyle. “In the age of craft beer and cocktails, we think it’s time to bring wine back into the conversation.”

Visit River City Wine Week to buy tickets for Pop & Pour and check out the full calendar of events – P.S. use offer code EARLYRCWW for $10 off your ticket price, valid until July 22nd. 

Cheers, foodies! 

As a proud European, it’s in my blood to be a fútbol (soccer, to all you Americans) fan. That said, I am embarrassed to say that I’ve lived in Sacramento for two years and I’ve never been to a Sac Republic game! That all changed a few weeks ago when this SacFoodie was invited to a VIP experience for Republic FC vs Reno 1868.

The VIP section is right behind the south goal and offers a mix of high-top table seating and up close and personal bar seating. We chose to sit literally as close as possible to the action, because, you know, first game ever! Once we found our seats, we headed to the buffet (one on each side of the seating area) to chow down on some delicious Mayahuel dishes!

*Side note* You know how sometimes large catered events only give you lukewarm pasta and a slim slice of overdone tri tip? Well, the folks at Sac Republic have made an effort to change that by bringing in amazing local restaurants to cater their home games! Throughout the season they’ve invited Mayahuel, Tank House, Selland’s, Chando’s, Paesanos and Culinerdy to cater, and wow does it pay off!

For dinner we had fantastic Pork Mole, Mushrooms in a Pistachio Sauce, Chicken Enchiladas and of course, flour tortillas and rice and beans. I was so impressed that they had a vegan option to be inclusive for all diets. In addition to the food (with a view) we enjoyed a pregame watermelon margarita that was the perfect amount of sweet and tart. Then during the game, we took advantage of the full bar with our two free drink coupons! So, if all of this has sold you on the VIP experience, visit SRFC VIP Tickets to purchase VIP packages for any upcoming home game, going through October 12th, or contact Chris Nasser at 916-307-6103 to purchase group tickets. Also – keep your eyes peeled on our Instagram for a special giveaway coming soon!

Most of all, I learned I love some Food and Sacramento Republic Fútbol. So, who wants to go to a game??

Organic hard kombucha brand, Flying Embers, announces their commitment to support fire safety programs and First Responders during Wildfire Awareness Week, taking place from May 6th through 12th, 2019.

Flying Embers was founded in Ojai, California in 2016, by Bill Moses, Co-Founder of KeVita Probiotic Drinks. Accompanied by a team of passionate entrepreneurs, Flying Embers set out on a mission to create innovative botanical brews that boast practical benefits.

In 2017, the massive Thomas wildfire threatened to destroy Ojai, Ventura, and the surrounding areas, as well as the home brewery of Flying Embers. For three days and nights the Ojai community banded together with the brave firefighters to fight the wildfires and thanks to their efforts, we were kept safe. During the course of the ordeal we witnessed first-hand the courage of the firefighters and were inspired to pledge 1% of their revenues to regional fire safety programs and First Responders.

“Experiencing the Thomas Fire in 2017 firsthand, has not only brought us a special appreciation for life,” says Bill Moses, “but it has also taught us the importance of teaming with our community. This experience has defined our brand and mission to support fire education and prevention organizations and those First Responders who risk their lives for their communities.”

Flying Embers has initiated this pledge with the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council. WIlliam Castagna, their Board President, acknowledges, “The generous financial support we received from Flying Embers could not have come at a better time. With the Thomas Fire’s devastating effects still fresh on our minds, the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council is being called to action by our community more than ever. These funds have provided a crucial boost to our capacity-building and community service efforts.”

Flying Embers Hard Kombucha uses the ancient alchemy of fermentation to create a better-for-you alcohol sparkling tea made with an adaptogen root blend. It is organic, gluten-free and zero sugar. Flying Embers’ current line of three flavors includes Ancient Berry (with elderberry, goji, and raspberry), Ginger & Oak, and Lemon Orchard (with lavender, mint, and ginger).

For more information on Flying Embers and locations where the Organic Hard Kombucha is sold please visit FlyingEmbers.com, follow @FlyingEmbersBrew on Instagram, or find them on Facebook.