If you love wine then this event is for you. Join El Dorado’s award-winning winemakers in their cellars for a weekend of barrel tasting – for free, if you win tickets right here on SacFoodies! Located in the El Dorado foothills, this unique wine region is just an hour from Sacramento or two hours from the Bay Area.
During the weekend of January 29-30, a total of 25 El Dorado wineries will be offering samples straight from the barrel. The weekend will also feature sales on wine futures, light food pairings and demonstrations. To view details on participating wineries and purchase tickets, visit www.ElDoradoWines.org.
One lucky SacFoodies reader will win a pair of tickets to the event. Simply leave a comment here or on our Facebook Fan page with your favorite winter food and wine pairing. We’ll pick one winner at noon this Friday, January 14th.
Archives for 2011
SacFoodie Turned Chef on New Year’s Eve
Tormé’s Jazz Bar and Restaurant is one of the newest restaurants to line the streets of downtown Palm Springs, California and is a tribute to the late, great singer and musician, Mel Tormé. Open since September 30, 2010, Tormé’s has attracted people from all over the Coachella Valley eager to try Executive Chef R. Vincent Guccione’s chefs-d’oeuvre.
Lucky for me, Chef Guccione is my father and I have been enjoying his food all my life, in addition to learning everything from how to peel and devein shrimp while standing on an upside down paint bucket at the ripe age of two; to working the front and back of the house; to catering parties for hundreds of people. This New Year’s Eve was one of the largest parties for Tormés to date so my father called upon his favorite daughter to fly from Sacramento to Palm Springs to assist in the kitchen as his sous chef. Lucky for me my brother-in-law bought me a brand new chef’s coat for Christmas so I already had the duds.
We started plating salads and shrimp cocktail at about 3:00 p.m., just in time to feed the first round of guests at 6:00 p.m. After writing “2011” in chocolate sauce on 150 dessert plates I was just about to call it a night, go home and clean up for the party, when 150 more hungry diners decided they wanted to eat. Oh right, I forgot to tell you there were TWO seatings. After more salads, more shrimp cocktail and 150 more “2011’s” (this is why I do not bake), we were able to change into our dancing shoes at 11:45 p.m., just in time to ring in the New Year.
I must say, although it was hard work, there’s nothing better than working side by side my father, rockin’ out in the kitchen to Neil Diamond and ELO and making memories that will last a lifetime.
The Firehouse Restaurant – “Dine Downtown”
Each year the Downtown Sacramento Partnership produces “Dine Downtown Restaurant Week.” For 10 days only, local chefs at 30 restaurants create special three-course dinner menus for only $30 per person. The Partnership contacted the SacFoodies and asked if we would like to review a preview at a participating restaurant. Of course we all jumped at the idea of this generous opportunity but lucky for me I was chosen. I did not have a restaurant preference so the Partnership selected the Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento and made reservations for me and my husband.
Although I’ve lived in Sacramento for 11 years, I’ve never been to the Firehouse Restaurant. Not for any particular reason other than I just had not made my way over to that part of town. So, needless to say, I had no expectations or opinion, other than my husband’s faint memory of a company party some five years ago.
Upon arrival I was moved to the sublime by the historical beauty and exquisite décor. With the high ceilings, beautiful chandeliers and walls lined with rich mahogany, I could just picture Artie Samish in the corner smoking a cigar with Governor Merriam discussing slush funds. We were promptly seated in a back corner booth with a view of the entire restaurant, in my opinion; it was the best seat in the house.
The Dine Downtown menu provided us with a choice between soup or salad, four entrées and two desserts. I chose the mixed green salad, chicken forestiére and chocolate cheescake while my husband enjoyed the lobster bisque, pork tenderloin and lemon bar.
What they don’t mention on the menu are the special accoutrements provided in between courses. The amuse bouche, French for a tiny bite-sized morsel traditionally served before the first course of a meal, consisted of delicately prepared carrots and beets, topped with caviar, curly parsley and crystallized lemon peel, accompanied by crème fraiche. The intermezzo, Italian for a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, but in this case a meal; was a lemon cucumber sorbet. The flavor brought me right back to a soothing, calm place such as a day spa when cucumber water is provided after a luxurious massage. A perfect treat to enjoy before my main course.*I could go on and on about every taste, sensation, enjoyment and pleasure but I want to save that experience for you. Just know the attention to detail in each course was faultless. The service was beyond expectations. The passion that went into creating and preparing the menu was entirely evident in the execution of every course. Not one stone went unturned. Words cannot describe their success so please, use your imagination and enjoy the photos above and wish the Internet could fulfill your senses of taste and smell.
A very special thank you to the Executive Chef, Deneb Williams; Pastry Chef, Jill Berger; our server John and Megan at the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.
Dine Downtown Restaurant Week begins January 7 and runs through January 16. Please visit www.downtownsac.org for a list of participating restaurants and menus. You can also check out our review of The Firehouse Restaurant’s lunch menu here.
SacFoodies was provided two complimentary meals and was not compensated for this review.
*Please note the Amuse Bouche and Intermezzo are subject to change.
The Golden Bear to be featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives"
Tonight at 6:00 p.m. the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives will be featuring Sacramento’s popular restaurant The Golden Bear on episode 1101 “Pub Grub and More.”
The show’s host, Guy Fieri, selected three Golden Bear menu items to feature for the show: sausage and smoked slaw pizzetta, a French Vietnamese sandwich called a pork bahn mi, and “THE Taco.” Coincidently, when the SacFoodies reviewed the Golden Bear recently, we also chose the sausage and smoked slaw pizzetta and “THE Taco.” If you would like to see what we thought before Fieri throws in his two cents, check out our review.
After you watch the show, head to The Golden Bear at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate!
The Golden Bear
2326 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 441-2242
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