True, fellow Sac Foodie Liz Conant shone a Wordless Wednesday spotlight on this screaming deal back in February.
I’m here to reiterate the amazingness of it all.
Café Bernardo—that bastion of the midtown and Davis dining scenes—is a hotspot for breakfast and lunch and known for incorporating local ingredients into its inventive and approachable dishes. But do you ever consider it as a dinner option?
You should.
Especially with this weekly dining special, only available at the midtown location on Capitol Avenue. Monday through Thursday, from 5 p.m. to close, the original location is offering two starters, two mains and a carafe of wine for only $25!
And trust me. Unlike similar specials around town, Café Bernardo doesn’t skimp on portions.
Each Monday, the restaurant debuts its ever-changing Two for $25 specials on Facebook. The items range from menu staples like the to-die-for turkey burger with a large side of garlic fries, to the delicious achiote chicken salad with a side of fresh bread from the Paragary Bakery.
Depending on the dish, Café Bernardo also mixes up the drinks. While an appropriately paired carafe of wine is standard, the eatery has also offered pitchers of beer or ice-cold Coronas to wash down each flavorful plate.
Again: all for $25.
Here’s a look at my culinary sojourn this week.
Starter and Wine
A light, unfussy, and delicious mixed green salad with locally sourced lettuce in a light balsamic vinaigrette. To pair? Stone Cellars Chardonnay.
Main
Archives for June 2012
Festive Frozen Yogurt Popsicles for Fourth of July
With the oppressive Sacramento summer heat bearing down on us, frozen treats can provide a welcome and cooling relief. I was inspired by this PARENTS.com recipe for Confetti Yogurt Pops and decided to give this treat a try. Sure, it is fun for kids but adults can enjoy this simple recipe too!
(Courtesy Parents.com)
Not only is the combination of low-fat yogurt and berries a healthy snack, I love the applications for red, white and blue pops (raspberries, blueberries and vanilla yogurt) during Fourth of July! If you try it, be sure to cut the fruit pieces into smaller chunks (including the blueberries) because you will find it can be difficult to fit larger fruit chunks into the molds. I found that I ended up mashing the raspberries more than I would have liked to get them to fit.
After experimenting with different fruit combinations, I enjoyed the simple combination of blueberries (hello, antioxidants!) and yogurt the most.
What berries would you use for your sweet treat?
Ingredients
• 2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup assorted berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries)
• 5 pretzel rods, halved, or 10 baked snack stick crackers
Directions
1. In a large bowl gently stir together the yogurt and fruit.
2. Spoon into 4-ounce ice-pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups.
3. Cover molds or cups with foil; use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the foil and insert cut side of pretzel rod or snack stick.
4. Freeze until firm.
5. Remove foil and mold or cup before serving.
Store for up to a month. Makes 6 pops.
We Have a Winner!
Congratulations to Jonathan for winning two tickets to King of Feasts tomorrow at the Sacramento Zoo. If you missed our post about this event earlier in the week, check it out here.
Again, here is a quick rundown for those interested in attending:
What: Sacramento Zoo’s King of Feasts, featuring local food, wine, beer and live entertainment
When: Saturday, June 23, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Sacramento Zoo
Tickets: $60 at the door, $45 for members and $50 for non-members – tickets can be purchased here.
Thank you to all of the readers who participated in the giveaway! We loved reading your comments and hope to see you there!
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop—A Taqueria Champion
There’s only one taco shop where you can gobble up heavy shrimp-filled tacos while watching reruns of 1980’s Mexican wrestling matches, and all for a reasonable price of $8! Welcome to Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop, a small San Diego hot spot set on a path for complete taco domination.
The restaurant opened in 2008 as a side project between three brothers Jose Luis, Maurilio and Diego Rojano-Garcia. Departing from typical taqueria ambiance of sombreros and mariachi music, the brothers opted for a vibrant and colorful theme. “Lucha libre” literally translates to “free style wrestling” in Spanish, and refers to the Mexican art form of wrestling. “Anyone growing up in Mexico remembers the wrestlers on TV,” owner Jose explains. “We wanted to share this with San Diego.”
With wrestling masks crammed haphazardly along the brightly painted walls and pink zebra-printed chairs, the fun restaurant rapidly gathered a neighborhood fan base. “We had this crazy idea that quickly turned into something big,” Jose said. Big enough to land a national TV segment on Man vs. Food in 2010 and to remain a tourist destination ever since.
“Our future plan is to take over the world one taco shop at a time,” says Jose. The brothers are opening Lucha 2 by the end of 2012 and hope to expand into Los Angeles in the near future.
While recently visiting my sister in San Diego, we ventured to this popular destination for an early 11 a.m. lunch. Already the line was outside the door. Having forgotten the taste of an excellent fish taco, I ordered both the Undefeatable Seafood Taco with grilled shrimp (pictured above) along with its fresher counterpart the Flaco Taco containing grilled blackened Mahi Mahi (pictured below). Both were cooked perfectly and flavored with just the right amount of spice. Scrumptious!
But what makes Lucha Libre a unique destination? The shop lives up to their gourmet name by offering high quality ingredients, which means marinating, grilling and chopping their carne asada by hand. Let’s not forget the Surfin’ California burrito—stuffed with grilled steak, shrimp and French fries—which remains the most popular menu item. Top it off with the “special green sauce” which locals swear is pure gastronomical genius!
“Oh, the cilantro sauce? I give credit to my mom,” said Jose. He proceeds to tell the full story. “It was one day before opening and I had eight spots for salsa on the condiments booth, but only seven salsas. I did not know what to do and my mom said, “Remember that salsa your aunt made in Mexico?” She made it and we put it out in desperation. I think she added a bit of nicotine because it’s kind-of addictive! It was one of those accidents that worked out.”
The next time you’re in San Diego, make sure to stop by Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop. Even better, call 24 hours in advance to reserve seating in the ringed-in champion booth. “It is full service and you can drink out of real goblets,” says Jose. “We already have people making reservations for next year.”
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop
1810 W. Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 296-8226
www.tacosmackdown.com
Wordless Wednesday: Sacramento Wine and Dine at Grange Restaurant and Bar
I knew I could not miss the great deal offered by Sacramento Wine and Dine Week. How could anyone pass up a savory meal at one of Sacramento’s top restaurants, for under $50 a person? After scouring the list of participating eateries, I decided on Grange Restaurant and Bar. The menu offered three courses, each with a wine pairing, and dessert with port for $49.
We forwent the wine pairings (which took $12 off the fixed menu price) as Grange was offering 50% off bottles of wine that night. The sommelier was very helpful in picking out a bottle of wine that went well with all three courses.
The second course was a smoked Passmore Ranch sturgeon carpaccio with a watercress and beet salad and horseradish dill dressing. It was so delicious that I forgot to take a picture!