By Sidney Burt
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, it’s time to start making plans. And, with the holiday falling on a Wednesday, it’s the perfect opportunity to plan a week’s worth of fun-filled activities!
Whether you are planning a romantic date night or just looking to have fun out on the town with friends, there are plenty of options for everyone! Take a look at how you can celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day in style.
Valentine’s Day Date Night Options:
Dawson’s Steakhouse Valentine’s Day Dinner – Indulge in specialties such as a Dungeness Crab Tower, Seared Scallop or a Niman Ranch Prime Beef Filet. And be sure to save room at the end for something sweet. (Reservations required)
Hyatt Regency Sacramento
1209 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Painted Cork Date Night – This Valentine’s Day, enjoy an evening of professional art instruction with all art supplies included. Plus, complimentary wine and chocolate with the class to celebrate that special someone!
The Painted Cork
1624 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ella Dining Room & Bar – Enjoy a beautifully prepared and locally sourced prix fixe menu to celebrate Valentine’s Day! (Reservations required)
Ella Dining Room & Bar
1131 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Valentine’s Dinner Train – Treat your loved one to three courses of hearty American fare while taking a leisurely ride along the old Garden Highway in rural West Sacramento.
Sacramento River Train
400 N Harbor Blvd, West
Sacramento, CA 95605
Selland’s Market-Café – Spend the night at home with delicious bites. Menu is available for pick-up and don’t forget the bubbles! (Must place orders by February 12)
Selland’s Market-Café – East Sacramento, Broadway and El Dorado Hills
Valentine’s Week Celebrations:
Cupid Crawl – Grab a friend and head out to the Cupid Crawl. Indulge in some great eats and delicious libations from Milagro’s Restaurant Community.
Milagro Center
February 9, 2018
Advance: $10; Door: $15
Port, Wine and Chocolate Lover’s Weekend – Enjoy wines, ports, dessert wines, and sweet delights at the Old Sugar Mill Wineries. 15 Wineries will be offering wine tastings and pairings all weekend.
Old Sugar Mill
February 10 & 11, 2018
Advance: $29.50 Door: $40
Valentine’s Day Yappy Hour – Celebrate Valentine’s Day rain or shine with your furry friends and help the animals at the SPCA. For every pint purchased, $1 will go directly to the Sacramento SPCA.
Big Sexy Brewing Company
February 15, 2018
FREE
You're Gonna Want a Pizza This!
By Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt and Laurel Harrison
October is National Pizza Month! We stopped by Pizza Rock for a pizza feast to kick off the month, and what a feast it was!
Laurel:
Even though I’ve lived in/near Sacramento since childhood, I had never been to Pizza Rock on K Street before last Friday. Because I’m a strict thin-crust pizza aficionado and I’ve found that many large pizza places don’t get them right, I tend to stay away from larger pizza joints on the whole. However, my friends and coworkers raved about Pizza Rock, so when SacFoodies was invited to sample some menu items, I was very excited especially since Pizza Rock’s Executive Chef, Laura Meyer, was at the dinner to talk about the different offerings.
The food at Pizza Rock exceeded my expectations by 1 gazillion percent. I was so incredibly surprised and pleased at the quality of the pizza, the inventiveness, and the culinary knowledge displayed by Chef Meyer.
We tried everything from classic Neapolitan pizza to Detroit “Blue-Steel Pan” pizza, with lots of happy dances in-between. Chef Meyer said it best when she told us that the ideal pizza should be light enough that you can eat, have a drink and go out dancing without feeling tired or bloated. And guess what, Foodie Friends? I ate the pizza, had a drink, and went out dancing – and it was awesome.
Personally, my favorite pizza of the night was the “Cracker-Thin Chicago Michigan Avenue,” a super-thin crust pizza with spicy pepperoni and crispy, bubbly cheese. Like I said – thin-crust pizza all the way, baby. I will definitely be returning to Pizza Rock in the future, and, thanks to Chef Meyer, have a great sense of the range Pizza Rock has to offer.
Cheyenne:
When SacFoodies got the invite to sample some of Pizza Rock’s menu to kick off National Pizza Month I was thrilled! I had only been to Pizza Rock once before, but the vibe and great food made the experience a memorable one. I am a pizza connoisseur, I like thin crust, hand-tossed, deep dish and wood-fire. If it is pizza, I will try it.
When we sat down for the tasting and saw the array of options that were coming to us, to say I was excited would be an understatement! Pizza Rock’s Executive Chef really puts her time, energy and passion behind each dish, and you can taste it! Pizza is a fine science, and I would consider her the Marie Curie of the Pizza Rock kitchen. We ate A LOT of pizza, but it didn’t leave me feeling weighed down or sleepy. Just satisfied with a delicious meal and ready for the rest of the night.
It was really hard to pick a favorite because at some point in the night each and every slice was my top pick. One of the most unique to me was the Detroit Red Top pizza. This pizza is cooked in a blue-steel pan (which aren’t made anymore, thank goodness Pizza Rock has a few!), with Cabot and Brick cheeses and Butter toasted Cheese corners. You read it right… There. Was. A. Cheese. Skirt. On. The. Pizza! They didn’t stop there though, the garlic oil, and two racing stripes of sauce finished off this creation. When the pizza came out, all of our jaws literally dropped because it looks like a monster of a meal, but the slices were light and airy when we bit into them and Oh, so delicious!
Though it was hard to pick, my absolute favorite of the night and a Pizza Rock exclusive was the Sausage and Stout Pizza. This pie starts with a honey malted dough made with “Homeland Stout” from the New Helvetica Brewery, house-made beer sausage and mozzarella (the only pizza you will find this on), Caramelized Onions, Crushed Red Peppers, Beer Salt and a Sweet Stout Reduction. The sweetness of the honey merged so well with the stout in the dough, and those flavors paired perfectly with each ingredient. This pizza is going to be hard to beat for me. If you stop by Pizza Rock, you HAVE to try this one.
Pizza Rock’s menu is huge, and you will not be disappointed. Great drinks like the Sweet Home Alabama and the Fat Bottomed Girl (yes, that’s really the name) and delicious appetizers like the Coccoli (Think a hollow, savory donut served with burrata and prosciutto) round out the dining experience!
It’s the perfect time to stop by Pizza Rock to indulge in one of these beauties. Let us know which pie is your pick!
Farm-to-Fork Fun This Weekend
By Jessica Gunn
California State Fair
Celebrate the California State Fair’s 164th anniversary with a ton of foodie fun. The fair has FREE (yes, you read that right…free) samples of honey from Sola Bee Farms, cheese tastings from Point Reyes Farmstead, cornbread and bbq sauce from Burgess Brothers and ice cream samples from Gunther’s Ice Cream. The CA State Fair has everything your fair-going heart could desire, including the highly-anticipated wiener dog races. End your State Fair experience with a cooking demo from official fair chef, Keith Breedlove. He will be showcasing all the best farm-to-fork ingredients available. Nothing says summer like the State Fair!
July 14-20, 2017
1600 Exposition Blvd Sacramento, CA, 95815
Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children if you purchase in advance.
Off the Grid @ The Barn
Do food trucks, live music, interactive art and dancing pique your interest? If so, you should head over to West Sac for this week’s Off the Grid at The Barn, where food trucks from Sacramento and San Francisco gather to share their delicious bites. This Saturday, the Drake’s Brewing Co. crew will be in attendance to host an interactive beer brewing (and tasting) experience. This event is held every Saturday through the end of August, so you have plenty of time to get your foodie groove on!
July 15, 2017
5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The Barn 985 Riverfront St.
West Sacramento, CA, 95691
More information here.
Rio Linda Farmers Market
Get out of the city and take a drive into the country for Rio Linda Farmers Market. They have everything foodies need to make fresh & healthy meals for the week. This week’s market features berries, cage-free eggs, local honey, and fresh Central Valley tomatoes from local vendors. Don’t forget to stop by the High 5 Homemade Pet Treats booth for healthy treats for your 4-legged friends. Fresh country air and fresh produce? Sounds good to us!
Every Saturday through September 30, 2017 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Dry Creek Ranch House 6852 Dry Creek Rd Rio Linda, CA 95673
More information here.
Soil Born Farms – Field Days
Experience a day in the life of a farmer with Field Days at Soil Born Farms. Help the farm staff weed, harvest, and care for their fruit and vegetable farm. Pre-registration is necessary to participate. If farming isn’t your style, hang out and listen to music from Millington Strings, taste pastries from Magpie Cafe, or experience a veggie centric cooking demo. Before you leave, don’t forget to purchase some of the fresh produce you helped harvest! Working hard has never tasted so good.
Every Saturday through November 18, 2017 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
2140 Chase Drive Drive Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
More information here.
Midtown Farmers Market
For those who want to stay a little closer to home, stroll on over to the weekly Midtown Farmers Market. Venders flock to midtown every Saturday morning to show off the best of the best products from California, including Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms, Wheel Lemonade, and The Pasta Queen. The Midtown Farmers Market is the ideal place to shop, gather as a community, and explore the neighborhood.
Saturdays all year 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
20th St between J and L streets Midtown Sacramento, CA 95816
More information here.
YOLO! So Taste Everything?
By Laurel Harrison and Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt
Laurel:
On June 10th, I had the opportunity to represent SacFoodies at this year’s Taste of Yolo. Taste of Yolo is an event dedicated to celebrating the agricultural bounty available in Yolo County. This year, it was hosted in Davis’ Central Park (same location as the weekly Davis Farmer’s Market) and hosted a myriad of restaurants, breweries, wineries, and local agricultural businesses. The booths were divided up by town of origin, making the event feel like a miniature map of the county.
As a born & bred Woodland gal, I was happy to see a strong showing from Woodland. I would argue that the star of the whole show was Las Brasas Taqueria, which had a constant line throughout the day. Of course, Las Brasas is already a Woodland Main St. staple, but it was great to see the rest of the county get to try them out. Because TOY was held on the grass, there were lots of places to sit, rest, and enjoy my wine and snacks.
I had a mini-fangirl moment at the Robbins Black Fox Rice booth as well – if you haven’t tried Black Fox rice, you are seriously missing out. I’m a huge fan because they sell a brown rice that only takes TEN minutes to cook, as opposed to the usual 40-minute wait time. My grandpa (who lives in Seattle) orders this rice directly from Robbins since he can’t find it in Washington – that’s how great it is.
As I mentioned in a March SacFoodies post about the Golden 1 Center, we live in the largest arable valley in the world. The whole world. Events like Taste of Yolo are true showcases of our power as a leader in the national food-o-sphere and in the farm-to-fork movement. When you have out-of-state foodies, like my grandpa, special ordering rice from Robbins, CA, you know you have something special on your hands.
I hope that this event continues to grow, expand, and thrive, if only so I can come back next year!
Cheyenne:
We were so lucky to get the opportunity to be a part of the first annual Taste of Yolo. The weather was beautiful, the food was delish and the wine was flowing all the makings of a great event. I didn’t grow up in Sacramento so a lot of these locations were completely new to me!
The wide range of breweries, wineries and eateries that were in attendance assured that there was something for every taste.
I started my day by tasting some jam from Manas Ranch, I then proceeded to buy three jars because it was so delicious, that I had to make sure I could share it with my friends. There were so many flavors to pick from but I think that the Pomegranate and Apricot really stood out to me!
There were so many booths that it was hard to decide what I wanted to taste and sip on. I started with Blue Note Brewing Company’s Freshly Squeezed IPA. I’m honestly not the biggest beer drinker, but I loved this! It was mild and worked so well with those tacos from Las Brasas.
When I saw that Cobram Estates Olive Oil was there I was so excited! I had tried their oil before and have been a loyal customer. The oil is delicious and flavorful, and the bottle comes with a built-in pour spout!
There was so much to see and do at Taste of Yolo it’s hard to tell you all of it! It has been one of my favorite events I’ve attended. It did such a great job of telling the culinary story of Yolo County, from ground to gourmet. I can’t wait to attend next year and hope you will too!
To see more of our Taste of Yolo adventures, head over to our Facebook or Instagram!
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.
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