A wise person once said, “Beervana isn’t a place. It’s a state of mind, a sense of pure bliss and knowledge. It also happens to be held on the 5th St. Bridge.”
We here at SacFoodies had a great time getting to know more about local breweries and brewers in the month leading up to Sac Beer Week and Capitol Beer Fest, and on Sunday, March 12, we pulled into the final stop on “The Road to Beervana.” We slathered on our sunscreen, grabbed our tickets and made our way CBF!
Laurel: “I had a SUPERB time at Capitol Beer Fest. I was really excited to try a few of my favorite breweries, enjoy the warm weather, and explore new beers with the other SacFoodies. The fact that I could do this all within 10 minutes of my house was a huge plus for me, and my wallet!”
Favorite Beer: 21st Amendment – Blood Orange Brew Free! Or Die IPA
“I like blood orange in most beers (Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose is also a favorite) because it’s refreshing and adds a nice tanginess. This IPA was refreshing but maintained its hoppiness, and I really enjoyed it.”
Favorite Food Truck: Bacon Mania
“To be fair, this was the only food truck I tried, BUT it was after careful consideration of all menus. We had the Bacon Mac n’ Cheese Loaded Fries – the perfect pre-beer food.”
Cheyenne: “Capitol Beer Fest was a blast! We’ve been excited about attending Capitol Beer Fest since we got our tickets in January, so going into it I wondered if I had built it up too much in my mind. Once we got there, though, it was just as fun as I imagined it would be! I’m not a huge beer drinker, so I was very happy that there were so many cider options. I had a great time!”
Favorite Cider: 2 Towns Ciderhouse– Made Marion
“I loved this cider so much! I’m very into ciders that stray away from the classic apple flavor, so this was a great experience. It is made from marionberries, which are basically an ultra-classy member of the blackberry family. It was light and crisp, and the sweetness came through without being overpowering.”
Favorite Food Truck: Bacon Mania
“As Laurel said, we only tried one food spot after a decent amount of menu research. I think that even if we had tried multiple places this still would have been my favorite. Bacon, mac n’ cheese, AND french fries! What’s not to love? This dish was seriously delicious and very filling. We could not finish the order between the two of us and it kept us going throughout the whole event!”
The food trucks were delish, the beer was blissful, and there were even cider options for the non-beer enthusiasts in the group. What more could you ask for?
This year’s Capitol Beer Fest hosted 120 craft brewers and saw a crowd of over 6,500 people. The funds from this event benefited the Runnin’ for Rhett Youth Fitness Program, and will allow over 5,770 children to participate in the program. We love drinking great beer, but nothing beats drinking great beer for a good cause. We absolutely plan on returning to CBF next year, and we hope we see you there!
Slice of Sauce
“When the moon in the sky is a Bella Familia pizza pie, that’s amore.”
This week in Sauce News, the SacFoodies decided to keep it #saucy with Sac’s new food truck on the scene, Bella Familia Wood Fired Pizza. Bella Familia has a wood-fired pizza oven inside of their truck and invited the SacFoodies out to give it a try! We stopped by when they were parked at Track 7 Natomas – if you couldn’t guess it, beer and pizza are one of our favorite combos.
This truck is one of the few who happens to be gastronomically and aesthetically pleasing. Instead of the usual food truck structure, it has floor to ceiling windows along one side, allowing the customer to get an inside look at the wood-fired oven and the cooking process. We were surprised at how beautiful the truck was, and how fun it was to watch everything going on!
It was really hard to decide what we wanted to eat because all of the options sounded delicious! Since we knew we would be having a beer, Bella Familia recommended the “Marco.” We were truly grateful for that recommendation because it was absolutely delicious! The pizza was loaded with house-made roasted garlic ricotta, mozzarella, sausage and roasted red pepper. We’re not sure if it was the hands-on chef, the premium ingredients, or the wood fired oven, but this pizza was out-of-this-world good. One might even say it was “pizza pie in the sky” good.
You could taste the garlic in the ricotta, and the sausage had the perfect amount of spice. Pro-tip: If there are multiple people eating, order more than one pizza. Since the crust and ingredients are light and the pizza is on the smaller side, it’s easy to finish one by yourself. Since we were looking for a lighter meal, one was perfect for the two of us! Overall, our experience was amazing, and we definitely recommend checking out Bella Familia.
It’s a pretty great night when, at an industrial park in Natomas, you can enjoy Grade-A craft beer and wood-fired pizza. Nothing makes the SacFoodies happier than watching local restaurants and breweries thrive! The Bella Familia Wood-Fired Pizza Truck is a welcome addition to the Sac food scene and we’re happy to have them on our home turf. Ciao for now!
You can track down Bella Familia through their “Find Us” feature here!
Deschutes Street Pub
By: Harrison Reilly
For the second year in a row, Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery took over the 1800 block of Capitol Avenue for their traveling Street Pub. With 100% of the proceeds going to Runnin’ for Rhet, the event was an opportunity for Sacramento beer lovers to try unique brews, enjoy live music, eat great food and support a worthy and local cause.
The Deschutes Street Pub has been visiting cities across the United States, offering fans the chance to try their wide ranging beer selection, including some rare releases. While I didn’t get to try the food, Deschutes’ head chef Jeff Usinowicz was creating custom dishes with help from local chefs Wesley Nilson from De Vere’s Irish Pub and Ryan Rose from Zocalo.
As for the beer, it didn’t disappoint. If I had attended during the evening hours, I would have given their porters and stouts a try. I’m a big fan of their aged stout, The Abyss, but the late afternoon heat called for some lighter beers.
Here’s what I had:
- Sagefight Imperial IPA: This double IPA was very smooth for having an 8% ABV. The sage was a great touch without it being overpowering.
- The Dissident: Only poured in a 30 minute window, this limited production sour was a thrill to taste for die hard Deschutes fans in attendance. Although I’m not a big fan of sours, I really enjoyed this one and its wine-like qualities.
- Armory XPA: Described to me as an “experimental pale ale”, this beer was the most refreshing of the three I tried on a surprisingly hot afternoon.
This was a fantastic event and a great addition to Sacramento’s fall events calendar. We hope Deschutes makes their third trip to Sacramento next October.
SacFoodies Weekend Picks
By: Harrison Reilly
Fantasy Food Truck Showdown
Presented by Beers in Sac, season #2 of the Fantasy Food Truck Showdown comes to a close tonight, Aug. 19, at Yolo Brewing Company. From 4 to 9 p.m., Cali Love, Cecil’s Taste, Dojo Burger, North Border Tacos and Voyager World Cuisine will battle it out for your SacFoodie heart in a bracket-style points competition.
The food trucks will be provided with a mystery ingredient box and have to prepare a dish that pairs with craft brews from Yolo Brewing.
The event is free to the public and will feature live music by Kamikaze Music Ensemble. If you would like to sample fare created during the competition and vote for the best food truck, you can buy the “Hungry Man” ticket for $25, which includes five small plates and a beer. For more information, visit the Beers in Sac website.
Yolo Brewing Co.
1520 Terminal Street
West Sacramento, CA, 95691
Ice Cream Safari
The 32nd annual Ice Cream Safari at the Sacramento Zoo will take place this Saturday, Aug. 20 from 4 to 8 p.m. A ticket includes all-you-can-eat Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream in cones, sundaes and floats and unlimited Coca-Cola beverages. This is a great event for kids and adults alike.
Tickets to explore the 14-acre zoo with delicious ice cream treats are $15 for children ages 2-11 and $20 for adults. Purchase your tickets at the Sacramento Zoo website.
Sacramento Zoo
3930 West Land Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95822
Slow Beer On a Hot August Night
We have all heard of Slow Food, but what about Slow Beer? Slow Food Sacramento invites you to try this new concept at Magpie this Sunday, Aug 21st at 4:00 p.m.
According to Slow Food Sacramento, “Slow Beer is our link to the Ark of Taste, which is the topic of the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto extravaganza being held in Turin, Italy, this September. Terra Madre is the most important international event dedicated to food and gastronomy. From educational forums to conferences to a grand marketplace, this is where international food communities meet. This is where ideas turn into actions. This is where biodiversity reigns and is celebrated. And five Sacramento delegates will be there, including Magpie owner Ed Roehr.”
Tickets are $40 and proceeds with help raise money to send Slow Food Sacramento’s delegates to Italy in September.
Magpie
1601 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Weekend Food Getaway: Outside Lands
by Harrison Reilly
The annual Outside Lands music festival was held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park this past weekend and I was lucky enough to attend all three days. In between watching bands like Radiohead, Third Eye Blind and Duran Duran, I was able to try food from vendors across the Bay Area. It was a SacFoodie’s dream!
With help from my lovely sisters, I complied this list of the best food we tried at Outside Lands.
Spicy Tater Tots from The Japanese Pantry.
These tater tots were the perfect snack on a cold and foggy afternoon.
Rambenburger from Nombe.
This burger included 50/50 pork belly & Kobe patty, blue cheese, buttered shiitake, pickled onions, and Miso Sauce.