SacFoodies

Upcoming Events in Sacramento

by SacFoodies

Thursday Night Jazz & Wine
Thursday, January 13, 2011
6-9pm
Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa
Get ready to celebrate the spirit of the season with an evening of live jazz music by the New World Jazz Project and wine tastings from the Chalone Vineyard Estates, the oldest producing vineyard in Monterey County. This is your chance to relax and enjoy an evening of musical entertainment while exploring award-winning wines and complimentary light appetizers provided by Arden Hills. Tickets are $20/person. Call (916) 482-6111 for more information.
Pizza Rock’s Grand Opening
Friday, January 14, 2011
11:30am (Fri)-3am (Sat)
Pizza Rock
Artisan pizza meets nightlife energy at Pizza Rock, located at 1020 K Street in downtown Sacramento. Pizza Rock is taking pizza to the next level with their creative gourmet pizzas paired with specialty cocktails and an extensive imported beer and wine menu. Pizza Rock will be open for late-night dining until 3am Wednesdays-Saturdays and until midnight Sundays-Tuesdays. Visit Pizza Rock’s website for more information, reservations and menus.
Wine 101 with Rick Kushman
Saturday, January 15, 2011
1-2:30pm
Lava Cap Winery (near Placerville)
Former Sacramento Bee columnist, Rick Kushman, is guiding another wine tasting class at Lava Cap Winery. It’s part of his series, “Why Wine is More Fun Than People Make it Sound,” and it will cover lots of basics about wine and winemaking, answer common questions, and use actual, understandable English sentences to decode some winespeak and to make wine tasting (and just buying and drinking wine) more fun. There will, of course, be wine to practice tasting with. It costs $25 and you can sign up at www.lavacap.com or call (530) 621-0175.
Dine Downtown Week (continues)
Now through Sunday, January 16, 2011
Don’t forget that Dine Downtown is happening for another four days! Enjoy three- course prix-fixe dinner menus at Sacramento’s top restaurants for only $30 per person. Click the link above for a complete list of participating restaurants and check out our Dine Downtown review of The Firehouse Restaurant.

Dive Bar Grand Opening
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
8pm, ages 21+
Dive Bar
The much talked about Dive Bar is finally opening its doors! Step off the streets of downtown Sacramento and into the tranquil ambiance of Dive Bar. In direct contrast to its name, Dive Bar is a haven of cool and class in the middle of one of the nation’s most eclectic cities. Dive Bar, at 1016 K St., will feature a 40-foot-long, 7,500-gallon saltwater tank with fish and costumed mermaids, both male and female, set over the bar in a room just 18 feet across. Admission is free.

Popfest 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
7pm-12am
The Sterling Hotel
Popfest 2011 is an event to bring together the Sacramento community and the region’s best restaurants, wineries, beverage purveyors, artisans and more in a true grassroots effort to raise money to help with Poppy Watson’s medical expenses. Sacramento resident, Poppy Watson, suffered a severe dog attack to her face on November 25, 2010, which has required major reconstructive surgery with many follow up visits to come. Popfest 2011 promises to be an exciting evening of food, drinks, live music, and an impressive line-up of live and silent auction items. You won’t want to miss food from restaurants including Selland’s, Grange, Kru, Red Lotus, Waterboy, Mulvaney’s, Shady Lady and more! Tickets are $50/person in advance or $60 at the door. For more information, a list of auction items or to purchase tickets, click here.

Tour, Taste, Talk: The Art of Tea
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Crocker Art Museum
Explore the connections between art and tea. Tour the galleries with docents to view tea-related objects from Japan and China. Then, enjoy an Asian-inspired menu and tea tasting from the Crocker Café (a SacFoodie favorite!), and hear from Peter Luong of the Red Blossom Tea Company, who will discuss teas found around the world. Tickets are $15 for members and $24 for non-members. Click here for tickets or more information.
Ten22 Event Promotion Offer
January 2011
Ten22 Restaurant
Ten22 Restaurant in Old Sac is excited to announce that throughout 2011, Sacramento event ticket holders will a receive 50% discount on food items when dining at Ten22 prior to selected shows and Kings games. Discounts will be applied to a maximum of two guests per table. Just show your tickets to your server to receive the offer. Offer applies to all Sacramento Kings home games for the 2011 season and to the following shows: Professional Bull Riders (Jan 14-15), Monster Jam (Jan 21-23) and Bill Gaither Presents Gaither Homecoming 2011 (Jan 30). For reservations and menus, visit Ten22’s website.

Local Events for New Year’s Eve 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011

by SacFoodies

Still not sure how to kick off 2011? Maybe we can inspire you. We’ve put together a quick list of some local events happening this upcoming weekend in the Sacramento area to help you kick off the New Year. Leave a comment and let us know what your New Year’s plans are. Any fun local events that we might have missed?
Sacramento’s Annual New Year’s Eve Sky Spectacular
End the year with a bang in Old Sacramento on December 31 with this free event. Two dazzling fireworks shows will light the night sky along the waterfront at 9 p.m. and at midnight. The event features a full schedule of activities including live music, vendors, street entertainment and more. Visit http://discovergold.org/nye/ for more information.
New Years Eve Brewery Bash at Brew It Up!
Brew It Up! is featuring “The Brew & Boil,” an all-you-can-eat seafood dinner (crab, clams, mussels, beer boiled sausages, soup, salads, and desserts) for $49 per person to help you end 2010 with an amazing meal. Dinner will be served 6-7:30 p.m. (the restaurant will close at 10:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made online here. Visit Brew It Up!’s website or call (916) 441-3000 for more information.
Mix Downtown
Mix Downtown invites you to celebrate NYE with them! Join Now 100.5FM and Sactown Magazine as they say goodbye to 2010 and welcome 2011 by partying in Sacramento’s favorite rooftop lounge and nightclub. Festivities will include complimentary party favors, a champagne toast and Times Square confetti cannons. Watch the ball drop on their huge plasma screens and dance the night away to all your favorite music. Tickets cost $50 per person and VIP packages are available. Visit Mix Downtown or call (916) 442-8899 for tickets and more information.
Sacramento Wine and Nightlife Tours
Ring in the New Year at Sacramento’s premiere New Year’s Eve Wine Fest at the elegant Masonic Temple located in downtown Sacramento. The event features live music, a four-hour open bar, appetizers and a complimentary commemorative champagne glass. Upscale or cocktail attire required, event begins at 9 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online only for $89 per person.
Hornblower
Hop on the Hornblower yacht for a memorable New Year’s Eve celebration with front row seats to the 9 p.m. fireworks show over the Tower Bridge.  Enjoy a buffet dinner, an open standard cocktail bar including after dinner liqueurs and house champagne, party favors, pre-boarding photographs and dancing—all for $159.  Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m. and the cruise leaves at 7 p.m. from L Street Dock at 1206 Front St.  Visit the Hornblower’s website for more information.
Harlow’s
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Harlow’s Restaurant and Nightclub with Utz and the Shuttlecocks. Event begins at 9 p.m. and tickets are just $35 per person (before 12/29) and $40 per person (after 12/29). Visit Harlow’s website for tickets or call (916) 441-4693 for more information. Harlow’s is located in midtown Sacramento at 2708 J Street.
Barcode
Visit Sactown’s only 18 and over New Year’s Eve Bash at Barcode Nightclub & Lounge! Features include a trendy crowd, energetic vibe, massive balloon drop, complimentary party favors, streamers, confetti and a midnight champagne toast for the 21 and up. Party starts at 9 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m., tickets are $10 for 21+ and $15 for 18+. Buy your ticket online and skip the line!
Sacramento River Train
Join the annual celebration of bringing in the New Year aboard the Sacramento River Train. The night features a DJ, a live band, excellent appetizers, a three-course dinner and party favors aboard a moving train departing from Woodland, Calif. Train departs at 8 p.m. Silver Ticket: $67 + service charge & taxes for dinner, trip & entertainment. Gold Ticket: $92 + service charge & taxes for dinner, trip, entertainment, premium seating, bottle of wine/champagne, complementary soda & coffee, and a rose for ladies. Tickets can be purchased online at the Sacramento River Train’s website.
Capitol Garage
Celebrate New Year’s Day at Capitol Garage with endless mimosas from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for just $6.95 and dinner for two for just $49.95 from 4 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Dinner includes salads, entrees, dessert to share and your choice of house wine or champagne. Space is limited; RSVP soon online or by calling (916) 444-3633.

What to do… What to do…

by SacFoodies

There are always many amazing things happening around town, especially in the summer. Here are a few things going on this weekend:
Second Saturday, Midtown and Folsom
Most Sacramentoans know about the Second Saturday Art Walk, in Midtown Sacramento. For those of you who don’t, let me give you the rundown!  In celebration of the art community of Midtown Sacramento, on the second Saturday of every month art galleries and restaurants stay open late and invite the public to view art, walk around the neighborhood and enjoy food and drink.  For more information and a list of participating galleries, visit the Sacramento Art Walk’s website.
Did you know that there’s also a Second Saturday in Historic Downtown Folsom? Second Saturday on Sutter Street in downtown Folsom is a celebration of art, food, and wine. Restaurants, art galleries and stores will be open late with food and wine sampling, live music, and art displays starting at 5 pm on Saturday, August 14. So if you want to stay a little closer to home, or experience a burgeoning new art scene, check out Second Saturday on Sutter Street.  For more information, visit the Historic Folsom Sutter Street website.
A class for the wine lover in all of us!
Sacramento Bee columnist Rick Kushman is back teaching another class called “Why Wine is More Fun Than People Make it Seem,” on Sunday at Lava Cap Winery. This class will focus on red wines, and you don’t need to have taken any of his other classes to participate. Lava Cap is in the rolling hills near Placerville, so you’ll get to taste some good wines in a pretty place.
He’ll cover some basics about reds and what makes them special, and you’ll practice tasting to identify common characteristics in reds. The class is for everyone, and even wine buffs will learn a thing or two!  He’ll cover lots of fun things to help make drinking wine even more enjoyable.
This Sunday, August 15,
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Fee is $25.00
Details and signups at www.lavacap.com

Tightwad Tuesday: Midtown Cocktail Week

by SacFoodies

Get your taste buds ready for this year’s Midtown Cocktail Week!  Continuing now through August 15, Midtown Cocktail Week celebrates Sacramento’s cocktail culture.
The week will be filled with fun activities such as cocktail creation education, recognition of local mixology innovators and leaders, and specialty cocktails at participating restaurants.   

This wouldn’t be a Tightwad Tuesday without a deal, now would it? Be sure to keep an eye out for great deals around town such as chef’s special late-night at Ella, which includes “Bar Bites” and a full flight/prixe fixe meal for only $20!  The celebration only lasts one week, so grab a taxi and some friends and let the cocktails flow!
 For more information and event details, visit the Midtown Cocktail Week Website.

Giveaway: Two tickets and food passes to the California State Fair!

by SacFoodies

Do you want to try the Chocolate-Dipped Bacon from the California State Fair that we posted on Tuesday ? Well, now is your chance! We have State Fair passes to give away to one lucky Sac Foodies reader!

The winner will receive two passes for entry into the fair and two food passes, good for any food or drink item of your choice.
To enter, post a comment here on the blog or on the Sac Foodies Facebook page , telling us your favorite fair food item. The drawing will end Tuesday, July 20 at noon, so enter soon!
For information on the California State Fair, including ticket prices, concerts, and a list of special events visit the fair’s website.