I’ve always been a Cosmopolitan girl, myself.
There’s something incredibly classy and chic about a pink drink rimmed with sugar and garnished with a lime. It screams super sassy and lover of summer.
This week is Midtown Cocktail Week in Sacramento, an entire seven days dedicated to your favorite gin and tonic. Sponsored and hosted by a variety of Midtown restaurants and bars, this series of events and classes is dedicated to celebrating the diverse mixology that Sacramento offers, as well as educating bartenders about the best way to shake their martinis.
Midtown Cocktail Week kicks off with a Punch Bowl Bunco Party, a special event devoted to making the quintessential party punch bowl concoction – both with and without alcohol. Some special events (including this one) require pre-registration, so be sure and get your name on the list early.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday include workshops and events such as a Bartender Mixology Competition, a gin-making class titled “Hello Gin! Where Have You Been?” and a Cuban-themed cocktail celebration at Zocalo.
Friday night jump starts the weekend with The Greatest Cocktail on Earth event that will turn the Citizen Hotel Ballroom into a circus. Saturday and Sunday wrap up the week of festivities with The Science of Food and Drink mixology lesson, followed by a tropical luau.
So, whether you’re a Cosmo girl like me or a guy that likes his martini extra dry and shaken not stirred, there’s something for everyone at Midtown Cocktail Week.
Photo courtesy of Flikr user Ralph and Jenny.
Patio Happy Hours, Perfect for Hot Summer Nights
I love summer.
For the people of the Sacramento Valley, June, July and August are marked with thermometers reaching 80 degrees at dawn, afternoon swimming and air-conditioners running on high well into the evening.
The upside to this hot, hot heat is that the evenings here in Sacramento can be the perfect time to relax outside, if you don’t mind it feeling a little bit like you stepped in to an African safari.
We have a few suggestions for some happy hours that have great outside patios for enjoying the balmy summer nights.
First and foremost, Cafeteria 15L is my absolute favorite place for evening cocktails in midtown. Not only do they have great patio dining, but you have the chance to sit in tented bungalows worthy of a poolside spot at the Beverly Hills Wilshire Hotel. With their billowing white canvas covers, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a romantic summer rendezvous or a casual cocktail with a friend.
Best appetizers hands down are the Grilled Asparagus and the Trio of Fries, which includes regular, sweet potato and garlic. Cafeteria 15L also has $4 well drinks, $5 glasses of wine and $6 martinis. Happy hour is Monday-Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Another place I love is Lucca. This charming Mediterranean/California cuisine bistro is the perfect place if you’re feeling adventurous and bit like you need a vacation to the Greek Isles. Its outdoor patio is the perfect place to sip a cocktail and imagine you’re staring out into the ocean off of the Santorini coast.
My recommendations for appetizers at Lucca include the Zucchini Chips and the Bruschetta. As for drinks, when in the Mediterranean, don’t skip the wine.
One great way to find other happy hours is just walk around. I have found many a drink special by just parking my car, getting some exercise and paying attention to the sandwich boards posted outside.
Happy summering!
Cafeteria 15L
1116 15th Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-1960
Lucca Restaurant and Bar
1516 J. St
Sacramento, Ca, 95814
(916) 669-5300
Photo courtesy of Fickr user Seriously Photographic.
Hot Italian Announces New Affogati Menu
Good news, Hot Italian just received their liquor license, and in addition to now stocking a full bar, this has allowed them to add a few new dishes to their menu. We were recently invited to sample a few items from their new line of Affogati (Italian for “drowned”) desserts: a heaping scoop of gelato literally drowning in your choice of liquor. Of course, we couldn’t pass up also ordering a pizza or two in the process.
Christine on the Fiori Pizza
Okay, yes we were technically there to try the new Affogati menu, but when we walked through the doors fresh from a long day at the office it was hard to resist the pizza calling (yelling!) our names. We started the evening with a Fiori Pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, arugula, mushrooms, prosciutto parma, truffle oil) which is a standing favorite of the foodies. Hot Italian has officially convinced me that any pizza drizzled with truffle oil is a good thing. Since this was the “opening” of the new liquor license we also felt it necessary to taste a few of the cocktails so I had the Cuba Pestato (dark aged rum and cola with muddled brown sugar and lime). Yum and yum.
Liz on the Borriello Pizza
Two words: burrata mozzarella – that’s all I needed to read before I knew we were ordering this pizza. If you’re not familiar with burrata, it’s different from regular mozzarella because of its very creamy and soft texture – it’s almost spreadable. Besides burrata, the Borriello is topped with tomato sauce, fresh heirloom tomatoes and basil, and in my book, it does not get better than that. The pizza plus the Sgroppino Limone cocktail (made with Limoncello, vodka, prosecco and limon sorbetto) topped off with affogati galore and my night was officially a success.
Cristina on the Dark Chocolate with Frangelico Affogati
As any woman will tell you, we are suckers for chocolate. Take that and pair it with Frangelico and you have one happy lady. Hot Italian was nice enough to invite the SacFoodies to taste the new addition to their menu, Affogati. Although I was lucky enough to taste all the variations, my favorite was the Dark Chocolate with Frangelico. The gelato was rich and creamy and well balanced with the hazelnut flavor of Frangelico. The flavors married well and followed a meal of salad and pizza perfectly. Will definitely go back and bring my husband.
Cecily on the Mr. Espresso with Kahlua Affogati
When Andrea, one of the owners of Hot Italian, described the new Affogati menu as “a selection of adult sundaes,” I was immediately sold. I mean, who doesn’t like sundaes?? Each Affogati selection comes with two scoops of gelato drowned in liqueur and topped with crushed hazelnuts and fresh panna. Mouth watering yet? We were lucky enough to try three of the new selections and, while my sweet tooth had no problem going for second (and maybe third!) bites from all of them, my favorite was definitely the Mr. Espresso with Kahlua. Give me coffee with a splash of Kahlua any day and I’ll be a happy camper!
Jenna on Madagascar Vanilla with D’Sarrono
Anyone who knows me knows that I am ALL ABOUT everything almond. Almond croissant? Yes please. Medium soy latte with two pumps of sugar-free almond syrup? That’s me. So when I saw the Madagascar Vanilla with D’Sarrono on the new Affogati menu, I had to make it mine. The vanilla gelato was delicious dunked in the D’Sarrono amaretto – a true almond-lovers delight!
Hot Italian, located on 16th and Q in Midtown, has always been known for their specialty pizzas, but as you can tell, we are delighted they’ve been able to put their new liquor license to good use with their delicious new line of desserts.
Tightwad Tuesday: Midtown Cocktail Week
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.
The Press Bistro & Bar, Sacramento
Looking for a new spot to check out in the Midtown area? Look no further because today is the grand opening of The Press Bistro & Bar! The highly anticipated opening has been playing out on their Facebook fan page for all of Sacramento to see. Stop in Tuesday through Saturday for dinner 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. and tapas 4 p.m. – midnight. When asked what specials they have going on for this week’s Tightwad Tuesday, the response we received was “it’s happy hour all the time here!”
The Press Bistro & Bar
1809 Capitol Ave.
(916) 444-2566
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 7
- Next Page »