food

Food and Fútbol

May 31, 2019 by SacFoodies

As a proud European, it’s in my blood to be a fútbol (soccer, to all you Americans) fan. That said, I am embarrassed to say that I’ve lived in Sacramento for two years and I’ve never been to a Sac Republic game! That all changed a few weeks ago when this SacFoodie was invited to a VIP experience for Republic FC vs Reno 1868.

The VIP section is right behind the south goal and offers a mix of high-top table seating and up close and personal bar seating. We chose to sit literally as close as possible to the action, because, you know, first game ever! Once we found our seats, we headed to the buffet (one on each side of the seating area) to chow down on some delicious Mayahuel dishes!

*Side note* You know how sometimes large catered events only give you lukewarm pasta and a slim slice of overdone tri tip? Well, the folks at Sac Republic have made an effort to change that by bringing in amazing local restaurants to cater their home games! Throughout the season they’ve invited Mayahuel, Tank House, Selland’s, Chando’s, Paesanos and Culinerdy to cater, and wow does it pay off!

For dinner we had fantastic Pork Mole, Mushrooms in a Pistachio Sauce, Chicken Enchiladas and of course, flour tortillas and rice and beans. I was so impressed that they had a vegan option to be inclusive for all diets. In addition to the food (with a view) we enjoyed a pregame watermelon margarita that was the perfect amount of sweet and tart. Then during the game, we took advantage of the full bar with our two free drink coupons! So, if all of this has sold you on the VIP experience, visit SRFC VIP Tickets to purchase VIP packages for any upcoming home game, going through October 12th, or contact Chris Nasser at 916-307-6103 to purchase group tickets. Also – keep your eyes peeled on our Instagram for a special giveaway coming soon!

Most of all, I learned I love some Food and Sacramento Republic Fútbol. So, who wants to go to a game??

2018 St. Patrick's Day Roundup

March 12, 2018 by SacFoodies

By. Jessi Gunn
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, March 17^th to be exact, and thankfully Sacramento has plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. Do you have a favorite annual event that didn’t make it onto the list? Leave us a note (and an invite) in the comments!

Cafeteria 15L
Local dining hotspot Cafeteria 15L is adding classic Irish dishes to their brunch menu on St. Paddy’s Day only! If you follow SacFoodies on Instagram you’ll know that we are quite partial to Sunday brunch at 15L, (Bacon Jam Bennie and bottomless mimosas, yes please!) but the corn beef hash special sounds so good I might be tempted to switch it up. Hey, this does only happen once a year!
Old Sacramento Parade
This annual parade unites hundreds of colorful marchers, highland dancers, bagpipers and drum bands, and re-enactors in traditional Irish and Celtic outfits for a day of entertainment you won’t want to miss. Events begin at 11:30 a.m. with the parade starting at 1:00 p.m. Arrive early to get a front row seat to the action.
de Vere’s Irish Pub
For Irish food you can find year-round, head to de Vere’s Irish Pub. They have traditional, yet elevated, dishes such as Bangers and Mash and Irish Stew. Before celebrating the holiday on Saturday, head to de Vere’s on Monday the 12^th for their annual St. Baldrick’s Rock the Bald event to raise money for St Baldricks foundation.
Fox & Goose
Fox and Goose is bringing Irish music to town with performances from bagpipers, Irish folk singers, The Pikeys, and The Spicy McCormicks. Plus, Irish beer is on tap all night and delicious Irish bites are served until 10:00 p.m. All ages welcome until 10:00 p.m., and 21+ from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Malt and Mash
Downtown restaurant and bar Malt and Mash is hosting their second annual St. Pat’s Block Party. They will be featuring an outdoor beer garden, four bars and live music. Want a side of bagpipers with your Guinness? Malt and Mash will make that happen. Open from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m.
Streets Pub and Grub
Streets Pub and Grub will be hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day party featuring live entertainment, Irish beer, and peanut butter car bombs. Not to mention Irish Tacos (which I think I definitely need to try). Wear green and get ready to celebrate with the self-proclaimed “OG’s of St Paddy’s Day.”
Pizza Rock
Pizza Rock on K Street is serving their specialty Sausage and Stout pizza in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. With dough made with honey malted stout beer and toppings including beer sausage, carmelized onions, fontina cheese, scallions, beer salt and a sweet Guiness reduction, ths is the perfect dish to celebrate the holiday. Pizza Rock only make 23 of these pizzas a day, so get yours before it’s gone!
Wherever you go on St. Patrick’s Day remember to celebrate responsibly and treat-yo-self to some corn beef and cabbage, I know we will!

New Year, New Food Goals

February 7, 2018 by SacFoodies

By Jessi Gunn
It’s one month into 2018 and I don’t know about you, but my resolution went out the window weeks ago. I made a resolution to read more, sounds easy, right? Turns out a busy schedule and all my favorite TV shows coming back (I see you, Grey’s Anatomy!) doesn’t make for a whole lot of free time to curl up with a good book.
That being said, one thing I am trying to stick to, beyond the first month of the New Year, is a 2018 food goal! This year I am trying my hardest to branch out with what I cook at home. I want to try new flavors and ingredients, both in my own kitchen and when I am out to dinner. I checked in with some of my FleishmanHillard coworkers to find out what their 2018 foodie goals are!

Some of our favorite foodie moments of 2018…so far!

Gabby – “My food goal is to try one new restaurant every month, and I am already off to a hot start! Recent crossed both South and Moxie off my list.”

John – “More variety, less sugar”
Alexa – “My food goal is to focus on clean eating – natural ingredients to help me feel healthier.”
Shelly – “Try new recipes! We got a start at it last weekend with a new cheesecake recipe…it was wonderful/dangerous. And, a yummy pork chili recipe that actually had coffee and raisins in it. Not a combo I would expect, but it was good!”
Liz – “My 2018 food goal is to experiment more in my own kitchen and cook at least one new recipe a month, from scratch. It might not sound like a lot, but it is for someone like me who rarely turns on the oven!”
Christine – “My 2018 food goal is to eat more plant-based meals. And cook at home.”
Harrison – “To make at least one new Instant Pot recipe per month! I’m obsessed with it and I can’t wait to explore all the possibilities of the appliance.”
Amanda – “My food goal for the year is to be more mindful with food – listen to my body, not my cravings.”
Laurel – “I want to make my own kombucha!”
Cheyenne – “Breakaway from my normal choices and take culinary adventures in both cooking and dining out.”
Niño – “Read more nutrition facts labels and really know what I’m consuming.”
Brandon – “My food goal is to eat as many locally sourced foods and food products as possible!”
Sidney – “My main food goal is to bring my lunch from home at least 4 out of 5 days a week. My secondary food goal is to stop ordering Postmates”
Do you have a 2018 food goal? Let us know in the comments or on our Instagram @SacFoodies or Facebook.

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An Evening at Lou’s Sushi + a Giveaway!

December 20, 2017 by SacFoodies

You’ve probably known this about us for quite a while, but we love sushi. We always have. We always will. And in a town with SO MANY great options for sushi, everyone seems to have their favorite sushi spot.
Mine just so happens to be Lou’s Sushi on the corner of 23rd and P St. in Midtown. Their menu is full of creative rolls and fresh nigiri and sashimi offerings. Not to mention the array of seriously good specialty dishes (I’m talking about you, Secret Tofu). They also have a nice selection of sake and beer to sip on while you enjoy you’re the food crafted by Lou’s talented staff.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll love the fact Lou’s has an entire section of the menu dedicated to specialties, sushi and even nigiri to fit your dietary needs. Even if you eat meat, you shouldn’t overlook this section of the menu!
Here’s what we ordered during our trip to Lou’s!
Vegan Mushroom Tempura – remember when I told you to not overlook the vegan options? These Oyster mushrooms are coated in panko breadcrumbs, fried and then tossed in a house made sweet and sour sauce.
Stir Fried Green Beans – The name says it all. Green beans stir fried in a savory soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds. These were cooked to the perfect firmness!
Secret Tofu – The cat’s out of the bag on this one. Tofu is fried up crispy and smothered in a creamy garlic sauce. This tofu was one of the highlights of our meal. If you think you don’t like tofu, this will make you reconsider.
Veggie Tempura – Crisp and flavorful, fried to a light golden brown. Everything was cooked to perfection! Each veggie had a nice crunch without being underdone.
Chef’s Choice Nigiri – Nigiri is simple, flavorful and perfect for sharing. I never know what fish I want, so I always opt for chef’s choice.
The M-N-M – Tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, with unagi, avocado, masago & Lou’s amazing sweet-n-spicy sauce.
The Firecracker – The jalapenos on top should not be taken lightly! If you’re into spice, this is the roll for you.
And finally, dessert! We opted for tempura strawberries over vanilla ice-cream because how could we not?
The best part is, we’re giving away THREE 15% coupons to Lou’s on our Instagram this week! Go to @sacfoodies, find our Lou’s post and tag 2 foodie friends that you’d like to share an awesome meal with. The giveaway ends this Friday at 5:00pm PST!
No purchase necessary to win. Winner must be following @sacfoodies and will be randomly selected. A winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, 12/22.

Sac Burger Battle 2017

October 24, 2017 by SacFoodies

Burger. Battle. Burger. Battle (Sing this to the tune of “Jaws”). Do you ever have that dream where you’re surrounded by battling burgers? No? Oh well. Either way, a very real and non-dream Burger Battle took place at Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Park this September, and SacFoodies were on the scene to report back.

The most incredible part about Sac Burger Battle 2017 (besides the burgers, obviously) was the camaraderie and overall joyous atmosphere. Everyone working the booths was laughing, slinging jaw-dropping burgers and taking the time to chat with attendees. The booths were set up so that there was plenty of room to maneuver, grab drinks and chat with your friends. ALSO, the plates provided came with a built-in drink holder! We had never seen a plate like this before and were dumbfounded – it meant you could hold your plate and drink in one hand while grabbing as many burgers as possible with the other – but we digress. Read on for our top choices from the throw down:
Laurel:
My absolute favorite burger (which comes as no surprise to anyone that knows me) was from South. It managed to be both soft and crunchy and ended with a nice pickle-y tang.

The burger from South featuring fried chicken skin

Cheyenne:
It was seriously hard to pick a favorite, but the way that the flavors of the Nixtaco burger mingled together, helped it step about in front the of the rest! The meat was cooked to perfection, the bun held up with all of the delicious ingredients.
Jessi:
My favorite burger was from Bacon and Butter! Their burger had bacon two ways, blended into the patty, and on top! Paired with crispy shallot rings and black garlic aioli, it was a 10/10 from me. I even went back for seconds!
Between the craft beer, cider and cocktail selection, Sac Burger Battle boasted an impressive array of local beverages to choose from. And between the three of us we have a cider, beer and cocktail enthusiast, so it was the perfect mix of drinks!
The proceeds from this event went to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, which dedicates itself to finding cures to Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis. As much as we love food and drinks, we especially love eating and drinking for a cause. It was moving to see the community come together for such a worthy cause and showed the power of the food and beverage community in Sacramento. Over the past 6 years, Sac Burger Battle has raised over $200,000 for the foundation! If you’re inspired to contribute, you can still buy the official Sac Burger Battle t-shirt, with all proceeds being donated to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Hands down, Sac Burger Battle 2017 was one of our favorite events of the year to date. We got to eat delicious burgers, try craft drinks of every type of drink and commune with our fabulous foodie friends. Our only complaint? We got too full to try every burger! Guess we’ll have to keep trying burgers all over Sacramento . . . we really are dedicated to our work :).

We hope you all get the chance to attend Sac Burger Battle next year, but for now, make your very own Burger Tour around Sacramento! All restaurants who participated are listed below – let us know what your favorite is!
To learn more about the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, click here.
To learn more about Sac Burger Battle, click here.
To check out @BurgerJunkies (Sac Burger Battle Founder and burger enthusiast extraordinaire), click here.