By now I assume everyone has at least heard about the redevelopment of the R Street corridor, if not yet visited themselves. With new restaurants and hot hangouts like Burger’s & Brew, R15, The Shady Lady and Magpie Caterers Market & Café, the short strip of R Street between 14th and 15th Streets is certainly becoming a draw for midtown regulars and the after-work crowd, alike.
Ideal for Sac’s warm summer nights, this strip is a patio-diner’s haven. Each locale features a decent amount of outdoor sidewalk seating and of course, serves up refreshing beverages to help beat the heat.
I recently visited Magpie Caterers Market & Café to do a menu tasting – my fiancé and I have been looking into them to cater our wedding in November. Our tasting actually consisted of many items that are on the Café’s regular menu and we were extremely impressed. The Farmstead Cheese and Fruit Plate was heavenly – fantastic as a wedding hors d’oeuvre or plate to share over a glass of wine with friends at the café after a long day of work. From the Petaluma Chicken with Sweet Wine and Grapes to the Central Valley Black Rice, Magpie focuses on fresh local ingredients combining to create simply delectable seasonal flavors. Co-owners Ed and Janel took the time to carefully explain the sourcing of ingredients for each dish and one can’t help but appreciate their passion for sustainability.
Following the tasting we grabbed a bottle of Amador County wine from Magpie (yes, all of their wines, beers and even a mighty fine blood orange hard cider are locally sourced, as well) and parked ourselves on the café’s sidewalk patio to enjoy the great weather, discuss a few wedding plans (can’t get away from it!) and enjoy the bustling R Street ambiance.
Since we’re kicking off our Patio Dining series, comment below or on our Facebook page and tell us what your favorite patio dining spot in Sac is to win a Zagat guide! Get your comments in by Tuesday at Noon and we’ll announce the winner that afternoon.