By. Jessi Gunn
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, March 17th 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 12th 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!
Dine Downtown: Ten22 in Old Sacramento
Today begins Dine Downtown Restaurant Week, put on annually by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. From January 9-18, you can enjoy some of the best dining experiences that Sacramento has to offer. During these 10 days only, local chefs will create special three-course dinner menus for only $30 per person.
One of the participating restaurants is Old Sac’s Ten22, and a guest and I were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of its Dine Downtown menu this past weekend. I love that Ten22 has roomy booths and tables with plenty of space between them, so you don’t feel like you’re in on the conversation at the next table over. Its atmosphere feels upscale and classy, yet comfortable at the same time – we sat at a stylish booth near the bar, which had the football game on and an array of beers on tap.
For drinks, I opted for a glass of Fumé Blanc, while my guest sipped on a smoked porter from Stone Brewing Co. I’m usually a red wine gal, but this glass was crisp and mild, the perfect companion for everything on the menu. The beer was smoky and smooth – yum!
For our first course, we tried both options, the Sliced Ahi Sashimi and Roasted Pecan-Smoked Bacon “Chop.” The chop was my favorite – it was like two high-quality, crispy pieces of bacon that coupled well with the smoked porter beer.
Next up was the main course. We tried the Pan-Roasted Salmon and Petit New York Strip Steak Diane. Both were fabulous and flavorful! The salmon was crunchy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside – this was hands-down my favorite item of the night. Both dishes came with roasted potatoes, which had a pleasant, simple flavor that didn’t take away from the main courses.
Of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without dessert! Ten22 has a new pastry chef, so all of its desserts are baked in house. We tried both the Citrus-Scented Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Mousse Cake, and both were a sweet finish to a perfect dinner. The caramelized sugar atop the crème brûlée was delicious and not too rich – just the way I like it. And the chocolate crust on the mousse cake was nothing short of mouth-watering.
I highly recommend you check out Ten22 for its quality food and enjoyable atmosphere. You can view its Dine Downtown menu here, and for a list of all participating restaurants for Dine Downtown, click here.
Ten22
1022 Second Street
Old Sacramento
(916) 441-2211