SacFoodies

Dine Downtown 2018

by SacFoodies


Sacramentans, rejoice! Dine Downtown 2018 is officially our favorite way to kick off this rainy New Year. From January 12-21st, 32 del-oi-cious Sacramento restaurants are offering three-course meals for $35 in honor of Dine Downtown 2018. For ten days, your favorite restaurants will feature a special Dine Downtown menu, with one dollar from every meal purchased benefiting local social services and Sacramento’s Food Literacy Center.
As foodie fiends, we love the opportunity to try out specially curated menus because it gives chefs the chance to show off what they’re proud of, and we get to try something new. Earlier this week, we were invited to preview the Dine Downtown menus from Ten22, La Cosecha and Iron Horse Tavern.To no one’s surprise, everything we tried was inventive and tasty, with unexpected flavors and new takes on old classics that caught our attention in a big way! Take a look through the photos below for some highlights and some mouthwatering menu inspo!

To check out all participating restaurants and their specially-made menus for the occasion, click here. We’ve already picked out a few favorites that we can’t wait to try out – hope to see you there!

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A Day in Old Sacramento

by SacFoodies

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Last Sunday, I was reminded of how wonderful and beautiful Old Sacramento truly is.  Although I’ve frequented Old Sac for many family dinners at Joe’s Crab Shack and lunches at Steamers Café, I had never truly explored its vibrant, bustling streets. Being fortunate enough to work within a 1-mile radius of Old Sac’s gorgeous 28 acres on the Sacramento waterfront, it’s a shame that I often take for granted the eye-opening, historic yet always-changing town only a stone’s throw away from our office. 
The sun-kissed sky and warm weather called for ice cold drinks and a patio lunch at Rio City Café. My date’s drink of choice was Stella Artois and I was thirsty for bottomless mimosas. While the calamari was delicious, our main entrées were quite spectacular. He opted for the Rio City Burger paired with rosemary fries and my choice was the Salmon BLT with a side of sweet potato fries.
After lunch, we perused the streets basking in the sunlight and window-shopped while appreciating all the arts, antiques and collectibles sold at the classic Old Sac shops. Dessert was sweet perfection as we shared a double scoop of Rocky Road and Pecan Praline atop a chocolate-covered sugar cone.
If you’re like me and often overlook the beauty of Old Sac, below are some reminders of how fortunate we really are to have a place with such a rich history, authentic Sacramento flair and never-ending fun in our own backyard. No matter if it’s your first time, next time, or you’re at Old Sac all the time – next time you visit, take a moment to appreciate the wonder of Old Sacramento.




Tip: My date and I purposefully parked on the parking garage rooftop to revel in the scenic view of the iconic Tower Bridge and we savored every second of it.
 
 
 

Gold Rush Beer Crawl

by SacFoodies

Interested in slowing it down this Labor Day weekend? How about kicking things off with a crawl… the Gold Rush Beer Crawl that is. This Friday, August 30, the Capitol City will be turning back the clock in Old Sacramento for the third annual Gold Rush Beer Crawl, as part of the 13th Annual Gold Rush Days weekend. 

Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight, you can enjoy a 6-9 oz. glass of crisp beer at 9 different establishments for just $10, while enjoying dancing, street dramas, wagon rides, gold panning, horse-drawn carriage rides, crafts and more along the way.
Escape reality by coming dressed as a gold miner, gunfighter or saloon girl – we hear you will get the best service if you dress the part!
Don’t miss the opportunity to get your ticket as they are selling quickly. Purchase tickets online at Eventbrite, or at one of the venues in advance. 

Wordless Wednesday- Danny’s Mini Donuts

by SacFoodies

“Made Hot on the Spot!”  The slogan doesn’t lie.  I watched as the mini donuts were fried to perfection, then coated to order – chocolate, powdered sugar, glazed – you name it!  It’s an easy stop on the way to the dozens of downtown offices.  I brought in a variety and they were a hit, and, of course, great with coffee!

Danny’s Mini Donuts
Old Sacramento
900 2nd Street

Dine Downtown: Ten22 in Old Sacramento

by SacFoodies

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