Here’s a quick recap of restaurant closings cum real estate opportunities in the area.

East West Steak & Sushi Buffet- El Camino Ave
As mentioned previously this frightening gastronomic nightmare is no more, opening up more than 8000 sq ft of restaurant space. Maybe we should reopen a Shakey’s there?

IHOP-El Camino Ave
It appears that the IHOP at Watt and El Camino has gone from “Under Renovation” to “Scary and Derelict.” Feel free to contact the national HQ of IHOP to let them know that this building falls far short from fresh ‘n’ fruity.

Angel’s Fresh Mex- 16th St
My tears threaten to short out my keyboard as I write these words. Angel’s is closed. Those tortilla wrapped bundles of goodness that I have come to count on for weekly sustenance are gone. My heart is breaking like their soft, supple tortillas never did. We will miss ye, Angel’s. Continue reading “Tears and Anguish: Restaurant Closings” »

Hall of Famer third baseman Mike Schmidt will be making an appearance tomorrow at Raley Field before the River Cats game.

Former Major League third baseman Mike Schmidt will visit Raley Field on Friday, July 18th to help raise awareness of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as enlarged prostate. The Hall of Famer has partnered with Minor League Baseball to launch the national program, “BPH Game Plan Starts with U: Catch the Whole Game,” aimed at urging men to talk to their doctors about annual prostate screenings.

Say it with me: Usin the whole fist there, Dinger?

Fans are invited to meet Schmidt from approximately 7:05 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. on the Foul Ball Patio (left field line) where he will be available to autograph free Mike Schmidt over-sized baseball cards.

Cool!!

Hyperbole be damned! Tonight is California’s Grape & Gourmet.
Cal Expo, buildings A & B
5:30pm-8:30pm
Taste from 600 award-winning wines (designated driver and liver recommended)
Award winning microbrews and cheeses
Samples from over 90 area restaurants
Tix are $50, $70 at the door
www.thebestcaliforniawine.com

I have learned that The Bee has filed a Public Records Act for “2007 base salary and overtime records, including employee name, department, and job title” for all employees of Sacramento County. Apparently the Bee is planning to compile a database and release all the information on its website, as it did earlier this year for State of CA workers.

This raises all the same issues as that project, concerning workers’ privacy, safety, and the public benefit of this level of public records releasing by the Bee. Continue reading “Sac Bee to publish county salaries?” »

I am by no means a competent NBA analyst, but I did want to point out one interesting tidbit about Chad Ford’s mock draft analysis of the Kings’ #12 pick: His pick is Lionel Mario Chalmers, and his alternate is Roy Hibbert. Not since the draft of 1997 which saw stars like Chris Wiggum and Ted Krustofsky have the Kings chances in the draft been so Simpsons-centric.

But seriously, what do we think of drafting a point guard at #12? FFT, writing on his new domain altsac.com, says don’t do it because Beno can start. Again I know nothing but for some reason my gut says drafting point guards is a tricky business, especially if you want a player to contribute right away or at least soon.

Ok Raggers, I am in the middle of an attempted hairstyle  renaissance.  The problem is that for years I’ve only gotten quick and easy chop-shop jobs in Sacramento.  I have no go-to stylist or barber and now need to find someone who’ll do a good job with men’s hair.

And at an affordable price- I can’t spend more than what my wife spends or else marital discourse will ensue.

So any suggestions of people/places to go who can do something fun and stylish? I don’t think my last haircutter understood anything but “Number 3 on the sides and back.”

Which is why you’ll see me at the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” auditions at Jackson Rancheria on Monday, June 23 at 7am. Click here for more details.

And while I’m up in Jackson, I might stop at some of my favorite daytrip spots.

Thanks to Lisa Heyamoto for hipping me to this event.

California is a very large state. I’m not an expert but I think it’s like, one of the biggest states. You would think the smart folks at Boing Boing and the London Telegraph would know that. Instead, Boing Boing, referencing a hoax by law enforcement at “El Camino High School in California,” linked to this story from the Telegraph. This made me waste a whole 4 minutes of my lunch hour tracking down the original story, which comes out of Oceanside, CA and not San Juan Unified.

Continue reading “San Diego “your classmates are dead” hoax” »

Within the last few months, three new eateries have appeared in the greater Town & Country Club area (a hybrid of Country Club Plaza and Town & Country Village). These new joints manage to fill in a few gaps in the foodscape. If we keep our fingers crossed, maybe we’ll get an art house theater too.

Taqueria Y Pastelria San Marcos

It’s a fine piece of fortune when a fantastic taqueria opens up within blocks of you. San Marcos offers everything that a good taqueria should: great tacos, killer chips & salsa, and depression-era prices. Not only that, but San Marcos meets all the conditions for ethnic dive greatness, including a plethora of handwritten signs indicating the bizarre and sometimes draconian rules regarding restroom usage, ATM utilization, soda refills, chips & salsa availability, and most importantly, what is and is not included in the daily special. If you try to bend any of these rules, you will be left out in the Oaxacan desert to be eaten by coyotes. Continue reading “New Eats in the 95821″ »

It’s official: Everything sucks. The Cool family is planning a getaway to the Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz area, and I was excited to take my crew to see The Tree Circus, which as a kid I dragged my family to see once. Basically, this was a quaint little garden full of trees shaped into funny sculptures, as you can see at right. Tee hee. My recollection is that I was ridiculed for taking the whole family to see a bunch of braided trees, but I’m sure my family would rather braid their own eyeballs than witness what has become of my beloved Tree Circus…

Continue reading “The Tree Circus and “Gilroy Gardens”” »