“Bridges on the River” certainly sounds nicer than “Overpasses on the River” - but if the sight of an old highway’s underbelly doesn’t fit into your idea of a delightful culinary experience, I suggest you pick your table strategically. If you’re headed to the bar (and my focus at sacrag is bar experiences, not full-blown restaurant reviews), then you’re pretty much safe from the view of Highway 80, unless you’re by the big window at the far end.

Bridges has a good wine list, full bar and a fabulous food offerings. I hear the froglegs are the best appetizer, but my fellow cocktailers were too chicken (yeah, pun intended) to try them. Bridges is a converted mansion - each room is different, and the bar is no exception. Its warm, casual atmosphere is quite a contrast from the elegant foyer entrance and upscale manicured grounds.

Bridges’ location (way out on Garden Highway) probably limits its potential patronage - especially those looking for just drinks and apps. I do hope that more Sacramentans discover that Bridges is a great find, not too far from downtown. And especially that my fellow Natomas-dwellers realize an escape from stripmall eatery hell is not that far from home.

Capitol Mall’s new venue for politico, lawyer and banker types was named 55 Degrees to reference the best temperature for wine storage. After visiting there a couple times, I think the name is more apropos for its room temperature. Truth be told, I’m always cold in restaurants, and 55 Degrees is not any colder than the rest - but all the modernist touches give it a cool, almost sterile, environment.

The restaurant is walled by glass, and nearly everything inside has right angles - even the appetizer plates. It’s quite a contrast from the still popular Il Fornaio just across the street. Unlike Ilfo’s large bar area with lots of tables and even a couple little sofas, 55’s cocktail area is comprised only of the actual bar - a very square bar. So, 55’s bar is fine for two people, not so fine for larger groups or socializing. It is a full bar, but the stock of hard stuff pales in comparison to the wonderful wine list.

I like 55 quite a bit - the appetizers are delectable! the service is fabulous! - and am sure I will end up there with my boyfriend for many post-work cocktails (mostly because he works in that building). But if I’m doing downtown drinks with the girls, we’re headed to Il Fornaio.

Mason’s is where it’s AT! (And that’s saying a lot since I rarely end sentences with prepositions.) I checked out Mason’s, it’s my new fave. Design: uber-modern. People: probably too early to tell, but I spied mostly polished, semi-hoity-toity types. Service: impeccable (one of my friends found it annoyingly constant, though). Bar menu: lengthy and of the best quality. And let’s not forget about location. I don’t mean geographic, I mean proximity - to other bar venues.

Several years ago, most of Sac’s good bars were isolated. Meaning you’d have to DRIVE in order to bar hop. (I am not really a fan of bar hopping for its own sake, rather I like to have the option to go next door if my original destination is too crowded. Or empty. Or boring.) I remember the Centro/Blue Cue/Harlow’s corner was convenient …
Continue reading “Mason’s: So Far, the Best” »

I frequented Lucca quite a bit when it first opened - always have high hopes for a new mid- or downtown opening. Aside from the minor missteps of a fresh venue finding its footing, Lucca showed great promise. The bar has the makings of a great Sac hangout: solid wine list, full bar, yummy appetizers (love the escargot) and a good location. And in my book, it gets extra points for offering more than one sparkling wine by the glass/split. The post-work crowd is usually professionals, with some hip midtowners thrown in, so big thumbs up on the atmosphere.

Sadly, the bar is too small for kissmekate’s ideal …
Continue reading “Three’s a crowd at Lucca” »

All around the bar, that is. The three-sided bar is flanked by modern diner-type booths on one side and a carpeted living room style setting on the other. This multi-functional, two-level bar scene means Spataro is ideal for any cocktail situation.

The big, comfy chairs and tables in the “living room” can be rearranged to accommodate larger parties or (my favorite) fluctuating parties - to adjust for those busybodies who drop in for only one glass, or for the minglers who tend crash other cocktailer groups. The plush tables on the edge of the carpeted area provide more privacy, say for a romance-minded couple or a group of gal pals who have some serious girl talk on the agenda. I haven’t sat at the other line of booths that are next to the entrance - but they appear to be the place to enjoy a pre-dinner drink while waiting for a table. And then there’s the bar …
Continue reading “Spataro: nice all around” »