As reported in Mike Dunne’s column a while back and on various ad hoc blogs, today at 3:00 PM a gaggle of local restaurant celebrities including Biba Caggiano, Randall Selland, Wendi Mentink, Rick Mahan and Kurt Spataro, will gather in support of a petition to celebrate Good Eats backing off the Corti Bros site.
According to Dunne, the effort to save Corti Brothers is/was being led by California Strategies LLC, a massive public relations firm with interests all across California.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens next; Corti still has to negotiate a new lease. Here is Darrel Corti in Mike Dunne’s column today:

“If they are backing away, I guess we have to meet with the landlord, but I’ve heard nothing from the landlord. All I’m hearing is what you are telling me, and I don’t know how to respond to what you are telling me,” Corti said.

The one thing that comes to mind is “sweet, I can keep my business open.” But that’s just off the top of my head.

The Bee reports today that the property that has housed Corti Brothers since 1970 will be leased to another tenant. CB has occupied the location since 1988 without a lease, so I suppose it is no surprise that the landlords opted to strike a deal that more than doubles the rent on the 20,000 square foot location from $12,000 to $24,000 a month. The new business will be Good Eats, a gourmet market and bistro. According to Mike Dunn at the Bee, CB will close the current location by October 15.

With their top quality selection of…. jeeze, just about anything you could want to eat or drink, I am a huge fan of CB. Since 1947, they have been on the short list of Sacramento’s best, and I hope that this continues long into the 21st Century. Let’s support Corti Brothers for as long as we can to help make that transition to a new store as quick as possible.

Far be it for me to encroach on any of the well-established territory of our raven-haired beauty, Sac-Eats, but Mrs. Game Guy and I had the opportunity to try the newly-opened “Crepe Escape” on H Street last night.

If I could sum up our eating experience in one word, it would be “derivative.” I am a big fan of Crepeville for it’s affordable prices and satisfying (though not mind blowing) cuisine; and The Crepe Escape manages to mirror the Crepeville mold to a tee: the familiar chalkboard menu offers virtually identical dishes of Americanized crepe recipes.  No, these are not authentic Frency thin pancakes, but if French cuisine is what you’re looking for, I’d recommend the very satisfying Cafe Rolle down the road.

The decor is strikingly similar to the Curis Park and Midtown creperies, and a nice outdoor patio offers some breezy sitting with majestic views of Cookies’ Drive-In and the H Street train bridge.  It’s not picturesque, but outdoor seating in Sacto is always preferred.

Like Crepeville, the food is satisfying, not spectacular, and I find it interesting that none of their dessert crepes have chocolate in them, but the much more Euro-centric Nutella.  Why the menu doesn’t offer a chocolate sauce is beyond me- its enough reason to hike down to Midtown for Crepeville’s better dessert offerings.

The most humorous thing of our eating experience last night was when Mrs. Game asked whether this was under the same ownership as Crepeville, to which our order-taker (not server, this is Crepeville’s counter-service after all) replied “no, we just have the same chalkboard artist.”  Really? Does he ALSO handle the menu content for both places too?

Side Note: the name “Crepe Escape” makes me think that we go there to get away from the over-abundance of crepes in our day-to-day lives.  I have been mistakenly calling it “Crepe Expectations,” which I think is a much better name.

But really, they should just call it “the East Sac Crepeville,” because that’s what everyone else will be calling it.

Food ***

Price $$

Atmosphere ***

You may have noticed that there is a new Peet’s Coffee & Tea going in at 37th and J Street. We “Peetniks” couldn’t be more thrilled with this news. For those of you looking for some additional cash this holiday season, they are currently hiring. While we missed the job fairs dates, you may still submit your resume to jobs@peets.com.

UPDATE: I clearly do not get around much anymore as I’ve been informed that there is another new Peet’s on 20th & J Street (also hiring). I’ll do some more research as it can’t be just a coincidence that both new J street locations are conveniently located right next to a Starbucks. Coffee Wars?

UPDATE II: Ok, so it’s official, Peet’s is moving forward with their attempt at world (er, Sacramento) coffee domination.  Another store is going up on Howe & Hallmark.  Anyone notice the timing with the increase in new stores and the death of Alfred Peet?

CoolDMZ’s, too. Sacred Heart, the venerable East Sacramento institution, will be re-built across 39th Street, thanks to a deal with Mercy.

Driving up Folsom Blvd just now I noticed two East Sacramento establishments in some sort of flux… the Hospice Thrift store seems to be closing up shop or moving, or perhaps just the awning is out for cleaning. Seems like if they were moving there would be a “We’re Moving” sign. The second storefront with something strange afoot is the Hilltop bar, which kind of looked like there might have been water damage inside. Anybody have any gossip?

Just last night I noticed the former site of East Sac stalwart Brillhart Shell, next to Corti Bros on Folsom, is now the location of an empty lot. Sorry, no pictures yet. Does this mean an empty lot for the next 20 years, as it so often does when a gas station is demolished? (It’s been so long I can’t even remember clearly, but I think that’s why the prime location on the northwest corner of 37th and Folsom is still vacant.) Or will it mean more parking for Corti Brothers, because that would be great. I won’t have to wait for parking before going in to be ridiculed for not ordering a sandwich in the correct manner.

Riding down J St. on my way to work, I see myriad yellow lawn signs that say “East Sac has enough traffic, Expand Elsewhere.” “Have Mercy, stop driving to work and making a living.” “Work from home, $1500/wk.” Any idea what this lawn demonstration is referring to?

Via the Bee’s Anita Creamer, I have just learned that Albertson’s is going to close up its small store on 48th and J street in East Sac, always and forever known to loyal fans of the dingy throwback market as “Little Lucky’s.”

I invite our readers to comment on the passing of this institution my posting their memories of Little Lucky’s in the comments box. (I wish I had done the blogging thing back when they closed Frankie’s Pharmacy!) My own fondest memory of Little Lucky’s is that I once pilfered a gumball from the candy display there, and then a week later showed up looking for a job. Ah, nostalgia. Ah, youthful pilfering. I vow to return that gumball, or more likely its monetary equivalent (adjusted for 2005 dollars) to the store before it closes next week.

(By the way, I did eventually work a summer at Albertson’s, the big one on Folsom, and it was the absolute worst job I have ever had. More on that sometime.)

The CoolDMZ clan lives in up-and-coming Tahoe Park, and often when traveling from midtown to home we utilize the crazy left-turn-right-turn 39th street thruway that lets out at the Coke bottling plant on Stockton. Last night, while trying to get home for an early dinner, we ran into stopped traffic right at the corner of Folsom and 39th. The source of the slowdown? Valet parking at a private residence on the corner! Outrage! Hatred! Villagers, take up your burning sticks!